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Pilates resources
Know your reformer from your Cadillac.
A plain guide to the method, the equipment and the brands behind it, from the certified instructors at a locally owned Oklahoma City studio.
Pilates 101
What is Pilates?
Pilates (puh-LAH-teez) is a system of mind and body exercise developed by Joseph Pilates. It focuses on the quality of each movement rather than the number of reps, so you leave a session feeling energized rather than exhausted.
Done consistently, Pilates builds strength without bulk, improves posture, flexibility and balance, and teaches you to move with control. Because no muscle group is overworked, it fits alongside running, golf, dance or any other sport, and it adapts to almost any age or starting point.
It can be done on a mat or on spring-loaded equipment. At Core Pilates you will use both.
The equipment
A field guide to the studio
Every piece uses springs for resistance, which means it can support you as much as it challenges you.
The workhorse
Reformer
A sliding carriage on rails, with springs, a footbar and straps. Change the springs and the same exercise becomes gentler or much harder. It is the base of our Reformer and Combination classes.
Also called the trapeze table
Cadillac
A raised table inside a frame of bars, springs and a trapeze. It can hold a nervous beginner steady or push an advanced client hard, which makes it a favorite in private sessions.
Small but mighty
Chair
A compact box with a spring-loaded pedal, sometimes called the Wunda Chair. Standing, seated and balancing work that shows up every weak spot, in a good way.
Where it all started
Mat
The original Pilates repertoire, done with your own bodyweight. Joseph Pilates published his mat work in 1945, and it is still the foundation every piece of equipment builds on.
Spine and stretch
Barrels
Curved barrels, like the ladder barrel and spine corrector, open the chest, hips and spine and add depth to stretching and core work. Studio to confirm: barrels in the studio
Bodyweight, suspended
TRX Suspension Trainer
Adjustable straps anchored overhead. You set the difficulty by changing your body angle, and we blend it with the Pilates repertoire. TRX + Pilates →
Balanced Body
Trusted equipment. Trusted training.
Balanced Body, based in Sacramento, California, has built Pilates equipment since 1976, including reformers, Cadillacs or trapeze tables, chairs and barrels used in studios around the world. It also runs one of the best known Pilates instructor education programs.
At Core Pilates, Jennifer Salyer is comprehensively certified through Balanced Body, so Balanced Body training is part of how we teach.
Studio to confirm: which studio equipment is Balanced Body Studio to confirm: Balanced Body training host site?
See every instructor's certifications →
TRX suspension training
Straps, gravity and your own bodyweight
TRX suspension training was developed by a former Navy SEAL and is now used by athletes, physical therapists and studios everywhere. The TRX Suspension Trainer hangs from an anchor point overhead, and every exercise works strength, balance and core stability at the same time.
Pilates teaches you how to control your body. TRX puts that control to the test. That is why we combine them, taught by an Instructor Trainer for the Pilates Suspension Method.
TRX + Pilates in Oklahoma City →History of Pilates
A hundred years in the making
- 1883Joseph Pilates is born in Germany. A sickly child, he spends his youth studying anatomy, gymnastics, boxing and yoga.
- 1912 to 1918Working in England when World War I begins, he is interned as an enemy alien. He trains fellow internees and rigs springs to hospital beds so bedridden patients can exercise against resistance, the idea behind today's Cadillac.
- 1926He emigrates to New York, meets his future wife Clara on the voyage, and together they open a studio in Manhattan.
- 1945He publishes Return to Life Through Contrology, the book behind the original mat work.
- 1960sDancers flock to the studio. George Balanchine sends his New York City Ballet dancers to Joe.
- 1967Joseph Pilates dies. His students, the first generation of teachers, carry the method around the world.
- TodayPilates is taught everywhere from rehab clinics to pro locker rooms, and certification programs such as Stott Pilates, Balanced Body and the Pilates Method Alliance train the instructors who teach it.
Questions
Pilates questions, answered
What is the difference between mat and reformer Pilates?
Mat Pilates uses your bodyweight on the floor. Reformer Pilates uses a sliding carriage with springs, so the same movements can be supported or made harder. Both come from the same method, and most clients do both.
Is reformer Pilates good for beginners?
Yes. The springs can assist you as much as they challenge you. At Core Pilates every new client starts with private sessions, so you learn the equipment one on one before joining a class.
What is a Pilates Cadillac?
The Cadillac, also called a trapeze table, is a raised table inside a frame with springs, bars and a trapeze. It supports beginners and challenges advanced clients, which makes it a favorite in private sessions.
What is TRX suspension training, and can beginners do it?
TRX uses adjustable straps anchored overhead and your own bodyweight. You set the difficulty by changing your body angle, so beginners and athletes can use the same straps. At Core Pilates TRX is combined with Pilates.
Are your instructors certified?
Yes. Training across the team includes Balanced Body, Polestar Pilates, Stott Pilates and Pilates Sports Center. Meet them here.
Do I need to be flexible or fit to start?
No. Pilates builds flexibility and strength, so you do not need either to begin. Your first sessions are private and built around how you move today.
New client questions about booking, packages and policies are on the Start Here page.
Book on your phone
Your schedule, in your pocket
Classes, privates and packages are all booked through Mindbody, so you can sign up from the Mindbody app or right here on the site.
Studio to confirm: current app link (the old App Store and Google Play links are dead)