Classical Stretch Season 10: Strength and Flexibility

This season is unique in that the routines are either all standing (AS), all barre (AB), or all floor (AF). This allows for some mixing and matching, although you still would have to either do the warm-ups for each episode or fast-forward through them (it would be great if Miranda started adding chapter points within episodes!). Overall, I found this season to be a little different, a nice change of pace from the some of the others I already have.

I take notes on the episodes my first time through, mainly so that I can recall content in the future. Below I have listed each episode with a brief overview.

Disc 1

1001: Waist Slenderizing (AS)
• Warm-up with arm swings/circles/wraps
• Full body stretches with lunges
• Plies with side bends, twist and reach
• Core: side-to-side lunges with arm circles
• Finish: cut air, washes, waist circles, wash table

1002: Bone Strengthening Workout (AB)
• Start w/feet, leg swings, hip openers, arm swings
• Long plié series; includes lifts, groin stretches
• Feet strengthening; fast/slow heel lifts; calf stretches
• Slow front/side/back kicks
• Triceps dips w/chair – single leg raises for feet
• Finish with hip stretches using barre

1003: Spine Stretch for Posture (AS)
• Warm-up for ribs: twist and sway, circle ribs
• Caribbean spine with overhead reaches
• Side-to-side lunges w/pec work; airplane w/hamstring
• Quick calf stretches and final hamstring/hip stretches

1004: Slenderize and Strengthen Your Legs (AF)
• Warm-up on floor with stretches and light arms work
• Stretch hips and perform brief situp series
• At 9m, side-lying work
• Finish w/lying hip, seated groin, thigh stretches

1005: Improve Your Posture (AB) a favorite
• Warm-up with arm presses, rotations, and pelvic tucks
• Various heel lifts – calf stretches – hip cleaners
• Leg swings and pop up quad stretch
• Long series of hamstring stretches with barre
• Finish with posture check, back stretches with barre

1006: Anti-Aging (AS)
• Warm-up with wide side-to-side steps
• Fig. 8 arms and windmills
• Pliés with fast lowers, heel lifts touch knee/heel
• Caribbean spine – clock – waist rotations
• Arms work with circles/nose dives
• Hips/legs via clock lunges and leg swings
• End with beach ball stretches

1007: Power Up Your Legs (AB) a favorite
• Warm-up with arm circles, windmills, hangs
• Barre work with leg swings/strength/ROM hip/leg lifts
• Feet work with long series of heel lifts
• Plies with heel lifts – side/back leg lifts/kicks
• Finish with long series of barre stretches

1008: Triceps and Arms (AS)
• Warm-up twists, wide side-to-side, kicks
• Tai chi plies with triceps and quad stretches
• Feet isolation work – leg kicks front/back side
• Arms work emphasizing triceps – brief feet work
• Finish with beach ball washes and calf stretches

Disc 2

1009: Stress Release (AF)
• Slow warm-up with breathing only
• Hip blasts; work toes, ankles, hands
• Stretch spine with cat/cow, back, neck
• Finish w/seated hip stretches, neck, arm circles

1010: Zero Impact Cardio (AS)
• Warm-up with arm circles and side-to-side cardio
• Lunges w/push-pull, cement ball, bow and arrow
• Hips: bicycle, step/drops, muscle pair stretches
• More “cardio” arm swings and side-to-side lunges; fast press and kick to side/front
• Finish with cut the air and gentle twists

1011: Prevention of Hand and Finger Arthritis (AB)
• Warm-up w/finger stretches, hip swings/cleaners
• Finger stretches into light arms work
• Stretch calves/shins/quads, using chair for balance
• Foot on chair to stretch hips/quads/hamstrings
• Finish with back stretches behind chair

1012: Quad Slenderizing (AF)
• Warm-up with side-to-side steps and arm movements
• Nice series of spine stretches emphasizing thoracic
• Plies – hip strengthening – leg lifts/circles
• Short arms work; side-to-side lunges w/side stretches
• End with feet work, pushing and popping up

1013: Stomach Flattening Workout (AS) good twisty moves
• Warm-up starts with hand/feet flexion, spinal rolls, side stretches
• Seated spine work/trapeze
• Long series of side leg lifts with situps between sides
• Quad strengtheners and twists for the spine
• End with half-straddle and full forward bend

1014: Put a Bounce in Your Step (AB)
• Warm-up with leg swings and hip circles
• Long series of work for the feet
• Hip work – leg circles – point/flex on toes
• Plies with ankle work
• Side karate kicks and back leg lifts
• Finish with stretching hips/psoas/hamstrings with foot on seat of chair

1015: Fingers and Hands (AS)
• Warm-up focused on fingers and hands, arm swings/circles
• General spine stretches to more specific shoulder stretches (e.g., bent/straight elbow)
• Plies held, adding arm movements
• Arms work with emphasis on fingers
• Wide lunge w/side-to-side lifts and core work
• Alphabet for capitals, then flexed foot to E
• Conclude with clock stretch

Disc 3

1016: Strengthen Your Spine & Abs (AF)
• Warm-up with on floor with stretching/twisting
• Situps w/spinal movements twists, lateral, legs
• Prone back extensions – seated on heels work
• Hamstring stretches on back; finish seated for spinal wave, brief arms work, hip/IT band stretches
1017: Prevent & Relief of Shin Splints (AB)
• Start feet articulation, including pop ups and heel lifts
• Roll forward/back on feet; fast heel lifts
• Lunges & kicks to front & backcalf stretches
• Tricep dips and brief standing arms work
• More feet work; finish with hip stretches w/chair

1018: Full Body Toning (AS)
• Warm-up with side-to-side swings and twists
• Trademark stretches, elbow sways, rock the baby
• Core strength work with kicks to front; finish with clock kicks and kicks to back
• 3.5m arms work; beach ball work, sacks of rice
• Calf/side stretches; twisting lunges
• Odd ending—plies with knee touches and twists

1019: For Plantar Fasciitis (AB) ~a lot of ERRORS!
• Warm-up with leg swings, hip cleaners, arms, Fig. 8
• Alternate feet heels/toes
• Calf/quad/psoas; hip stretches with chair
• Inner thigh, side/back, finish neck

1020: Back Pain Relief (AF)
• Warm-up moves through back, hands, feet, shoulders
• Hip work with heels together/hip blasts
• Lying: dynamic Fig 4, baby stretch, hamstring PNF
• Seated: pretzel variations, hip flexor/quad/psoas/calf
• Finish w/straight leg back work, bent leg back/neck

1021: Calorie Burning Workout (AS) a favorite
• Warm-up w/big side-to-side moves, kicks, hamstrings
• Large body movements, low sweeps, waist rotations
• Calf pulses, balance work, held plies
• Caribbean spine into long arms work with plies
• Hips/clock kicks; finish with back stretches

1022: Hip Pain Relief (AB)
• Warm-up stretch with barre
• Hands/arms work; calves/shins; stretch quads
• Long series of hip/hamstring/inner thigh at barre
• Finish with back/spine stretches

1023: Lengthen & Strengthen Your Core (AS)
• Warm-up with swings, big circles, twists
• Shoulder blasts plus shoulder/rib stretches
• Plies with arm movements; fingers/arms work
• Side-to-side lunges with lateral reaches and twists
• Alphabet with bonus A-G with flexed foot
• Brief stretches for inner thigh/hamstring to finish

Disc 4

1024: Waist Slenderizing (AF)
• Floor warm-up with pushes and twists
• Seated side-to-side waist stretches
• Abs work: crunches, slow bicycles, toe/heel touches
• Back extensions to cat stretches to side waist lifts
• End with seated thigh strengthening/lateral stretches

1025: Deep Leg & Hip Flexibility (AB) a favorite!
• Warm-up with hip cleaners, leg swings, pelvic tucks
• Slow barre stretch focuses on glutes/hips
• Slow series of barre work for the psoas and quads
• Barre hamstring work includes flexing/extending the spine, pointing/flexing the foot, plus sweeps, pull rope
• Standing quad stretch; finish with hip release

1026: Feet Flexibility & Strength (AS)
• Warm-up with twists, ball throws, sloppy tennis
• Full body stretches for spine, shoulder joints, hips
• Long feet/calf stretch; end with adductor stretch
• Side-to-side lunges with circling arms
• Leg kicks to front and side
• Finish with full body sways and shoulder stretches

1027: Feet & Ankle Strength & Mobility (AB)
• Warm-up: feet articulation, leg swings, hip cleaners
• Calf and quad stretches
• Add speed for foot point/flex, fast kicks
• Push-ups and tricep dips with chair
• End w/barre stretches: hip, hamstring, IT band, groin

1028: Full Body Strengthening (AS) good twisty moves
• Warm-up with breathing, shifts, kicks, tempo changes
• Slow full-body sways
• Tough plies: blasts, heel presses, little jumps, quad/hamstring squeezes
• Caribbean spine followed by 3m arms work
• Kicks, including holding and half front side/back side
• Finish with “beach ball” and core stretches

1029: Deep Full Body Flexibility (AF) a favorite
• Warm-up with feet articulation and spine work
• Seated: PNF and hip blasts
• Lying: baby stretch plus long hamstring series
• Seated pretzel and pigeon stretches to seated straight leg work for spine and IT band
• Finish with neck stretches (a lot of wind noise!)

1030: Stress Release (AS) (for complete beginners)
• Gentle flowing warm-up
• Deep breathing with more flowing movements
• Stretches to loosen spine and pelvis
• Stretch ribs, arms, shoulders, upper back
• Finish with gentle twists and swings

Instructor Comments:
Miranda is her usual chatty, goofy self, although I would suggest that she has refined both her method and her presentation somewhat as the years have gone on. Other than the one episode I indicated above, she doesn't seem to make as many cuing errors as she has in past seasons.

Beth C (aka toaster)