The 5 Most Common Reformer Mistakes Beginners Make
New to the reformer? These five beginner mistakes are easy to fix once you spot them. Our instructors share what to watch for in your very first classes.
By Naira Sarkian, owner of Bodies and Pilates · · 4 min read
Every beginner makes the same handful of mistakes on the reformer. That is not a criticism. The machine is new, the vocabulary is new, and your body is doing things it has never done. Our instructors at Bodies and Pilates correct these five all day long, and once you know them, you will fix most of them yourself.
1. Gripping the straps like they owe you money
What it looks like: white knuckles on the straps, shoulders creeping up toward your ears, tension everywhere except the muscles you are supposed to be working.
Why it matters: your grip is not part of the exercise. When your hands and shoulders take over, your core and back check out, which defeats the purpose of the movement.
The fix: hold the straps firmly enough that they do not slip, then consciously soften your shoulders down and back. Think of your hands as hooks, not clamps. If your forearms are burning during an ab series, your grip is doing the work your abs should be doing.
2. Holding your breath
What it looks like: a red face halfway through a teaser, or an audible gasp when the instructor says "exhale" and you realize you have not breathed in thirty seconds.
Why it matters: Pilates breathing is part of the method, not decoration. Exhaling on the effort helps you engage your deep core muscles, and holding your breath makes everything feel twice as hard.
The fix: tie your breath to the movement. Inhale to prepare, exhale on the effort. When in doubt, just keep breathing audibly. Your instructor would rather hear you huffing than watch you turn purple.
3. Racing through the reps
What it looks like: flying through footwork while the person next to you is still on rep four, using momentum instead of muscle.
Why it matters: the reformer rewards control, not speed. Momentum lets you cheat the hardest part of every rep, which is exactly the part that builds strength. Fast reps on a spring-loaded carriage also get sloppy, and sloppy is where strains happen.
The fix: slow down until you can feel the muscle working through the entire range, especially on the return. If an exercise feels easy, you are probably going too fast. Count to three on the way out and three on the way back, and watch it get honest.
4. Skipping your setup
What it looks like: wrong spring load, footbar in the wrong position, headrest flat when it should be up, straps at uneven lengths. Then wondering why the exercise feels wrong.
Why it matters: setup is half the exercise on the reformer. The right springs for your body make the movement challenging and safe. The wrong springs make it either pointless or painful.
The fix: never guess. In your first several classes, wait for your instructor to call the setup and check it before you move. There is no penalty for asking "is this right?" There is a penalty for toughing out ten reps on the wrong springs. With time, setup becomes second nature.
5. Comparing yourself to the regular next to you
What it looks like: glancing sideways, adding springs because she added springs, attempting the advanced variation on your second class.
Why it matters: the person next to you has context you do not have. Fifty classes of context. Their springs, their range, their modifications are calibrated to their body and their history. Copying them skips the progression that makes Pilates safe and effective.
The fix: stay in your own workout. Take the modification without embarrassment; the regulars took it once too. Progress in Pilates is quiet and cumulative, and six weeks from now you will be the person someone else is peeking at.
The good news
Every one of these has the same solution: a small class with an instructor who is actually watching. That is the whole model at our North Hollywood studio. You do not need to memorize this list before your first class. Just show up ten minutes early, tell us you are new, and let us coach you through it.