Exercise Library
Comprehensive repertoire, setup, and teaching cues
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49 exercises of 112
Feet in Straps: Leg Circles
Hip mobility, hamstring opening, and pelvic-lumbar stability using long straps: the legs circle in one direction only, with the pelvis still throughout.
Footwork: Single Leg
Unilateral footwork building leg strength, hip stability, and core control as each leg works independently against spring resistance.
Feet in Straps: Leg Press
Vertical leg press with feet in straps challenging quadriceps strength and pelvic-lumbar stability through the full range of motion.
Feet in Straps: Side Splits
Adductor-focused side opening with feet in straps, testing hip mobility and controlled core anchoring through a wide V.
Feet in Straps: Reverse Leg Press
Reverse leg press with feet in straps targeting the hamstrings and glutes through controlled hip extension against the springs.
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.
Standing Lunge
Standing lowering lunge on the carriage: the front foot stays on the footbar while the carriage glides back and the front knee bends, then the front heel drives you home. The descending counterpart to Tree, which presses out as the standing leg straightens.
Single Leg Bridge
Spinal articulation and unilateral posterior chain work bridging the hips up with one leg extended long.
Side-Lying Leg Lift
Side-lying hip abduction strengthening the gluteus medius and lateral core stability with a controlled, small range. The unstrapped, unloaded version of Reformer Star.
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.
Short Spine
Classical short spine massage: the feet stay in the long straps, the hips roll up and over, and the knees fold so the feet draw toward the carriage behind the head before the spine articulates down. The bent-knee, shorter-lever half of the pair whose long-lever version is Long Spine Massage.
Standing Series: Side Splits
Standing inner-thigh work: a controlled side split between the fixed platform and the moving carriage that targets the adductors while the spine stays tall and the weight stays even.
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.
Tendon Stretch
Classical hamstring and calf stretch: heels on the footbar, legs straight, the carriage presses out as the body hinges from the hips with a long spine.
Squat
Classical squat on the carriage: heels on the low footbar, the knees bend into a squat as the carriage presses out, building leg strength and lower-body control.
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.
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.
Down Stretch
Thoracic extension and anterior hip opening with shoulder depression and rib control.
Quadruped Single Leg Stretch
Asymmetrical core stability and glute activation targeting unilateral balance in four-point kneeling.
Short Box Series: Semi-Circle
Short box articulation in a semicircle: round back over to one side, then open the chest and lengthen back to centre with the pelvis anchored on the box.
Short Box Series: Climb a Tree
Dynamic hamstring flexibility and core articulation sequence from the short box.
Front Splits
Standing sagittal-plane lunge challenging balance, hamstrings, and hip flexors on the reformer.
Standing Backstroke
Standing rowing pattern that connects breath to arm pull, scapular control, and posterior chain.
Side-Lying Leg Press
Unilateral side-lying press strengthening gluteus medius while maintaining pelvic alignment.
Sprinter Lunge
Alternating floor lunge on the carriage: with the front foot grounded on the floor behind the carriage and the back foot riding the carriage, the legs change over at the top of each rep so the work is continuous rather than held in one stance. The moving counterpart to Sprinter, which stays in the squat on one leg.
Eve's Lunge
Deep kneeling lunge on the carriage: with the front foot on the footbar and the back knee on the carriage, the carriage presses back to sink the hips into a hip flexor and iliopsoas stretch — the deeper counterpart to the half-kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch.
Carriage Hamstring Stretch
Single-leg supine hamstring stretch: one foot in the long strap draws toward the chest while the other knee stays bent on the carriage, so the pelvis can stay level. The one-leg counterpart to Feet in Straps: Hamstring Stretch, which takes both legs together.
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.
Scooter
Standing lunge-to-stand on the Reformer: push through the grounded front heel to stand tall while the back foot on the carriage stays straight, driving the carriage with control.
Sprinter
Standing squat press on the Reformer: one foot grounded and the other on the carriage against the shoulder rest; stay low in the squat and press the carriage away with leg and glute power.
Hip Flexor Stretch
Half-kneeling hip flexor stretch beside the carriage: the back knee rests on the carriage, which rolls away to lengthen the front of the hip. The supported, small-range version of Eve’s Lunge.
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.
Feet in Straps: Hamstring Stretch
Two-leg supine hamstring stretch with both feet in the long straps: the legs lengthen toward the ceiling, then draw toward the body and hold while the pelvis stays anchored. The two-leg counterpart to Carriage Hamstring Stretch, and the deeper stretch of the pair.
Footwork: Ankle Extension
The first stage of the ankle series: isolated ankle extension with the carriage parked, lifting and lowering the heels from the ankles and holding the top of the lift.
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.
Footwork: Calf Stretch
The third stage of the ankle series: at full extension, drop the ankles under the footbar to take the calf stretch, hold, then press back to full extension and return.
Pelvic Tilt
The first stage of the bridging family: an isolated pelvic tilt on the carriage that softens the low back and finds the rib-to-pelvis connection before the hips ever lift.
Glute Bridge
The full bridge on the carriage: press through the mid-foot and peel the spine up one vertebra at a time, then roll down the same path. Pulses at the top are the progression.
Squat Triceps Pulls
Supported squat with triceps work: from a squat with the hands on the shoulder rests, the elbows bend and straighten to lower and lift the body, loading the triceps and the legs together.
Standing Series: Side Splits + Lateral Arm Raises
Standing side splits with a lateral arm raise: the legs open as both arms lift out to the sides until they are in line with the shoulders, then the arms and the carriage return together. The arm path adds a frontal-plane balance and shoulder-control challenge without taking the arms overhead or above shoulder height.
Standing Series: Picking Flowers
A standing side split with a forward hinge: the legs open and both arms lift to shoulder height, then at the widest point the hands reach down to the springs to pick the flowers. The spine rolls up one vertebra at a time before the legs draw the carriage home, adding a hip hinge and spinal articulation to the adductor work.