The Universal Reformer
The Universal Reformer is the most widely known pieces of Pilates equipment and an amazingly versatile apparatus. The Universal Reformer’s unique combination of springs, pulleys, straps, and sliding carriage make it an incredibly valuable and useful piece of equipment. Its adjustability enables the Reformer to address a wide range of physical capabilities, disabilities, and fitness goals with refined, sophisticated solutions. Joseph Pilates created nearly 100 exercises on the Reformer—more exercises than he designed for any other piece of Pilates equipment.

On the Reformer, the student lies, sits, kneels, and stands in every conceivable position as he or she stretches and extends the body completely-enabling access to a full range of movements and, therefore, developing all of the body’s muscles simultaneously. Sometimes the student’s hands are on the foot bar, sometimes they hold flexible straps or balance on top of the shoulder blocks; or the student’s feet can assume any of these positions. In all positions, the spine arches, twists, and flexes as the carriage on which the student’s body is positioned moves back and forth.
The Reformer (like most Pilates equipment) differs from traditional fitness equipment in very fundamental ways. Rather than using an isolated set of muscles to move an external force, such as a barbell or stack of weights, you use your Powerhouse to lift and pull your body’s weight along with the Reformer’s spring-loaded carriage. This action automatically centers you, developing balance, coordination, and body/space awareness as it strengthens and stretches your entire body, not just any one isolated set of muscles.

Trapeze Table
The Pilates Trapeze Table comes loaded with everything you could want in an exercise apparatus. The Trapeze Table is another direct descendant of that early Pilates experiment in fitness equipment invention back in the World War I internment camp.

Joseph Pilates created more than eighty exercises for this versatile piece of equipment. Unlike the Reformer exercises, students needn’t do all the Trapeze Table exercises in any specific order. The Trapeze Table exercises are designed to correct particular imbalances, and to help students move more quickly toward a uniformly developed body. Like the Reformer, the Trapeze Table exercises build leg strength, upper body power, spinal mobility, and stability, always with a strong focus on core or Powerhouse strength.

The direct way in which the student’s body interacts with the Trapeze Table’s springs concentrates the power and effect of each assisted movement specifically in the area of the body the student needs to strengthen or retrain. The Trapeze Table’s upper canopy, springs, and straps provide for movement possibilities that enable you to engage in exercises ranging from the most gentle to the most extreme—depending upon your needs and abilities.

The Chairs
In the Pilates system there are two types of “chairs”: the Low or Wunda Chair, and the High or Electric Chair. The main difference between the two types is that the High Chair has a back and two handles that rise on either side of the seat (some Low Chair models also incorporate these handles). Some manufacturers build a Low/High Chair combination unit with a removable back section and handles