August Apparatus of the Month Wrap Up
This month, we celebrated the Push Thru Bar highlighting its purpose, challenge, and unique features.
The Push Thru Bar is a versatile tool within the Classical Pilates repertoire, providing support, resistance, and continuous feedback throughout movement. The bar helps the practitioner develop strength, mobility, coordination, and body awareness.
It can be used across a range of positions and movements, including flexion, extension, lateral flexion, and upright work. The springs create resistance that changes throughout the movement, encouraging the practitioner to work with control rather than momentum.
A key element of the Push Thru Bar is the feedback created between the body, bar, and springs. The resistance encourages organization, connection to the powerhouse, spinal articulation, shoulder stability, and control. It can support the practitioner through an exercise while also challenging them to maintain control against the resistance of the springs.
Gratz Pilates Community Highlights
In the month of August, the Gratz community expressed their love for the Push Thru Bar sharing their favorite exercises, how they benefit from the apparatus, and educated viewers on its functionality. Each post exemplified the practitioner's commitment to honoring the foundational movements of Classical Pilates repertoire acknowledging the Push Thru Bar's design and function.
Exercise Education on the Push Thru Bar
Body Contrology Lab located in Jupiter, FL, shared a photo on the Push Thru Bar educating viewers on the opportunities the apparatus offers. From Teaser and the Swan to Mermaid and Monkey, the Push Thru Bar offers many possibilities to build strength, mobility, control and coordination.
Mindful Movement on the Push Thru Bar
In this feature, Zercin exemplifies the Shoulder Roll Down and Swan on the Push Thru Bar highlighting the true authenticity behind the apparatus’s design.
From Start to Finish: Push Thru Bar Practice
Britt, from The Cheeky Pilates, captures the set-up and execution of using the Push Thru Bar on the Cadillac for her practice in this post. She also provided insightful information on extension and flexion in our recent blog, “A Change of Direction -The Complexity of Moving with the Push Thru Bar.”
A Week of Wellness in the Countryside
This post shared by Rim B., captures the Push Thru Bar incorporated into a group session at the “Pilates Magical Retreat” led by Lori Coleman Brown. The nourishing retreat took place in the countryside of France at a luxury chateau giving guests an immersive weekend with Classical Pilates and restorative activities.
A Lesson on Connecting to the Apparatus
Wilder Pilates celebrates the month explaining in this video how The Push Thru Bar poses a misconception that movement starts in your arms. They explain how your powerhouse should lead starting with initiating movement with your hips, stabilizing your core, and allowing your arms to simply provide connection to the apparatus.
Appreciating the Authenticity of the Push Thru Bar
In this post, we love how Bondi Tree Pilates applauds Joseph Pilates for the design and functionality of the Push Thru Bar. In the caption, they share how the apparatus allows the practitioner to slow down and form a deep connection to her powerhouse enabling the lengthening of the spine.
Progressing Through the Movements of Swan
We love how Emma’s post captures the various movements of Swan from Swan Prep to Swan Dive using the Push Thru Bar. Though every body is different, the apparatus allows practitioners the opportunity to learn more about their own capabilities through various levels of movement.
Class Work Featuring the Push Thru Bar
Look at the Push Thru Bar movement from this amazing group! Heights Pilates highlights Apparatus of the Month sharing their love for the little details of the Push Thru Bar such as the wood, the weight, and the grip.
A Moment for Deep Body Connection
We loved seeing Excel Pilates Nova share this advanced movement on the Push Thru Bar featuring no spring. The front leg stretch performed showcases this practitioner’s excellent mobility and control.
A Push Thru Bar Guessing Game
In this feature, Kerry from Excel Pilates Annapolis invited viewers to guess which exercise is her favorite on The Push Thru Bar: a.) Teaser, b.) Monkey, or c.) Push Thru Front. Click the picture to comment your vote!
The Power of Spring Resistance
Such a wonderful series performed on the Studio Wall Unit using The Push Thru Bar at Everybody Pilates. While exemplifying powerhouse strength and control, they share the special capability the spring’s resistance creates allowing full-body connection.
Rebuilding Teaser Two with the Push Thru Bar
Rim from the Workshop in Edmonds, shares how she’s been using the Push Thru Bar this month to rebuild her ability to do Teaser Two. The apparatus provided her with a source of stability and control, allowing her to maintain her powerhouse strength and lift her legs.
Incorporating Contrology into Rehabilitation
In this post, Svea shares how she utilizes the Push Thru Bar to refine her movements and avoid dysfunctional movement patterns. The beauty of Classical Pilates is the system’s ability to meet practitioners where they are and over time, take them to a place where they thrive with mobility and strength.
Executing Advanced Pilates Repertoire
We loved seeing this sequence incorporating the Push Thru bar on the Cadillac. The practitioner's powerhouse strength and control throughout the Teaser exercise is truly impressive.
The Push Thru Bar: Simple in Name, Profound in Purpose
Romana Pilates Certified Instructor and studio owner, Karen Wilder, shares her perspective on the Push Through Bar from the details that shape the experience to the connection, control, and opposition required to perform the work with intention.
Leaning Into Curiosity: Helping a Client Reconnect with the Shoulder Rolldown
Rim Benoud-Schmitz wrote a wonderful piece detailing a heart-warming breakthrough she shared with a client during their practice with the Push Thru Bar. What may not seem like a big deal, Rim explains that as an instructor, it’s her responsibility to investigate the root cause of the client’s roadblock.
The Gratz Push Thru Bar: Supporting Movement Throughout the Classical Pilates Repertoire
In this blog, Gratz shares the ways in which the Push Thru Bar provides support in Classical Pilates Repertoire. The blog provides detailed explanation of the benefits found in practicing with the Push Thru Bar and the unique movements that provide an opportunity to explore the apparatus.
A Change of Direction - The Surprising Complexity of Moving with the Push Thru Bar
This feature piece dives into the unassuming complexity of the Push Thru bar as practitioners move through flexion and extension exercises. Britt, founder of The Cheeky Pilates, shares that “While the spring can assist the movement, it can also expose where control begins to disappear.”
August Spotlight: Pilates Studio Wall Unit
In the month of September, we're celebrating the Studio Wall Unit, a versatile piece of apparatus with a High Mat and Tower providing a large range of functionality for the practitioner. Its vertical and horizontal components provide the stability needed for dynamic movement and full body conditioning while preserving the essential spring-driven experience of Cadillac work.
The Studio Wall Unit allows practitioners to transition seamlessly between spring work and grounded mat work engaging the powerhouse and supporting the development of body alignment and organization.
We look forward to seeing how you implement the Studio Wall Unit in your own practice during the month of September. Be sure to tag @gratz_pilates to have your work featured.