Gain strength, power & mobility
training on Traditional Pilates equipment
The Reformer
Of Joseph Pilates' many inventions, the Reformer is the best-known and most popular of the apparatus.
Today, ‘Reformer Pilates’ is fashionable, but it was never meant to be a stand-alone piece of apparatus, nor was it to be used for an exercise class which was always different.
Pilates is (should be) a system of training the body on a range of Pilates equipment as invented by Joseph Pilates.
Each of the apparatus are necessary and indispensable components of the method. However, a large chunk of your Pilates training will be on the Reformer.
The Reformer workout is a practice, it is a discipline - it has an order. It is a big part of a bigger picture, it’s purpose is to train your body to do the Matwork well – to use what you learn on the Reformer and take it onto the Mat and into everyday life.
It's a fascinating system the Reformer belongs in...
We are proud to uphold Joseph's method and teach the Reformer as he intended.
The Cadillac
Joseph Pilates developed this piece of equipment in the mid 50's or early 60's.
He made all of his creations in the basement of his building.
The story about how it got its name, is that when he brought it up into the studio, a client saw the new and impressive piece and said "Hey Joe, is that your new Cadillac?" and the name stuck.
The Cadillac is a versatile piece of equipment with an incredibly large variety of exercises to perform on it - exercises laying, kneeling, standing and even hanging upside down.
Most exercises are performed within the frame of The Cadillac, however the springs and bars can be used on the outside of the frame too.
It's a great place to train and challenge oneself but is also perfect for those that require a gentler and more supported movement practice. The high mat makes it’s accessible to those that struggle to get down to a mat on the floor.
The Wunda Chair
Joseph Pilates originally designed this apparatus as a piece of home exercise equipment.
It is easily converted from a “regular” chair that you’d have in the home (see the blue chair) into a "wunda" chair that you could exercise on (see the pink chair).
It is small and versatile, providing appropriate exercises and challenges to the beginner, but with its small surface area and lack of support it offers highly athletic challenges to the more advanced practitioner.
Everyone loves the Wunda Chair for both the challenge and the fun!
The Spine Corrector
The original Spine Corrector was named the Step Barrel which may sound a little less intimidating than the Spine Corrector.
However, despite its name, it’s a beautiful piece of apparatus where the body is supported. It offers a great stretch over it, and a place to work on mobility, flexibility and strength of the shoulder girdle, the hip girdle and the entire spine.
The step of the barrel gives the Spine Corrector more versatility than the Small Barrel which is purely the arc of the barrel.
The step allows for being seated forward, backward or sideward, and for kneeling & standing.
The Arm Chair
Also known as the Baby Chair.
The name Baby Chair is likely to have come from its springs which are sometimes called Baby Springs - they are usually the lightest springs in a traditional studio.
​
With the supportive seated positition and the lighter springs, the Arm Chair is particularly useful for older people but is a valuable piece of apparatus for all......
​
The chair has a movable back which tilts forward when the user reaches into the springs and shifts their body weight forward.
This element adds an extra level of challenge.
​
It is also especially suitable to tackle shoulder and neck issues, working wonders in improving the functional stabilization of the shoulder joints.
The Tower
The Tower was created in the 1980’s to be a more compact version of the Cadillac and therefore most of the exercises performed on the Cadillac can be performed here on the Tower.performed here on the Tower.
It is a vertical unit so doesn’t have the long horizonal bars like the Cadillac, thus it doesn’t include a trapeze unit.
Otherwise, it consists of all that the Cadillac does – arm springs, leg springs, push-through bar and roll-back bar.
The tower is a particularly good piece of equipment for standing arm springs and squats. It has a multitude of attachments for the springs to suit all heights.
With all those springs, and in combination with the high mat, it is a versatile and fun place to train.
