Exercise Library
Comprehensive repertoire, setup, and teaching cues
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54 exercises of 112
The Hundred
Classic abdominal endurance and breath coordination exercise performed on the carriage with straps.
Short Box Series: Round Back
Articulating spinal flexion exercise over the short box, focusing on deep abdominal wall engagement.
Knee Stretches: Round Back
Dynamic kneeling core and stability exercise focusing on spinal articulation and lower body control.
Stomach Massage: Round Back
Mid-back articulation, pelvic stability, and lower extremity coordination exercise sitting on the carriage.
Footwork: Single Leg
Unilateral footwork building leg strength, hip stability, and core control as each leg works independently against spring resistance.
Feet in Straps: Frog
Feet-in-straps frog press working the adductors and inner thighs while the pelvis stays anchored and the spine stays long.
Feet in Straps: Scissors
Rhythmic feet-in-straps scissor challenging abdominal endurance, hip flexor control, and lower body coordination.
Chest Expansion
Standing arm opening that retracts the shoulder blades and expands the chest against spring resistance.
Reformer Star
Strapped side-lying leg lift: with the top foot in the strap the leg lifts against spring resistance, which adds load and range to the plain Side-Lying Leg Lift. Keep the supporting shoulder stacked and the waist lifted clear of the carriage.
Side Kicks
Side-lying front and back kicks developing hip mobility, gluteal control, and stable lateral posture.
Knee Stretches: Flat Back
Kneeling core and hip stability exercise with a long, flat spine, challenging the abdominals and hip flexors against spring tension.
Stomach Massage: Flat Back
Sitting stomach massage with a long, flat spine, pressing the carriage out from the legs while the core holds the trunk tall and stable.
Short Box Series: Flat Back
Short box hinge with a long, flat spine, articulating from the hips while the deep core holds the trunk in one straight line.
Long Stretch
Full-body plank pressing out from the footbar with feet in the straps, demanding shoulder stability, core control, and spring resistance.
Coordination
Complex classical exercise combining arm pulls with leg work and spinal flexion, testing coordination, breath, and core control.
Cheerleader
Contemporary core exercise with the short straps: plié legs and clasped fists pressing into the straps while the abdominals drive a small curl — demanding lower-abdominal connection.
Back Rowing Front
Classical seated rowing on the long box: the pole pulls to the chest as the spine curls back and articulates up, blending arm work with deep core control.
Up Stretch
Classical press from an inverted V: hands on the footbar, hips lifted into an inverted V, the carriage presses out as the pelvis scoops up and back — full-body integration and hamstring length.
Tree
Classical standing balance: one foot on the footbar, arms reaching tall like a tree, the standing leg presses the carriage out and back for single-leg strength and control.
Teaser
Classical V-sit on the long box: the spine rolls back and the legs extend into a balanced V, demanding deep abdominal control and precise articulation.
Jackknife
Classical inversion: the hips roll up and over the head into a shoulder stand, then the legs lower over the head — spinal articulation, hamstring length, and shoulder stability.
Corkscrew
Classical feet-in-straps circling: the legs circle from the hip sockets in a small, controlled arc while the pelvis stays anchored — oblique control and hip mobility.
Boomerang
Classical rolling combination: from a seated V the body rolls over the shoulder blades, the legs sweep up and over, and the sequence returns forward — the ultimate articulation test.
Control Balance
Classical shoulder balance: the spine rolls up to a vertical balance with the legs in the straps, then the legs open wide and close before the controlled roll-down.
Footwork: Wide Stance
Footwork in a wide parallel stance targeting adductor engagement, lateral pelvic stability, and even foot pressure.
Footwork: Calf Raises
Controlled heel raises and lowers against spring resistance for ankle strength, calf control, and Achilles mobility. The carriage travels out once and then stays parked while the heels work; Footwork: Heels-Lifted Press keeps the heels up through the press itself.
Footwork: Running
Dynamic alternating ankle articulation with a stable pelvis and controlled carriage movement.
Feet in Straps: Bicycles
Alternating circular leg drive with feet in straps, coordinating hip flexion and extension for core and hip control.
Feet in Straps: Walking
Alternating hip flexion and extension in an open chain, emphasizing unilateral control and pelvic stability.
Feet in Straps: Lift & Lower
Controlled lowering and lifting of both legs with straps for hamstring control and lumbopelvic stability.
Arm Circles
Scapulothoracic stability and shoulder range of motion in supine positioning with straps.
Knee Stretches: Knees Off
Advanced hover-plank progression on the reformer, building on knee stretch patterns with the knees lifted.
Kneeling Side Arms
Unilateral core and shoulder stability in an upright kneeling alignment with one arm pressing the footbar.
Quadruped Knee Tucks
Abdominal isolation in a four-point kneeling stance driving carriage movement.
Quadruped Single Leg Stretch
Asymmetrical core stability and glute activation targeting unilateral balance in four-point kneeling.
Quadruped Bird Dog
Opposite arm and leg reach for cross-body coordination, scapular stability, and anti-rotation control.
Long Spine Massage
Long spine massage: the feet stay in the long straps and the legs stay straight and vertical as the hips roll over, so the spine articulates through its whole range with no knee bend to shorten the lever. The long-lever version of Short Spine, and the deeper inversion of the pair.
Roll Over
Overhead articulation with controlled roll-down, requiring strong core control and safe neck positioning.
Front Splits
Standing sagittal-plane lunge challenging balance, hamstrings, and hip flexors on the reformer.
Standing Breaststroke
Bilateral standing rowing pattern for upper-back strength, shoulder stability, and trunk control.
Side-Lying Leg Press
Unilateral side-lying press strengthening gluteus medius while maintaining pelvic alignment.
Roll Up
Classical rolling articulation from supine to seated: the spine peels off the carriage vertebra by vertebra against the strap tension, then lowers with control. A deep-core staple that builds the same scooping control as its classical floor version.
Stomach Massage: Twist
Classical stomach massage with rotation: press the carriage out from the footbar with a long spine, then rotate the trunk to open the chest and challenge rotational control of the deep core.
Short Box Series: Side Bend
Short box lateral flexion with the hand behind the head: the shorter lever keeps the work in the obliques, and the return through centre is where most of the control is trained. The hand-behind-the-head counterpart to Side Over, which reaches the top arm long over the ear.
Footwork: Parallel Press Away
The essential first footwork press: feet hip-width and parallel on the footbar, pressing the carriage out and back to establish the breath-and-press pattern and lower-body tracking.
Kneeling Lat Pull
Kneeling carriage pull in two phases: first drawing the carriage toward the hands from the lats, then pulling it up with the abdominals and knees while the shoulders stay over the wrists.
Feet in Straps: Circles & Reverse Circles
Hip mobility, hamstring opening, and pelvic-lumbar stability trained in both directions: the legs circle one way, then reverse through the same arc with the pelvis still.
Seated Archer
Single-arm seated row on the short box: one arm draws the strap back as the other extends long, so the trunk resists the pull of the spring and the shoulder blades work independently.
Seated Row: Mid Back
Seated row on the short box with the pull aimed at the mid back, so the shoulder blades retract and depress against the springs while the spine stays long.
Footwork: Heels-Lifted Press
The second stage of the ankle series: keep the heels raised and press the carriage out, landing the knees softly at full extension, then draw it back into the stoppers.
Seated Row: Lats
Seated rowing on the short box facing the risers: the straps pull back against the springs while the spine stays long and the feet brace into the headrest.
Mid Back Press Down
Supine latissimus dorsi integration through controlled arm levers with straps.
Supine Triceps Press
Supine elbow extension against strap resistance: lying on the carriage with the elbows by the ribs, the forearms extend toward the carriage. The supine counterpart to Seated Triceps Press, which trains the same elbow action sitting tall on the short box.
Overhead Triceps Extension
Overhead elbow extension from the seated short box position: with the elbows stacked beside the ears and the hands above the forehead, the forearms bend and extend while the trunk holds a tall, still column.