Many people who regularly practice Pilates eventually hit a point where they feel ready to take on a greater challenge. If you’ve mastered the fundamentals of the reformer, you might be curious about what comes next. Progressing to more advanced movements can help you deepen your practice, build greater strength, and improve your body control.
This guide explores the world of advanced Pilates reformer exercises. We’ll define what makes an exercise “advanced”, outline a few challenging movements to aim for, and provide a clear path for progressing your practice in a structured and effective way. You’ll also get answers to common questions about progress, results, and what to expect as you level up.
Advanced Pilates reformer exercises are complex movements that demand a high degree of strength, stability, flexibility, and coordination. Unlike beginner exercises that focus on establishing core principles such as breath and alignment, advanced work assumes you have already mastered these fundamentals.
The “advanced” label comes from a combination of factors. These exercises:
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Reformer Pilates is generally structured into three main levels to support a gradual and effective progression for practitioners. Each level builds upon the last, systematically increasing in complexity and physical demand.
This is the foundational level. The focus here is on learning the basic principles of Pilates, such as proper breathing, pelvic placement, rib cage stabilization, head and neck alignment, and the control needed to support better balance Pilates work over time.
Exercises are performed at a controlled pace, often with lighter spring tension, to help you understand the movements and how to engage the correct muscles without compensation. The goal is to build a strong core and develop body awareness.
Once you have a solid grasp of the fundamentals, you can move to the intermediate level. Here, the exercises become more complex and coordinated. You’ll see an increase in the pace of the workouts, a greater variety of movements, and more challenges to your balance and stability. Spring loads may be increased to build more strength or strategically decreased to force your core to provide more stability.
This is the highest level of practice and is reserved for those who have demonstrated mastery of the intermediate repertoire. Advanced work involves highly complex, full-body movements that require significant strength, flexibility, and control.
The exercises often challenge the body in multiple planes of motion simultaneously. This level is where you’ll find some of the most dynamic and athletic movements in the Pilates system, such as the ones we’ll explore below.
Are you ready to see what advanced work looks like? This Pilates reformer intense workout features six exercises that challenge your entire body. They demand precision and power, so it’s important to have a strong foundation before attempting them. Many of these are also excellent Pilates reformer core exercises because they require deep abdominal engagement to stabilize the body throughout each movement.
Program Notes
| Exercise | Reps | Spring setting (example) |
|---|---|---|
| The hundred | 8-10 breaths | 2 red springs (heavy) |
| Snake | 5-8 reps per side | 1 red spring (heavy) |
| Side sit-ups (short box) | 5-8 reps per side | No springs |
| Tendon stretch | 5-8 reps | 1 red, 1 blue spring (heavy/medium) |
| Stomach massage twist | 5-8 reps per side | 2 red springs (heavy) |
| Leg pull front | 5-8 reps | 1 red spring (heavy) |
The Hundred
Snake
Side Sit-Ups (Short Box)
Tendon Stretch
Stomach Massage Twist
Leg Pull Front
Read more: BetterMe Equipment Pilates Overview: Reformers, Chairs, Kits, and Props
Defining the single “hardest” move is subjective, as it depends on an individual’s unique strengths and weaknesses. However, many experienced practitioners and instructors point to exercises from the advanced repertoire that combine strength, flexibility, and coordination in extreme ways. Moves such as the snake/twist, star, or control balance push-ups are often cited among the hardest reformer Pilates moves.
The Snake, which we detailed above, is incredibly demanding on the entire body. The Star is another contender, requiring immense oblique strength and shoulder stability as you hold a side plank on the moving carriage while abducting your top leg.
These classical Pilates reformer sequence movements push the limits of body control and are considered pinnacle achievements in a Pilates practice.
Transitioning from beginner to advanced levels is a gradual process that requires consistency, patience, and mindful practice. It’s not about rushing to the most difficult exercises but about laying a solid foundation so you can perform them correctly and safely.
Here’s a structured approach to progression:
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Research has suggested that short, consistent workouts can be effective for making progress (4). While a traditional Pilates session is around 50-60 minutes, a focused 20-minute daily practice may be enough for some people to notice improvements in strength, flexibility, and body awareness over time.
The key is the quality and intensity of your session. A 20-minute advanced Pilates reformer exercise routine, performed with precision and minimal rest, can be an incredibly potent workout. This is also one of the benefits of Pilates reformer training for busy people who want an efficient but challenging workout.
For progression, consistency is more important than duration. Regular practice may help reinforce the mind-body connection and support the motor learning needed for more complex movements (5). It allows you to build strength and endurance steadily over time.
Read more: Mini Pilates Reformer Workout: Small Machine, Big Results
The number of calories burned during an advanced reformer Pilates session can vary widely based on several factors. These include your body weight, muscle mass, the intensity of the workout, and the specific exercises performed.
Based on metabolic measurements of reformer Pilates, participants expend roughly 2.5 -3 calories per minute, meaning a 30-minute session typically burns about 75-90 calories (6).
The higher end of this range is associated with more dynamic, flowing sessions with minimal downtime between exercises. While calorie burn is one benefit, it’s not the primary goal of Pilates.
The practice is designed to build lean muscle, improve posture, and enhance functional strength, all of which contribute to a healthier metabolism over the long term.
The timeline for seeing results from reformer Pilates depends on your starting fitness level, the frequency of your practice, and your consistency.
The founder of the method, Joseph Pilates, famously said, “In 10 sessions you’ll feel the difference, in 20 sessions you’ll see the difference, and in 30 sessions you’ll have a whole new body (7).”
While this is a general guideline, within the first few weeks (or about 10 sessions), many people report feeling;
Visible changes, such as improved muscle tone and a leaner appearance, typically become more apparent after 20-30 consistent sessions. Remember, progress is not just about aesthetics; it’s also about how you feel and move in your daily life.
The primary difference lies in complexity and physical demand. Beginner Pilates focuses on learning fundamental principles with simple, controlled movements. Advanced Pilates involves complex, multi-joint exercises that require a high level of strength, control, coordination, and body awareness, often performed at a faster pace or with more challenging spring loads.
Reformer Pilates can contribute to reducing belly fat as part of a comprehensive fitness and nutrition plan. It strengthens the deep abdominal muscles, including the transversus abdominis, which acts like a corset for your midsection (1). While you can’t spot-reduce fat from one area, building lean muscle through Pilates may help increase your overall metabolic rate, which will help you burn more calories at rest.
Yes, reformer Pilates may be a good option for creating the appearance of a slimmer waist. It strengthens the deep core muscles and improving posture, helping you stand taller and pull your abdominals inward (3). This creates a more streamlined and toned midsection, even without significant weight loss.
Pilates and weightlifting are different modalities with distinct benefits. One is not inherently “better” than the other. Weightlifting is superior for maximizing muscle hypertrophy and absolute strength (8), while Pilates excels at improving core strength, flexibility, posture, and muscular endurance (9). Many people find that combining both provides a well-rounded fitness regimen.
Traditionally, Pilates is performed either barefoot or with socks. Being barefoot allows the small muscles in your feet to work, which can improve your balance and stability. Many people prefer to wear grip socks for hygiene reasons and to prevent their feet from slipping on the carriage or footbar.
Advancing your Pilates practice is a rewarding journey that builds a stronger body and a deeper connection to it. By focusing on quality of movement and consistent practice, you can gradually work your way toward mastering even the most challenging exercises the reformer has to offer.
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