This month, we’re looking at a staple of the Pilates exercise repertoire: Chest Expansion on the Arm Chair. Why is it a staple? For one, it’s one of the exercises that is famously practiced across various pieces of apparatus from the Reformer and Cadillac to the Arm Chair and Pedipole. But also, and perhaps more importantly, it’s a fundamental movement that sits at the heart of any pulling exercise, as well as any exercise that brings the arms behind the body for an “opened chest”.
What it is
Kneel on the Chair facing the back – leaning into or lifting away from the backboard.
Pull the springs behind the body while taking a deep breath in.
Hold the springs while executing a 180° scan of the space with your head and gaze – one side, then the other.
Release the springs while exhaling.
Anywhere the theme sake exercise is practiced, the choreography is the same, including one of those rare moments where we deliberately hold our breath. Surely, there’s much to unpack here…
What it does
In our definition, Chest Expansion builds upper body strength and shoulder extension, opens the chest, and stretches the neck. But, the “chest expanding” part has little to do with simply throwing your chest out. Rather, we “expand the chest” so we can take a bigger breath in… and house it for a while while turning our head.
What do you make of this exercise?
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