Hey, I'm Tara I'm Natalie and this is Natalie and Tara Try Stuff. A show in which
we try stuff for the first time. And today we are at a Pilates studio in
Hollywood called Avenir. Sign.
They have generously offered a private lesson for us today
so that we can learn for the first time, because we're total noobs at this,
Uh-huh. Pilates. But before we get started
I want to give a quick shout out to our sponsor for this episode NeuroGum.
Because evidently NeuroGum sponsors all the episodes where we torture ourselves.
Because we need energy, we need clarity and we need focus so that we don't fall off the scary machines that are in the back.
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All right let's get crackin.
Today we are joined by Alisha Mullally who you
may know from such things as 13 Reasons Why or more importantly the voice of
Taylor Swift's cat. Very important. But today she is gonna be our
Pilates teacher and she's going to teach us everything and then we won't die.
Alisha, tell folks a little bit about Pilates.
Pilates, it's a postural based exercise workout and it strengthens your flexibility your
muscle strength and more importantly your gait and how you walk. So it's
really effective based on your spine. It's one of the safest most low-impact
exercises- form of exercise- you can do. And it's extremely extremely healthy for
not only your body but your mind and your spirits.
That sounds amazing. I thought it was just some like little aerobics on a machine.
No no no no.
And you work with resistance of springs and it's based solely- a lot- around your pelvis and
your ribs pulling back in and your shoulders being open.
The thing I heard that like stuck out to me, that I'm excited about, is the posture.
Yeah. To help the posture. Yes, It is tremendous and it can feel very lifted,
It's all about your spine and where it's aligned. Let's uh, let's go do this thing.
Here we go! I'm scared.
Alright ladies, welcome to class. We're gonna go ahead and start
with these balls in between our inner thighs. And then I want you to lay all
the way down onto your back. T: Okay I can't do this. Yes okay and then go ahead and bring your legs up to
tabletop. So we're gonna reach our fingertips all the way up to the ceiling.
You're gonna exhale lift up. Chest lifts. It's gonna be a crunch. Arms are gonna
come low, chest is gonna come high. So see where Tara's out that's what I want you to match.
N: I've already got a cramp! Right back down. Give me six of these. Go for it exhale up
Inhale down. Four more. One more. You got two, I lied.
One more. You're gonna hold this one at the top. Hold this one, right there.
Just start to squeeze that ball. Go Ten. Nine. Nice and fast. Two. Hold right there.
You're gonna slightly pump those arms like you're it's patting two little
white fluffy dogs on the head. This comes from your shoulder girdle. Right in your
shoulder, and this is called The Hundred. Exhale. Nice. And you've got four,
three, now hold it right there hold it right there. Straighten those legs out and bend them
right back in. Straighten and bend the knees in. You've got ten. Don't move your
torso, just your legs. Nine. Keep going you've got six. This is just the start of class.
Five. This is just our warm-up. For Four. Take a pause. T: That's a warm up?!
yes let's flex our feet as we push back to straight legs. Go ahead and push your legs back.Use the
foot bar. Push. Push. Push. Go all the way back. Gorgeous. You should start to feel
your inner thighs a little bit already, you're gonna feel your quads and if
you're focusing on breathing those abs will be coming in super tight the whole time.
T: There's a lot of parts to this. Yes.
Let's pulse it right here. Little pulses in and out. So bend your knees in six inches.
Go to where they start to burn. N: Oh gooood! Yes. Ten. Nine. Just breath.
N:Noooo! Eight. And One. And one press all the way back hold of that squeeze your booty as tight as you can.
Squeeze that ball hold it Four. Three. Two. pull it all the way in. Bend your knees.
N: What am I doing?? Pull your reformer all the way in. Yes. T: Down. Down. Down.
Okay stay there.
You're gonna give me an inhale for your nose again and as you exhale you're gonna tuck your pelvis and
lift up to a bridge. So lift your hips up. Perfect make sure you're staying
parallel and squeeze that ball. Go squeeze squeeze squeeze don't move just squeeze.
Excellent. Good. See how she kind of looks like a skateboarding ramp,
from the front there, right it's like a little halfpipe.
N: Thats because I'm flat chested.
All right, let's move on. Ready inhale exhale lift your chest lower your arms.
Gorgeous. Come right back down. You got eight of these. Good you've got eight.
You should feel crazy abs here. If you want an advancement straighten out your legs.
T: No I dont want an advancement.
Come on, 110 percent. Six more. Six. Breathe you've got five, four, N: Oh my god!!!
Almost there you've got three. We should be almost sweating now.Yes? Hold it hold it hold it arms down.
Hold it up. Three, two, one lower down. N&T: [sad cry for help]
T: Okay, okay. Ooow. I'm standing. I'm cramping.
Okay, so we're gonna put that right foot right up against the shoulder block.
From here you're gonna press the reformer back with your right leg. Good. No slamming. so
So, be careful. We're gonna move slow. N: I need to scoot back just a little.
Yes! Now let's get a little bit more advanced
We're going to reach those arms overhead and keep working. T: What?! N:No. Ummm... I dont know.
Fine, let's do one arm. N: No, I can do this. Keep going.
Yes. N: I'm gonna fall. This is so good. Yes and we're already kind of shaking. I love that!
N: It's a balance issue.
That warmed us up, so we can really press down through the ball and through the heel.
Little pulses, go. Press it back, press it back. For ten, nine, you can bring
your hands to prayer heart center. If you've gotta pray to whoever you believe in. Get through it.
N: Can we just do this the rest of the time? Alright, stay right here. It's gonna get harder. Stay right there.
T: Whats that?? As you exhale you're gonna lift your hips bring your left knee in to
your right shoulder and come right back down. Yes you got to think up up up up
Yes Tara, close.There it is, you're close. Up, yes! She's getting it. N: oh I see.
Watch her watch her watch her go for it. there it is! And down. And up. Oh that was really good ladies.
Give me one more. Hold it. Hold it. Pulse that knee into your chest.
N&T: [screams of fear and pain] Hold it. Get back up there. Pull the knee in for six. Come on five. Stay with me. Four.
Three. Stay with me. Hold it. Hold it. right there
hold it hold it. Now bend your elbows. Give me four push-ups. Four. T: Whaaat???
Yes. Give me three push-ups. Come on, two. And last one get a stretch again lower down.
N: I can do this. T: I can do this. N: I have no upper body strength.
Reach. And in. Okay now let's breathe.
N: I am sweating a storm up already. Feelin' those arms a little bit? Beautiful
You've got eight. You've got seven. Last one here hold it. Little pulses. You've
got ten, nine, eight, seven it's gonna get harder from here. In six, five. That's it.
Open and close. This is called Hug A Tree a very classical staple of Pilates.
Keep your elbows above the ropes. See where she's at? Elbows above the ropes.
N: Oh, above the ropes. I was cheating.
So see what's happening with your spine now? Keep it still.
Where's my abs? Come on where's my abs? The only thing that's moving should be
those shoulders. You've got three more come on. N: I'm gonna do them I'm gonna do them but T: wait wait
Last one here hold this here.
Lift your elbows. Little pulses. Six, five, it's gonna get harder. in four, three, She's going to long. Two.
Go high-five yourself in the mirror, say good job, N: Good Job! and then come right back in.
T: Good job. N: You didn't die yet. T: Excellent work.
This is really entertaining for me because people are
really quiet during Pilates and you guys have been talking the entire time.
So drop to your knees. Yep, drop your knees onto the reformer. Press out to a full plank. Go for it.
N: I don't know what a plank is. All the way out. Go go go. Straight legs.hold up hold that so... N: I collapsed.
Lift your hips up, from here your bend your knees and then press them back out. Go. Bend. And press.
You've got six. Two and one. Lower down. N: Lower down??
[senseless laughter]
You both just like, collapsed in on your abs.
All you're gonna do is lift that leg up
10. 9. 8. 7. 3. 2. Hold right there. Hold it. N: [obnoxious screams of pain]
Hold it. Anybody wants a challenge reach your left arm forward in 4.
T: Ahhhh! N: Holy Mother Of Pearl!
T: Whoa! Everythings falling apart on me. N: Ahhhhhhhhh! Six. Five.
N: You think I should have started with Yoga maybe?
Ooo that gonna be a good section to edit. Okay, you're at the finish line. This is it.
Press back to straight legs. N: Ahhhhhhh! Just conceptually that hurts. Natalie just keep screaming.
Lower your legs down. I know you guys are like really focusing when you're like silent.
Exhale down. Open, out and around on the inhale and close it.
Oh, I love what I'm seeing. One more now we're gonna reverse it. I'm gonna let you figure this out.
Oh! N: Oooowwww!
Three, two, hold it.Tthree, two, one lower down.
Let's get a little stretch. You're gonna- N: I didn't know where I was suppose to be stretching.
And now lift your hips up as you can. A Shoulder Stand. Up up up. Good now roll on to your heart first.
Heart heavy. Middle spine. That was nice.
Through your low back and pelvis bend your knees press them back forward.
N: okay, I'm going"L" I love how she makes up these things. "L"
This is gonna separate those disks in our spine.
Good let's find a little butterfly here. Soles the feet together, knees out wide.
Inhaling some good stuff for her bodies and some gratitude,
and exhaling anything you got to get out mentally, physically, spiritually, that
just adds stress to our bodies. N: I know what you're exhaling.
T: Shh I'm trying to meditate.
Just one, now put that foot back on the foot bar. So reach forward.
Good. Great listening. And then put this loop back. T: I like that she knows that our deepest challenge is listening.
And then go ahead going to step off to our right side. We're gonna roll out our bodies with
some squishy balls. I'm gonna hand you these balls and we're gonna stick it,
Stick it underneath our right glute. Good, now I want you to lean into it and roll around on it.
It feels like a deep tissue massage, a little bit. You can kind of sit on it.
Close your eyes too and let your body be like jello around the ball.
N: [giggleing] No one ever wants their butt referred to as jello.
Now rock and roll on that ball. T: Ahhh! N: This is gonna bruise me.
Yeah if it feels like pins and needles you're doing it right.
T: I didn't know that would hurt. Isn't this the worst part of class? T: Ahaaha Yes.
Yes, looking at Natalie, she's right. T: Okay, okay. Well, flexable Natalie over there.
I know you're so flex - shes so athletic. N: Yeah, but I'm shaking!
N: Ohhhh, Jeebus! You can get little- Jeebus?
Pay attention to the ball of your foot. Lean into it, get into it, press into it.
N: We look like old ladies.
Roll your shoulders open. Inhale again, reach those arms up. Good work today.
You guys did awesome. N: That was amazing. Awesome.
Ahhh. That was hard, but amazing. That was, that was Fun.
Yes, I would definitely do this again. I would like to be good at this.
Oh yeah. Yeah like it seemed really terrifying, the
idea of coming and getting on this machine, but now that we've done it, it's
not so scary. And I'm less afraid of going to a class now because I'm sure everyone looks
kind of silly the first time they like- Yeah. The first time they try to do those leg thingys.
Yes. You guys go introduced now so you can jump into a class and feel like "oh my remember this" Yeah.
Yeah, that was a little bit like- just- the okay remembering to breathe. Remembering to do all the
things listen at the same time. Listening. Listening.
Remembering to listen.
We'd like to thank our sponsors for the day
NeuroGum! Bam! Energy, Clarity, Focus.
Don't forget to grab your NeuroGum. Link below. Use discount code Trystuff.
Seriously if you are a fitness person this gum is great.
Also we'd like to thank Avenir for having us in today.
This is amazing and thank you so much Alisha for teaching us!
Oh and Alisha tell good people where they can find you on the social media sites.
On Instagram, I'm @alishamullally super simple, and same with Facebook
We'll put that in the description so that you can find her. Yes and then DM me if you want a Pilates class.
I'm here every day during the week.
Alright, we're gonna run. Thank you guys so much for joining us don't forget to subscribe if you like what we're doing,
find us on all the social media sites and we'll see you guys next time.
I'm gonna limp away now. What did you say Bigfoot does Pilates?
It does.Thats what he does. It looks like - Bigfoot walks like he just finished Pilates.