Andrea Speir — Arms, Back, and Abs (30 min Reformer Class, Level 2/3)

# Equipment and setup

• Reformer with sitting box
• Small ball
• Long loops attached
• Footbar in the middle upright position
• Headrest up

The teacher emphasizes setup and form before increasing load or range of motion.

The session begins with a seated warm-up using the small ball placed mid to low back. This establishes a rounded curl and chest position while initiating abdominal engagement. Andrea guides a series of curl-ups with hand variations: hands behind thighs, palms forward, and hands behind the head to modify intensity.

From those basic curl-ups the work progresses to rotational curls and single-leg table-top patterns that target transverse abdominis and obliques. Options include keeping both feet down and focusing on deep curl, or extending the free leg and adding rotation as you draw the knee in.

After the seated work you roll down to the mat, place the ball between the ankles, and add the long loops in the hands. The first supine sequence uses small arm presses with the legs lifted to tabletop. Andrea cues reaching the arms forward and maintaining the shoulder-down position while the legs articulate through tabletop and extensions. She repeatedly returns to a "foundational" pattern that allows participants to choose to add full flexion curls or hold the lighter, connection-focused variation.

This session fits an intermediate mover who is comfortable with basic Reformer setup and can follow cued progressions. If you need less intensity, stay with the foundational versions: keep hands behind thighs, avoid full leg extensions, or use the lighter spring combination.

# Tactical cues you'll hear and why they matter

• "Chest stays open and proud, abs scoop in and up" — keeps thoracic openness while recruiting the deep core.
• "Hands about an inch above the mat" — forces active reach rather than pressing into the mat, which increases abdominal work without neck strain.
• "Rotate as the knee comes in, untwist as it extends" — sequences oblique engagement with breath and leg movement to train coordinated core control.

# What to expect afterward

You'll leave with emphasis on upper-body control linked to the core, a sense of refined form options to scale the work, and short sequences designed to be repeatable as part of a regular Reformer routine.