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Advanced Pilates

Advanced Pilates - One Legged Ball Bridge

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  • Dori Markakos
     
     

    Dori is an experienced fitness professional whose love of fitness began in grade school with her love of dance and ballet. She’s danced classical ballet since she was 5. As her interest in fitness grew, she began experimenting with all varieties of group fitness and weight lifting. Dori went the practical route to college and received her Bachelor’s Degree in Business with a specialization in Marketing from the University of Virginia’s School of Commerce, but not before receiving her fitness instructor certification in her spare time. After college, Dori went to work for Environmental Design & Construction, LLC (EDC) where she is presently the Controller. In this position, Dori serves as the company’s chief business officer. But, Dori’s heart is in the field of fitness. Dori maintains her certifications and puts them to work as a personal trainer, spinning and Pilates (mat and reformer) instructor. As part of her career development, Dori also received specialty training in pre and post natal fitness, with a specialization in pre/post natal Pilates. Dori currently works with clients as Pilates instructor, while keeping up with her own workouts. She’s run multiple marathons and is an accomplished triathlete having run numerous triathlons as well having completed the Ironman Triathlon. Dori resides in Arlington, Virginia with her husband Peter and daughter Mia.

  • Advanced Pilates - One Legged Ball Bridge

    Certified Pilates instructor, Dori Markakos will take you through a complete Advanced Pilates workout. This video will not only build on some of the moves that were shown in the Intermediate video, but new challenging exercises incorporating a fitness ball will taught to really tighten, and firm up your entire body.

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    This series: 14,660 views

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  • Transcripts

    Hi! I am Dory, and this is advanced Pilates. I am going to show you to do a one legged ball bridge. Lets go ahead and get started by sitting at the middle of the mat, unrolling your spine one vertebra at a time, and placing both legs on top of the ball. As you take a big, deep breathe in, I want you to exhale and bring those finger tips as close to your feet as possible, opening up your chest and your shoulders. Make sure your spine is completely neutral in this exercise, so that you dont have any neck tensions. So, I want you to look straight ahead, and walk that ball just a little bit forward, digging the right foot into the ball, and placing the left ankle on top of the right knee. Make sure your spine is nice and elongated so that each and every vertebra is touching the floor. You are going to inhale and exhale, open up those shoulders, engage those abs, and you are going to slowly unroll your vertebra one at a time, starting with the tail bone, forcing that right foot right into the ball. You are going to hold it, hold it, working right into that hamstring and slowly unroll. Its a really hard exercise, very small intense but its great.

    Lets try it one more time, inhale and exhale, lift, lift, lift, rolling one vertebra at a time, and hold it, hold it, and slowly unroll. And last time, inhale and exhale, force the right foot into the ball, as you unroll and lift, lift, lift, lift, and slowly unroll. Let's switch legs, so the left foot is going to come flat onto the ball, the right foot is going to be rotated to the ankles on top of the left leg, you are going to inhale and exhale, force that left foot and heel into the ball, rotate those hips under, engage those abs, and lift those hips up, up, up, up, hold it, hold it, hold it, and slowly lower. Just two more of those, I know you can do it, inhale and exhale, engage those abs, rotate those hips up and lift, and slowly lower. Last one, inhale and exhale, lift, lift, lift, lift, pause and hold it, hold it, great job, unroll one vertebra at a time. Place both feet on the ball, grab on to those hamstrings, roll up one vertebra at a time, and lets go ahead and move on.

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