Pilates Reformer Springs Explained

Every reformer exercise starts with a decision about springs. They are the only source of load on the machine, yet they behave nothing like a weight stack. That difference shapes how each movement feels from the first inch of travel to the last.

How do reformer springs create resistance?

Reformer springs resist stretching. The further the carriage moves away from the spring bar, the more each spring pulls it back. Load therefore builds through the movement instead of staying constant, which is why the end of a push feels heavier than the start and why the return needs control.

Springs hook between the moving carriage and a fixed bar at the foot end. Adding a spring adds its pull to the others, so two medium springs together pull harder than either one alone. Taking one off removes that spring's share of the load.

Why do most reformers use four to six springs?

Four to six springs give enough combinations to cover heavy leg work and light arm work on one machine. Classical designs tend to use fewer, contemporary designs add more for finer steps. In our range the Elina Classic 86 in models carry four, most machines carry five and several Elina studio models carry six.

• Four springs: the Elina Classic Natural Wood, Classic Dark Wood and Classic Aluminium 86 in reformers.
• Five springs: Peak Pilates casa, fit, MVe and Artistry, the BASI Reformer and Compact, plus the Elina Nubium, Lignum, Club and HL.
• Six springs: the Elina Elite, Elite Advanced, Master Instructor and Mentor.

Five-spring sets usually mix strengths rather than repeat one. Peak's Studio Wood Line reformers use a standard set of one heavy red spring, two standard yellow and two light blue. The mix matters more than the count, because it sets how small a change you can make between exercises.

What does a gear bar change?

A gear bar, also called a spring bar, moves the fixed end of the springs. Moving it changes how stretched the springs already are when the carriage is at rest, known as preload. More preload means the first inch of movement already feels loaded. It can also shift where the carriage starts.

How Elina, Peak and BASI handle preload

Each maker solves the same problem in its own way.

• BASI: each spring on the BASI Reformer works through 3 gear positions. BASI puts each step at roughly 3 to 4 percent of added load.
• Peak Pilates: the casa, fit and MVe use a gear bar with 4 positions, adjusted with one hand on the casa and fit. On the Artistry the gear bar lets the reformer switch between four and five springs.
• Elina Club: a lever slides the spring bar through 5 positions with a neutral or a preloaded setting. It moves the carriage closer to the footbar or further away while keeping tension balanced.
• Elina Elite: a 4-position spring bar with two rows of prestressed anchor points.
• Elina HL: the spring bar has 3 adjustments. Some compact folding home frames use a fixed bar with 2 heights instead.

Choosing a spring setting

Start with the setting your instructor gives you and record it, including the gear position. Moving the gear bar is the finer adjustment. Adding or removing a spring is the larger one. Springs work as a matched set on each machine, so replace them the way the maker's care guide describes.

Explore spring systems across our Pilates reformers or look closely at gear bar designs in the Peak Pilates range.