Pilates Apparatus Quick Reference Guide

A Digital Reference for Pilates Exercises, Apparatus, Props, and Movement Relationships

The Pilates Apparatus Quick Reference Guide is designed to help Pilates instructors and instructors in training review the repertoire quickly, organize exercises by apparatus, and recognize how movement concepts connect across the Pilates system.

Rather than functioning as a step-by-step exercise manual, this guide serves as a concise study and teaching reference you can return to during training, observation, personal practice, class preparation, and repertoire review.

Inside, the repertoire is organized into easy-to-scan sections for:

• Mat
• Reformer
• Springboard
• RTC/Cadillac
• Chair
• Spine Corrector
• Ladder Barrel
• Props

The guide helps you:

• Locate exercises and repertoire families quickly
• Review exercises by apparatus
• Compare related movements across different pieces of equipment
• Explore how support, resistance, body position, and stability demands change from one apparatus to another
• Understand how common props can provide support, feedback, resistance, or added challenge
• Find exercises using the alphabetical exercise index
• Use cross-reference tables to identify relationships across the Pilates system

More Than an Exercise List

A key feature of this guide is its emphasis on movement relationships.

The Apparatus Cross-Reference and Movement Concept Cross-Reference help you compare how similar movement families appear across Mat, Reformer, Springboard, Cadillac, Chair, barrels, and props. The goal is to look beyond the exercise name and examine what the body is doing, what remains stable, where support or resistance comes from, and how the apparatus changes the movement challenge.

Props With Purpose

The Props section includes practical reference information for tools such as the Magic Circle, small ball, resistance bands, light weights, foam roller, yoga block, sliders, dowel, and balance trainer. Each entry considers the props' purpose, what it changes, appropriate uses, and teaching considerations.

Designed For

This guide is especially useful for:

• Pilates instructors in training
• Newly certified instructors building repertoire familiarity
• Experienced instructors refreshing exercise organization
• Teachers preparing classes or reviewing apparatus options
• Anyone using the Pilates Instructor in Training Companion Guide who wants a faster repertoire reference

Digital Download

You will receive a downloadable PDF that you can save to your own devices and print for your personal study and professional reference.

Use it on your computer or tablet during study, or print selected pages for quick access in your teaching workspace.

This guide supports instructor education and repertoire review. It is intended to supplement comprehensive Pilates training, supervised practice, and apparatus-specific instruction rather than replace them.



Learn clearly. Teach confidently. Move with purpose.