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We’re so pleased to have such positive feedback about our Front Splits Program – thank you!
As well as improving overall strength and flexibility, when designing the Front Splits Program, we wanted also to focus on balance, stamina and heart rate. We’re thrilled to hear from you that we are hitting the mark on all three!
We’ve introduced the Mountain Climber in this program. It’s a great whole body movement and helps strengthen muscle groups in your arms, shoulders, back, core and legs. We’re also working on hip extension and flexion. Practising Mountain Climber on the Reformer – a moving platform – also helps improve our proprioception (the body’s ability to sense movement, action and location).
As most of your have already discovered, Mountain climber also helps us work on our stamina and increases our heart rate!
You’ll have noticed that in an exercise such as Mountain Climber, we focus on a recovery period in between sets. That’s really important to help you complete the next set of repetitions with good form. It can be tempting to perform maximum repetitions (for example, we might achieve 10 reps of an exercise) but then struggle to complete a second set. However, if we were to stop at 40 seconds, then recover for 40 seconds, we’re more likely to be able to complete another 40 seconds with good form – even on to a third or fourth set. There’s also research to suggest that resting between sets can also help our muscle growth.
So, although many of us find Mountain Climber challenging, it’s certainly one of those exercises that offers a great bang for the buck – and the sense of achievement is a real mood-booster!
Of course, we don’t throw anyone straight into a set of Mountain Climbers! As with all of our Find Your Flow® Programs, we include a range of warm-up exercises, targeting key muscle groups, so that by the time we get to Mountain Climber we’re ready to flow!
You can also practise the mountain climber on the mat, against a chair (as long as it can’t slip away!) or against a wall. You’ll find increased challenge the lower to the floor you practise. If you’d like to practise at home, but aren’t quite sure how, have a word with your teacher – they’d be delighted to show you.
If you’d like to experience the challenge and fun of the Front Splits Program, book your place in one of our classes below – we’d love to share it with you.
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