Full Pilates Reformer Order and How To Do Each Exercise

Joseph Pilates’ classical order on the Reformer

Welcome to your full body Pilates workout on the Reformer with the entire classical order. I’m going to teach you Joseph Pilates’ order on the Reformer and how to do it right.

I’m Lesley Logan, I’m the co-founder of OnlinePilatesClasses.com. I’ve been doing Pilates since 2005, teaching since 2008. One of my teachers was one of Joseph Pilates’ clients, and all the others I’ve trained with happen to train with Romana who also trained with Joseph Pilates. So I’ve got your full order here, trained and many years experience in it, you can use this to enjoy parts of it with me, you can watch the parts you don’t know, you can use this as a reference material. This workout is gonna be something I know you’re gonna come back to over and over again.

Before we get started, let’s talk about what the classical order even is. So what it means is that Joseph Pilates had an order on the Reformer and his clients would just come in, get on the Reformer and do their order, and they would omit the exercise they were not ready for. So what’s really amazing about Joseph Pilates’ order is once you know it, and you start to understand the exercises for your body, you can come and do your workout without actually having to go to a specific class at a set time. Each exercise is designed to warm you up for the next. You’ll see we’ll still always start with footwork. But the exercises towards the end are compounding exercises from those at the beginning. So you’ll really want to build yourself up. Now, when you’re a beginner, you won’t do all of this at the same time.

Pilates on the Reformer has an incredible flow

Pilates on the Reformer has an incredible flow from one exercise to the next. And, when you know what comes next you can feel how each exercise prepares you for what is to come. Again, you don’t need to do every exercise on the Reformer to do Pilates. Do what you can each time you hit your Reformer and feel free to omit what you are not ready for or replace an exercise with something that will prepare you for the one you are skipping. But, remember, if you don’t like a Pilates exercise you probably need it.

Follow Joseph Pilates’ orders and intentions

In our OPC membership, we always follow Joseph Pilates’ orders and intentions. We will remove exercises that are not part of a theme or part of the level that we’re teaching you at that time. If you’d like to have other materials that help you understand this order, I have a Reformer flashcards deck. We do have a card that has the entire order on it. All the cards are set up in an order so that the transition from one exercise to the next is included. And we even put transitions from an intermediate exercise to another intermediate exercise or to an advanced exercise, depending on the level that you’re ready for. So get that deck if you haven’t gotten it already. And finally, if you have any questions, comments, wonders worries about this workout, please put in the comments below.

If this looks like a lot don’t worry. Not every exercise is for everybody. And, some of these you may take years to get to. Also, several are easily omit-able. You don’t have to do all the backbends. You can pick one or two. Mermaid and Headstands are often omitted.

Classical Pilates Reformer Order

So, here is the Classical Pilates Reformer Order with tips on how to do them in the videos. Let’s get into it!

• Footwork
• Hundred
• Overhead
• Coordination
• Rowing Series:
  • Rowing 1: Into the Sternum
  • Rowing 2: 90 Degrees
  • Rowing 3: From the Chest
  • Rowing 4: From the Hips
  • Rowing 5: Shave
  • Rowing 6: Hug
• Swan
• Pull Straps
• T Pull
• Backstroke
• Teaser
• Breaststroke
• Hamstring Curls
• Horseback
• Long Stretch Series:
  • Long Stretch
  • Down Stretch
  • Up Stretch
  • Elephant
  • Single Leg Elephant
  • Long Back Stretch
• Stomach Massage Series
• Tendon Stretch
• Single Leg Tendon Stretch
• Short Box Series (round, tall, side to side, twist and reach)
• Tree
• Side Sit Ups
• Short Spine
• Headstands:
  • Facing Down
  • Facing Up
• Semi Circle
• Chest Expansion
• Thigh Stretch
• Backbends
• Arm Circles
• Snake and Twist
• Headstands with Straps
• Corkscrew
• Tic Toc
• Control Balance Off
• 2nd Long Box
  • Grasshopper
  • Swimming
  • Rocking
• Long Spine Massage
• Frogs and Circles
• High Bridge
• Mermaid
• Knee Stretches:
  • Round
  • Flat
  • Knees Off
• Running
• Pelvic Lift
• Control Balance Push Ups
  • Front
  • Back
• Star
• Side Splits
• Front Splits
• Russian Splits
• Russian Squat

Pilates is a practice, not a perfect

Hook those handles, pat yourself on the back. Pilates is a practice, not a perfect. So do the best you can each time you hit your Reformer. If you need accountability and guidance, be sure to join the weekly online Reformer membership. Every single week we drop a new Reformer class on OPC. It’s 30 minutes, and every month we drop a 50 minute version. Each class has a theme. That theme goes with either the 30 Minute Mac class, or the other 50 minute classes. And the goal is for you to see how this method actually intertwines and weaves itself together. It is designed to help you be in practice, not in perfection.

Share your a-ha moments

We also have an amazing community, we can ask questions, share a-ha moments, get feedback on the equipment that you have, the setup that you’re using, the exercises that you’re doing, if they’re the ones for you, what your homework should be, and we help hold you accountable, which is better than I can say for any other platform that’s out there. You can have lots of access, but that accountability part is really hard – not to OPC we help you do that. So please do me a favor. If you really liked, go give our trial a try, check out us here and see if we are the right place for you. And again, questions, comments, you could put them below, but if you’re OPC member put them in the group, I answer them daily.

And, be sure to check out how the Mat exercises and their order support the Reformer ones here.

xx~LL