MAT VS. REFORMER WORK
With matwork, your body provides both resistance and assistance for Pilates exercises, affected only by gravity and your body weight. Reformers extend the exercise options much further, offering either additional challenge or support.
HOW DOES A REFORMER WORK?
While on the carriage, you send it gliding by pushing on the footbar, or pulling on the ropes. Progressive resistance is created when springs attached to the carriage are extended. This is what works the muscles, in addition to controlling the return of the carriage.
THE CADILLAC/ TRAPEZE TABLE
The Cadillac (on the right in the above picture) is the biggest piece of Pilates equipment. Cadillac exercises are discrete, unlike the repertoire on the reformer and the Pilates Mat, which classically are practiced as a series.
It has the largest proportion of” beginning ” exercises, often providing a ” peel back” for an exercise on the Mat or Reformer.
Cadillac exercises often focus on a specific body part, whereas Mat and Reformer and Combo Chair exercises often use the whole body at once.
This makes the Cadillac the most suitable piece of equipment to work on particular alignment issues and to rehabilitate injuries.
THE COMBO CHAIR
Evolved from the Wunda Chair system, the Combo Chair is the most advanced of all the Pilates Equipment. Many Chair exercises are preformed upright, using the postural muscles and reaching muscle groups not easily accessible on the other equipment.
The padded split step adds the dimension of rotational and reciprocal movement of the extremities.
SPRINGBOARD vs.REFORMER
Springboard springs differ from the Reformer pulley system in at least 2 important ways.First, with springs, each arm or leg has its own separate resistance as opposed to the Reformer, where the arms or legs share the resistance.
With springs, therefore a dominant arm or leg will become noticeable where it may not be on the Reformer.
Also the springs are more unstable;they have an uneven pull as opposed to the smooth pulley system on the Reformer.
Springs are more conditioning for this reason as well as being better for teaching more advanced stabilisation.