Summer is only a few months away and if you’re looking to get in shape, look no further. HollywoodLife spoke EXCLUSIVELY to celebrity pilates instructor, Amy Jordan, who has worked with stars including Vanessa Hudgens, Sophia Bush, Ashley Tisdale, and Kristin Cavallari, just to name a few. Amy shared a step-by-step workout that will get you toned and the best part is, that it can be done in the studio or in the comfort of your own home.
Amy created the workout class, WundaBar, which Amy describes as “Pilates, reinvented.” She explained why she created WundaBar, saying, “Before WundaBar you had two choices in Pilates – Slow-and-Cerebral or Pound-It-Out with no methodology. WundaBar Pilates is the first to bridge that gap. We combine intensity with integrity of movement in Pilates – all on our exclusive WundaFormer – a Pilates Reformer, Wunda Chair, Ballet Bar, and Jump Board all in one.”
So, what does the workout entail exactly? “We focus on starting every movement from your core – even a squat or a tricep extension,” Amy revealed. “If you can activate your core with breath, you’ll get more out of every exercise! Think of it this way: rather than your legs pushing you away from the ground to rise up from a squat, take an inhale breath to rise and think about LIFT rather than push to get length and tone in your core as you sculpt your booty!”
WundaBar is a “full body experience” which Amy explained, “For example, if you’re doing a bicep curl we talk about the triceps extending as the elbow bends, and the biceps lengthening as the arm unfolds. This flips the old way of doing exercise to bring movement into the future by sharing the workload, and getting every part of your body at the party!”
If you want to try out Amy’s workout in the comfort of your own home, follow the step-by-step instructions below.
Core x Backline Plank
- Start on your elbows and knees on your mat.
- Hold WundaCore Resistance Ring between hands, palms facing in, elbows touching the mat.
- Walk one leg back at a time into a plank on your forearms.
- Wunda Wisdom: Send intention into the ring as if you could narrow it and you’ll feel your deep core and backline fire up to strengthen all the way around!
- Hold for 30 seconds and add 10 seconds every time you try it.
Single Leg Criss-Cross – Right side
- Lay on your back and loop the long end of your WundaCore Resistance Ring over your right foot, hold with your right hand.
- Take left hand under the base of your head and inhale to rotate and lift your head + left shoulder blade off of the mat.
- More challenge: hover the left leg long off the mat the whole time.
- Wunda Wisdom: focus on your lower left ribs rotating towards your right inner thigh to keep your core long and create lean lines. Don’t shorten and curl up to the knee.
- 12 reps
Low Belly + Tricep Lunge – Right side
- Start standing with both parallel and 4″ apart, step just the left leg back. Hold your WundaCore Resistance Ring between hands, behind your body at your hips. No bend to the elbows.
- Exhale, and tip your torso forward as your right knee bends into a lunge. Keep your knee aligned with 1st and 2nd toe and allow your knee to come just in front of your ankle.
- Inhale, return to start.
- Wunda Wisdom: find the balance between your arms reaching long (not high!) while you draw your navel up and in to keep your ribs and pelvis stacked through the whole move.
- 12 reps
Step In Squat
- Step one foot at a time into the WundaCore Resistance Ring and place it around the widest part of your calves. Feet parallel.
- Stand tall with hands on hips and equal weight across the soles of your feet. Already the WundaCore Resistance Ring is giving your body feedback to reach all the way up to your waistline for the work!
- Exhale, crease at the front of your hips, and reach tailbone long – then bend at the knees to lower into your squat. Allow knees to come just in front of your ankles as you bend into the squat.
- Inhale, rise back to standing, with even weight across your feet.
- Wunda Wisdom: holding the Resistance Ring in place guides your body to find not only your booty but all the way into your glut med (diagonally running up towards your waist) as well as proper knee alignment and low belly!
- 12 reps
Low Belly + Tricep Lunge – Left side
- 12 reps
Single Leg Criss-Cross – Left side
- 12 reps
Inner Thigh + Pelvic Floor Bridge
- Lay on your back on your mat with your feet flat, and your WundaCore Resistance Ring between your inner thighs. It will automatically space your legs about 4″ apart. Arms long on the mat, actively imprinting into the floor.
- Inhale to reach the pelvis long to lift you, pause at the top to recruit your gluts and feel your knees stretch and lengthen away from your hips. Keep your low back open, not shortening with a deep arc.
- Exhale and keep your booty up as your heart and top of your core lower down first. Then middle back, low back and pelvis lowers last all the way down to your tailbone.
- Wunda Wisdom: as you work, think about giving the Resistance Ring some breathing room – don’t squeeze in on it and you’ll get more work and better results for your core, inner thighs, and behind!
- 12 reps
Side Saddle Stretch
- Sit with legs wide on your mat and loop the WundaCore Resistance Ring around the ball of your right foot, hold in your right hand, and arc to the side with your left arm overhead. You can rotate your ribs down to the floor for a deeper stretch.
- Hold and breathe for 15 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
If you feel unmotivated or don’t know how to get yourself to try this workout, Amy shared her tips for staying motivated. “If you are feeling stuck and out of the habit of movement – get started with the smallest step.” She continued, “Try a plank for 15 seconds. Chances are you’ll feel pretty strong and your body will thank you for the work. Then do 8 squats. Now your blood is moving and you’re connecting to yourself in a positive way. Take a short walk, even a few laps around your living room focused on deep breath. Small steps will invite more movement, and your body and spirit will thank you – hope to see you in the studio or on the mat!”