Ellie Herman's Pilates Reformer, Third Edition

Great manual for Classic instruction.

I bought this book after I had already read through it several times, I checked it out at the Library and then borrowed it from a friend of mine, this was over the course of a year and finally I decided this was worth the money to own, but $70 is a lot to fork out for a book, but believe me when I say it was worth every penny,this book has helped me tremendously not only for teaching my clients but for myself. I have one other Reformer book which came with my cert. and it is great, but this one really does have a lot more in depth exercises. If you are an instructor or just practicing on your own, this book will be very helpful.

Yes, it's hideously expensive, but I think the pages from 12 to 27 alone justify the price. They might be subtitled: "How Not to Cripple or Kill Yourself on the Reformer." Pages 12-13 cover the "Eight Principles of Pilates" and Ellie adds her own called "Body Awareness." Pages 14-19 include excellently described and photographed "Pilates Alphabet," in other words, the basic positions from which you generally move to or return from other exercises. Pages 20 - 21 cover "General Movement Vocabulary," again, excellently described and photographed. Pages 22 - 23 cover the famous "Neutral Spine, Neutral Pelvis," which are so critical to Pilates and, in fact, nearly all exercises, including things you'd think wouldn't relates to Pilates at all, like arm presses from a weight bench. and pages 24 to 27 cover what I have called "how not to cripple or kill yourself" on the Reformer. Here she covers "Spinal Flexion" and "Spinal Extension," each section including discusions about "General Contraindications," "Disc Dysfunction," and "Caution." Because absolute precision of movement is so critically important in Pilates exercises (no "good enough for the weight room" here), these pages should be in every book, CD, or DVD ever published on anything even remotely concerning Pilates. For instructors, she also includes a brief description on "Assisting People." Surprisingly, that's where she has put some critical information on "teaching prone back extension exercises to folks with weak abdominals, glutes, and hamstrings." This one paragraph should be printed in large letters anywhere there's a Reformer available to the public. Now I know why health clubs don't leave Reformers out in the open. Although, come to think of it, you could do the same amount of damage with, say, a leg press sled. "Oh, I can do 250," I told my trainer one day. "Put on another ten." BUT can you walk the next day is the question. The rest of the book is, as described by other reviewers, absolutely excellent. I think the highest compliment is to say, "It's actually worth its outrageous price." I'm glad I bought it.

I LOVE my LeisureKing reformer! The color is pretty and it's so nice to have the reformer in my home. I am 5’6” and was worried about the length. It is long enough and can be adjusted for your height. I can use it at my convenience and not have to dash out the door to attend a class...which isn't cheap! This reformer is smooth, easy to put together, and is well worth the money. In the long run the savings will be well worth it. I was attending Pilates classes 4 times a week, so this reformer will pay for itself within a couple of months.

Excellent book & teacher. Easy to read., understand. Yes, it’s expensive but worth the $$ if it keeps us from an injury & I think it will. comprehensive & detailed. Will use it for many years.

Love this book and I am going to invest in the other Ellie Herman Pilates books. Her focus is on classical Pilates, with a simple introduction, nice reference and simple definition of each move. The photos are critical for explanation and are a great addition for anyone who is "into" Pilates, who is advancing and who want to make the most of their pilates experience. Highly recommend.

Very comprehensively set out and clearly explained.This book is beneficial to all Pilates instructors as it details all aspects of performing reformer exercises and explains which muscle groups are targeted.Great teaching tool.

I have researched many other Pilates manuals, and this one gives by far the best information. Most manuals are just superficial and sloppy. Which is strange because the Pilates Method is exactly the opposite. The only reason for that I can think of is that it is a LOT of work to put all the information into a manual like this one. Thanks Ellie,for taking the time! We Pilates teachers around the country and world thank you!

If you are only going to get one book, make it this one.

I have had a few books on reformer exersizes but this has to be the best one. This book explains perfectly about each exercise using the reformer. It gives you step by step clear photos of each exercise, tells you how setup the reformer for each different exercise ,( which springs/cords, headrest position, footbar position etc), also which muscles the specific exercise targets, there are cues explained easily to help, there are modifications of each exercise and lots of helpful advice and tips. Before you get to the exercises the first few pages explain about the correct breathing, all about the reformer, all about the neutral spine and the core, and so much more useful information. If I could only have one book about exercises on the reformer I would happily get rid of my other books.

I am a Pilates teacher and am currently furthering my training, I love Ellie Herman's work and find her books by far the easiest to understand and full of good cueing tips. Just to note that not every single all of the exercises are included, and it doesn't include some of the preparations for bigger moves that you might want to build up to (which you might find in the Stott Essential Reformer manual, say) however the explanations are clearer and far more decipherable

A VERY detailed reformer book that is best suited for instructors, not a student of the reformer as there are lots of instructions geared for the instructor. If you are an instructor, this book would be excellent.

As a Pilates teacher I have been looking for a good Pilates Reformer book. This one is clear, gives good cues and variations. Very informative. I recommend it to any teacher.