Pilates Box

The Carriage
The most important and familiar part of the reformer is the carriage.
A Pilates reformer carriage is the padded or upholstered surface you’ll sit, stand, or kneel on while performing workouts. The carriage is designed to move along gliding bars and is controlled by a set of springs and gears that add resistance to carriage movement.

Reformer Springs
Most standard reformers come with four color-coded springs, though some machines may feature as many as eight, with some springs belonging to different parts of the machine aside from the carriage.
Each color spring represents a different gear resistance level, with a typical reformer looking something like this:
●Yellow: Lightest resistance
●Blue: Medium-light resistance
●Red: Medium resistance
●Green: Heaviest resistance
Heavier springs may add more resistance to exercises depending on the exercise, though they could make certain exercises easier. For example, planks that require users to hold their body weight may benefit from heavier springs, making it easier to maintain a steady carriage.

Straps and Ropes
Most reformers come with a pair of straps or ropes tied to one end of the platform and attached to the carriage and pulleys. These ropes allow users to move the carriage using their legs or arms during various exercises.

Footbar
On the other side of the reformer lies a metal footbar, which is typically upholstered with a comfortable material, such as leather or foam. The footbar offers a platform to place one's feet or hands during exercises to gain leverage.

Shoulder Rests
At one end of the carriage and opposite the footbar lies a set of foam shoulder rests designed to provide users with a platform to rest their shoulders and head while lying down supine. Ultimately, shoulder rests are designed to help users move the carriage during lying exercises.

The Frame
Finally, the last part of the Pilates reformer we need to discuss is the frame. The Pilates reformer frame typically consists of a solid metal or wooden frame designed to support a user's body weight and all of the gadgets found on a reformer.

Jumboard
Lots of reformer machines offer customization options, such as a jumpboard as a substitute for a standard footbar. The jumpboard is designed to provide some cardio to workouts, by providing a padded platform for users to gain their footing and launch from to move the carriage.

Pilates Tower
On the other side is an optional tower for select reformer models. Lots of reformers, such as the Pilates Cadillac reformer get their name because they offer a full trapeze tower that allows for hanging and gravity-based exercises.
Towers typically consist of a metal or wooden frame with additional straps and cross-sectional bars.
The Pilates reformer with tower offers an additional twist on traditional Pilates exercises, opening up the possibility for new workouts, such as suspended push ups, tricep dips, glute bridges, and reverse crunches.

Sitting Box
Finally, the Pilates sitting box is exactly what the name implies: it’s a literal sitting box. However, this upholstered box can be used with a mat or reformer to offer greater height and leverage to exercises.