BALANCED BODY UNIVERSITY

Pilates Reformer Manual

A Detailed Guide for Practicing Pilates
Table of Contents
Pilates Reformer
Manual
Welcome! 1
What is Pilates? 2
Pilates Principles 4
Introduction to the Reformer 5
by Nora St. John
Pilates Movement Principles 9

Published by:
Balanced Body University
8220 Ferguson Ave.
Sacramento, CA 95828 USA
Toll-free from U.S. and Canada: 1-800-745-2837
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From other locations: 916-388-2838
Email: info@pilates.com
1st Edition
Copyright 2008 by Balanced Body University
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written
permission of the publisher.
For information on getting permission for reprints or excerpts,
contact info@pilates.com.
Printed in the United States of America
EXERCISES
Footwork 20
Single Leg Footwork 22
Footwork on Footplate 24
Jumping on Footplate 26
Roll Down 28
Supine Arm Work 30
The Hundred 32
Coordination 34
Pelvic Lift 36
Semi Circle 38
Kneeling Abdominals 40
Feet in Straps 44
Short Spine Massage 48
Stomach Massage 50
Knee Stretch 52
Long Box Armwork Pulling Straps I, II 56
Long Box Armwork Overhead Press, Swan 58
Short Box Abdominals 60
Oblique Abdominals 62
Advanced Abdominals 66
Mermaid 68
Climb a Tree 70
Long Box Breaststroke 72
Double Leg Kick 74
Swan 75
Back Stroke 76
Teaser 77
Elephant 78
Long Stretch 80
Up Stretch 82

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Table of Contents

Arm Work Facing Straps 84

Facing Footbar 88
Rowing Front 1 - Sitting Tall 90
Front 2 - Bending Down 92
Rowing Back 1 - Round Back 94
Back 2 - Flat Back 96
Chest Expansion & Kneeling Arm Circles 98
Thigh Stretch 100
Kneeling Side Arms 102
Standing/Side Splits 106
Splits 108
Lunges 110
Side Stretch/Mermaid 112
Cleopatra 113
Reverse Abdominals 114
Tendon Stretch 116
Long Back Stretch (Slide) 118
Snake 120
Twist 121
Control Front 122
Control Back 123
Star/Side Support 124

Reformer Sequences

Beginning Level 126

Intermediate Level 134
Standing Platform (Jump Board) Sequences 143
Advanced Level 146
 Pilates Movement Principles
mat. Hollow the abdominals, slide the shoulder blades down
the back and the hands along the floor to come up into back
extension. Keep the head in line with the spine by imagining
you are watching a marble roll away from you as you lift the
torso up.
Used for: Increasing thoracic extension.
Scapular Stability and Mobility
The shoulder area is one of the most anatomically complex
areas of the body and one that is prone to injury and
dysfunction. Learning to work with this area successfully
can make a tremendous difference in how you look, feel and
perform. As you progress into more advanced Pilates exercises
on the mat and the apparatus, good shoulder functioning is
essential for success.
The shoulder consists of 3 primary bones: the clavicle, scapula
and humerus, and 3 primary joints, the sternoclavicular,
acromioclavicular and glenohumeral joints. In humans the
shoulder is designed for maximum mobility so we can get our
arms over our heads and hang from our hands. This mobility
creates challenges in circumstances where stability is required
for the safety of the joints, as when we are lifting heavy weight
over our head or reaching behind us to pick up something. The
stability of the joints is created primarily by the muscles that
support them.
The muscles of the shoulder play three key roles: Glenohumeral
stability and mobility, muscles that move the scapula and
muscles that move the humerus.
Glenohumeral stability and support muscles: The rotator cuff
including the subscapularis, supraspinatus, infraspinatus and
teres minor.
Muscles that move the scapula: Rhomboids, serratus anterior,
trapezius.
Muscles that move the humerus: Pectoralis major, deltoids,
latissimus dorsi, teres major.
In order to optimize efficient functioning in this area, it is
important to do three things. The first is to establish stability of
the glenohumeral joint by strengthening the rotator cuff. The
second is to establish full range of motion in the scapula as it
slides over the ribs and the third is to improve the stability of
the scapula. All of these may happen simultaneously or they
may proceed in stages.
Good scapular mobility is characterized by scapular movement
that coordinates smoothly with the motions of the spine and
the humerus. Exercises for scapular mobility include Telescope
Balanced Body University Reformer Manual
2007-2008 Balanced Body Inc. All rights reserved.
May not be reproduced in whole or in part.
Arms, Pinwheel and Angels in the Snow. Many shoulder issues
occur because the scapula stops moving normally and creates
pain around and underneath the shoulder blade. Returning
full range of motion to the scapula can decrease many painful
conditions in this area.
To test your scapular stability, start on all fours and lift one arm
off the floor. Both scapulae should stay in place if you have
good scapular stability. To increase the challenge, perform a
push up and see if the scapula stay in place during the entire
motion.
Exercises for strengthening the rotator cuff
Rotator cuff strength is essential for good shoulder function
because the rotator cuff holds the humerus in the glenoid
fossa and adjusts the humeral motion in the joint. The rotator
cuff is more of an endurance muscle group than a strength
muscle group, so training in this area should focus on light
resistance and high reps.
Rotator Cuff Strengthening
Internal rotation: Attach a resistance band around a door knob
or the upright of the Trapeze Table. Stand so that the band is
held in the hand closest to the table.
Bend the elbow and place a folded towel between the elbow
and the side of the torso. Pull the band across the body by
keeping the upper arm in place and moving the humerus into
internal rotation.
External rotation: Attach a resistance band around a door knob
or the upright of the Trapeze Table. Stand so that the band is
held in the hand farthest from the table. Bend the elbow and
place a folded towel between the elbow and the side of the
torso. Pull the band away from the body by keeping the upper
arm in place and moving the humerus into external rotation.
Exercises for improving scapular and
glenohumeral mobility
Telescope Arms
Exercise sequence: Lie on the side with both arms extended in
front of the chest. Glide the top arm forward over the bottom
arm allowing the torso to rotate forward. Rotate the torso to
the back and slide the top arm back up the bottom arm until
the arm slides all the way over the torso and opens to the
back. If the head is uncomfortable in this position, use a pillow
or towel to pad the head.
Imagery and Cueing: Move as smoothly as possible through the
full range of motion and coordinate the rotation of the hips,
torso and head.
Used for: Improving the mobility of the scapula and
coordinating the movements of the spine, shoulder, arm
and head.
16
 Arm Work Facing Footbar

Springs: B to RB Footbar: No bar Straps: Regular straps

Box: Short or none.
Prerequisite: Ability to sit comfortably.
Starting Position
Sit or kneel in one of the positions listed below facing the
footbar with the torso lined up over the sit bones and the
straps or handles in the hands.
Sitting Positions
1 Serve a Tray Starting Position
(see Arm Work Facing Straps for photos)
Sitting (Level 1)
Sitting on the short box.
Sitting on the carriage, cross-legged.
Sitting on the carriage with the legs straight out in front.
Kneeling with the hips on the heels.
Kneeling (Level 2)
Kneeling with the hips over the knees.
Movement Sequence
Exhale Engage the abdominals and press the straps
forward.
2 Reach the arms forward with the palms up
Inhale Return the arms to the starting position with
control.

Arm Work Variations

Serve a Tray: Sit facing the footbar with straps in hands, the
elbows bent and the palms facing up toward the ceiling. Reach
forward until the elbows are straight and the arms are level
with the center of the chest. Open the arms out to the sides
with the palms up. Bring the arms back in front of the chest,
bend the elbows and return to the starting position.
Hug a Tree: Sit facing the footbar with straps in hands and the
arms out to the sides with the palms facing each other. Keep
the elbows soft and the arms slightly round and bring the 3 Open the arms out to the side
fingertips towards each other. Open the arms to return to the
starting position.
Salute: Sit facing the footbar with straps in hands, the palms
facing away from the body and the elbows bent. The fingertips
are level with the forehead. Press the straps forward and up on
a diagonal. Bend the elbows to return to the starting position.
Twist Front (Punching): Sit facing the footbar with one strap in
each hand, rotate the torso and push one strap forward. Rotate
to the other side and push the other strap forward. Alternate
arms, focusing on the rotation of the torso.

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May not be reproduced in whole or in part.
 Beginning to Intermediate 4-10 Reps

1 Hug a Tree Starting Position 1 Twist Front (Punching) Starting Position

2 Press the right strap forward as you rotate to the left

2 Bring the hands toward the midline
Cueing and Imagery
Engage the abdominals before moving the arms.
-- Exhale and pull the abdominals in, then move the arms.
Sit up straight.
-- Imagine you are carrying a large package on your head.
Keep chest open, shoulders away from ears and eyes
looking straight ahead.
-- Roll shoulders back, slide your shoulders down your back,
focus your eyes directly in front of you.
Keep wrists straight.
-- Curl wrists forward to start.
Purpose
1 Salutes Starting Position Back of hands at the forehead, elbows bent Strengthen arm and shoulder muscles, including brachialis,
biceps, triceps, pectoralis major, latissimus dorsi, rotator cuff
and deltoid
Strengthen scapular stabilizers, including the serratus
anterior, trapezius and rhomboids
Increase torso stabilization
Improve sitting posture
Precautions
For shoulder, arm and wrist injuries Check to see whether
handles or straps are more comfortable to hold. Keep wrists
straight. Keep arms below 90 degrees of flexion or abduction.
For low back injuries Choose the most comfortable sitting
position for the back.

2 Press the hands out at an angle

89
 Reverse Abdominals Super Advanced 10 Reps

Springs: B to 3R Bar: None Straps: Regular Purpose

Prerequisites: Mat Double Leg Stretch and Double
Strengthen abdominals
Straight Leg Stretch, Reformer Kneeling Abdominals,
Excellent lumbar stability Strengthen iliopsoas and hip flexors
Balance abdominal and iliopsoas engagement
Advanced exercises: The following exercises are all either advanced
or super advanced and strengthen the entire body. They are Precautions
challenging and should only be attempted by an advanced For neck and shoulder injuries Keep the hands behind the head.
practitioner. Avoid with osteoporosis, active lumbar disc injuries, sciatica and hip
flexor injuries.
Starting position
Lie supine on the carriage with the hips against the shoulder
rests and the straps around the knees with the knees bent. The
head is supported with the hands and the elbows are open
just to the edge of your peripheral vision. The spine is in the
position of maximum spinal stability which is imprinted or
supported neutral if you are a beginner and neutral for a very
advanced student.
Movement Sequence 1 Reverse Abdominals Starting Position Hands behind the head, knees at 90 degrees

Exhale Maintaining the position of the back, hollow out the

abdominals and pull the knees in toward the chest. Keep the
elbows wide.
Inhale Return to the starting position without changing
the position of the back.
Oblique Variations
Elbow to Knee: Rotate the torso to the right as you pull the
knees in to the chest. Repeat 4 8 times on each side, then
switch or switch on each repetition.
Hand to Opposite Hip: To make it easier, reach one hand across 2 Draw the knees in toward the chest
to the opposite knee, rather than keeping both hands behind
the head.
Cueing and Imagery
Engage abdominals before moving the legs.
-- Draw the hip bones together and stabilize the back before
pulling the straps.
Do not move the back as the legs come in.
For low back safety, use an imprinted spine or supported
neutral position.
-- The low back cannot move as the legs release.
1 Oblique Variation 1 Hands behind the torso, rotate to one side, knees bent
Keep the shoulders down and the chest open.
-- Keep the elbows wide and a light touch on the back of the
head for support.

1 Oblique Variation 2 Reach one hand toward the opposite hip

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May not be reproduced in whole or in part.
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