Stott Pilates Essential Reformer Manual-2nd Edition

Awesome book. I just got my own reformer after a year of taking Pilates privately at my local gym. Though my reformer came with a slew of dvds, I knew I wanted everything written down for easy reference. This book was perfect. It's written to the level of professional trainers going through Stott's certifications which means nothing is watered down. Also, there's an element throughout of teaching how to teach. So there are fully fleshed out visualizations, details on muscle groups, even target protections for the individual exercises. After reading this book, I finally feel like I'm starting to understand how to breathe, where all these illusive abs are that wrap around the body, and the purpose and goal of each exercise. This is not something to skim, it's something to take a day and read word for word. And then reference back to as needed. I assume mine will soon be filled with post-it dividers. There is a coordinating dvd, which was one that came with the reformer, and also a wall chart. Though the wall chart is a bit pricey, and seems to be all the exercises from the book distilled to a photo & blurb together on 1 page... unless I'm missing something. I'm looking forward to the continuation of material once I master the essential level. The next levels progress in the same fashion with the sets of book, dvd, wall chart. Very organized. I like it. I like Stott. Yay Pilates!

This book is awesome. Exactly what I was hoping it would be. Explains every exercise in great detail, lots of photos, discusses proper alignment, modifications, what muscles are being worked, etc. Might be a bit tedious reading for a beginner in Pilates. You really need to have your own reformer or access to one while reading, so you can try out each of the exercises and modifications. So glad I ordered!!!

Great manual for description of exercises with easy to understand pictures. Very basic as far as Pilates goes. I use it for a reference to remember where to start with people new to Pilates.

The manual is beautifully constructed on thick stock and spiral bound. The photos are clear and the the instruction easy to understand. Basic reformer repertoire is provided with anatomical focus and some basic modifications for many exercises. Exercises are ordered based on typical Stott workout order. There is lots of space for notes on nearly every page. If you're a note-taker, that works well, but I sometimes wondered if more content wouldn't be preferred to note space. It's a great reference, but as manuals go, I might suggest the Balanced Body manuals offer more information, and Rael Isakowitz' book is nearly as complete for a fraction of the cost of many of the teacher training manuals. The gaping omission is a lack of contraindications. I'm sure in the context of Stott training, these would be provided (maybe what the "notes" sections are for), but so important, it didn't seem wise to omit them from a manual that is otherwise well done.

This manual provides step-by-step instructions for all of the essential reformer moves, as well as describing appropriate modifications, cues to ensure the exercises are being done properly, and information on which muscle groups are being targeted. I find it most useful in conjunction with the Essential Reformer DVD, which shows each of the exercises being performed; watching the exercise on the DVD and then reading about it in the manual gives a much more complete view than either by itself.

This a very useful introduction to the use of the Pilates reformer. Have just started with the breathing and have begun on the first exercises on the reformer. The pictures for the exercises could be made better by showing the direction in which the arms and legs need to move. Otherwise I can’t complain.

I've taken group Pilates Reformer classes for about 6 months now. Like Yoga and Barre, I find that I get more out of it when I know the proper alignment/stabilization, muscles to target, and where to shift my mental focus. Some instructors are better at giving tips than others so I wanted a manual to help me advance my knowledge and use my class time as effectively as possible. This book is very thorough and spends a lot of time on getting the important principles down: breathing, pelvic placement, rib cage placement, scapular placement, and head/cervical placement. Then it goes on to describe the reformer features, usual starting positions, 29 exercises - all with variations (same exercise, different starting positions for your feet), modifications (adjusting the exercise such as tiny pulses with the carriage half way in), illustrations, and where to keep your focus. It's also nicely bound with plenty of room for notes. If you have a reformer at home, this will surely help you keep proper alignment. If you have ambitions to be an instructor, this will be valuable. The content is here. One pet peeve is that it's written like a clinical manual - particularly around anatomy - and I found it a bit overkill. For example, "When flexing the upper torso from a supine position, focus on creating thoracic flexion and not overemphasizing cervical flexion. Cranio-vertebral flexion should come from lengthening the back of the neck away from the shoulders and flexing the cranium on the first two vertebrae of the cervical spine. Once cranio-vertebral flexion has been achieved, continue to slightly flex the cervical spine and then develop thoracic flexion. In ideal cervical flexion, avoid jamming the chin into the chest. There should be enough room between the chin and chest to fit a small fist." What they mean is, if you're lying down on the mat/carriage, facing the ceiling, you should be mindful of how you lift your head/shoulders. Prior to lifting your head/shoulders, first lengthen the back of the neck away from the shoulders. Lift/curve your head and shoulders in a cohesive movement - first with the neck and then the upper back. Look at your thighs. From the side view, your head and shoulders should make a continuous curved shape. Extra points if they gave you the tip that your abs start under your lower ribs and the lift should come from engaging the upper abs. In other words, you should not be doing a "crunch" in which you are probably using a combo of pulling your head forward and using momentum to raise your body. Don't get me wrong it's not all that bad . . . That said, this book assumes you know your anatomy well - for example, the difference between all the locations of the spine: cervical (neck), thoratic (chest/ribs), lumbar (lower back), sacral, and cocyx (tailbone). Because it assumes such a high knowledge of anatomy, it oddly leaves other things out. For example, there's a lot of time (rightfully so) spent on the Transverse Abdominis. But there's no mention of the outer Rectus Abdominis. Learning how to distinguish between them, and how to tell which I had engaged, was a big moment in my understanding in Barre and Pilates. I started working harder with smaller movements and seeing bigger results. For some this isn't an issue but I would have preferred a happy medium between all the knowledge provided but more straightforward language. For me the goal wasn't to pass an exam, but to learn to be more effective. Some of the best teachers I've had manage to explain complex, technical movements in plain language. This helps me "get it" more quickly and bring it into muscle memory. Being unnecessarily verbose can be a hindrance to understanding movement. At the very least illustrations a combination of the anatomical points discussed, along with the pictures of the models, would have been helpful. A picture can be worth 1,000 words. This lost 2 stars because the price is really, really high and because another reviewer said that buying the intermediate edition would include these same exercises.

Good examples of exercises and nice illustration.

When I read the book I can get more information and benefits at my Pilate lessons.

Brilliant, well made and sturdy, Easy to follow instructions

Muy buen producto. Buena calidad, materiales, se siente duradero. Muy bien descritos los principios básicos del pilates y super detallada la información de cada ejercicio. Yo que hago ejercicio en casa, lo recomiendo como una guía y recordatorio. Se cumplió el tiempo de entrega.

Love this, I use it to construct my reformer workouts at home. It explains each exercise with diagrams so very easy to follow