Pilates Transformations's video: Building an Imprint on the Pilates Reformer - Tips for Pilates Instructors and Curious Students

This video is for instructors, students, and all body artists who want to learn the steps to an imprint. Imprint is a classic body position used in physical therapy, Pilates reformer and matwork, and creates abdominal dominance in the core musculature. Building a powerful imprint can be an extremely enjoyable and powerful experience for any person who lives in lumbar hyperextension or anterior pelvic tilt -- including athletes, overweight persons, and posture types kyphosis-lordosis, swayback and military. For these people, Imprint reduces the spine extensors and QL's into flexion-- and the hip flexors into extension-- allowing these muscles to relax from the rigors of excess tension. 1:00 Moves start 1:50 Ribcage Compression - The Secret 3rd Layer of the Imprint 3:30 Legs “defer" to the dominant imprint 4:00 How to feel the bony landmarks 5:15 Supine Armwork begins 6:00 Arms 'defer' to the dominant imprint In a dominant Imprint, the exerciser holds this 'flexed lumbar spine' position with three (3) specific bony landmarks: 1: Pelvis - Posterior Tilt 2. Lumbar spine - Flexion 3. Ribcage - Compression Muscles recruited: Glutes / Hip Extensors / Adductors Pelvic Floor / TVA / Diaphragmatic Internal & External Obliques Rectus Abs **On reformer rolling bridges the hamstrings are also recruited. ** On reformer Armwork the shoulder stabilizers are also recruited. The abs will 'dominate' the arms and legs-- reducing range of motion in the limbs, and reducing movement in the spine / pelvis / ribcage to nil. This is opposed to 'neutral' position, which compliments the natural ranges of motion in the entire body. So many imprinted moves on the Pilates reformer can be excellent cross-training-- especially for anybody who normally trains in neutral or chronic lumbar hyper-extension.