Pilates Equipment: What It Is and How To Work Out With It

Pilates is a form of exercise that challenges the major muscle groups and stabilisers in your body. It also places an emphasis on breathing techniques and lengthening exercises to allow for a more balanced workout. While there are many different pieces of pilates equipment, this blog post will focus on some of the most popular ones (and the ones we have here in studio at Articulate): reformers, trapeze tables, wunda chairs and ladder barrels.
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Each piece of equipment has its own unique way of challenging the body, or aiding you in completing Pilates exercises that can help improve your strength, flexibility and balance. Let's take a look at each one in more detail:

Reformer: The reformer is probably the most popular piece of Pilates equipment and for good reason - it offers a great total-body workout. The reformer includes a sliding carriage, adjustable springs, and straps to allow you to perform a variety of exercises - you use your body weight to move the carriage. You can use the reformer to target all areas of your body, but it's especially great for strengthening your abs, glutes and legs.
Trapeze Table: A trapeze table is similar to a reformer but with a few key differences. First off, the trapeze table doesn't have a sliding carriage, the trapeze table includes an overhead bar that allows you to perform a variety of exercises that target your upper body and abs. This makes it a great option for those who are looking for a more challenging workout.

Wunda Chair: The wunda chair is another popular piece of pilates equipment, and like the name suggests, it looks like a small chair. The wunda chair is adjustable so you can make it as challenging or easy as you want, making it ideal for all fitness levels. It's especially great for working your glutes, quadriceps and hamstrings.

Ladder Barrel: The ladder barrel is probably the least well known piece of pilates equipment, but that doesn't mean it isn't effective. The ladder barrel is designed to help improve your flexibility and balance. It's also great for toning your abs, glutes and thighs.

So there you have it - a brief overview of some of the most popular pieces of pilates equipment. If you're interested in trying out any of these exercises, be sure to come into studio at Articulate and we'd be happy to show you how they're done!