What has your Ladder Barrel done for you lately?
gymfrog supply professional and honest service.
If you've been reading for a while, or even if you just joined last week, you know of my deep love for the Pilates System.
Last November I purchased a 2nd Ladder Barrel for my studio.
Oh, I was super excited.
I debated whether I needed 2 of them, but I'm building a gym, right?
What if there are 2 students who both want to use the Ladder Barrel and there is only one??
Disaster!
There's also JoJo to think about'if he ever deigns to venture onto the Ladder Barrel I won't miss a valuable twinning moment.
My first Ladder Barrel (LB) is made by Gratz Pilates. I purchased it in and it's a fan favorite.
The Round apparatus: so cozy and inviting. She's a dear, really.
This time I had my sights on the Contrology Ladder Barrel, due to a few factors:
I knew I wanted these details, but I didn't quite understand what they'd do to me.
You don't know until you know'
(Please know this post is not sponsored, and my love for the Contrology Ladder Barrel is based on what it has done to my body and my Pilates workout. But full disclosure, I'm a Balanced Body affiliate and my links will give you 5% off at checkout if you decide you simply can't live without one .)
I hadn't realized the benefit and feedback that's possible with firm padding on Pilates apparatus. I wasn't looking for plush comfort in an apparatus, but again I didn't know what I didn't know, right?
If you struggle to get an idea of what goes on (or does NOT go on) on the back of you, the firmer the padding, it turns out, the clearer the picture of what the back of you is doing. Makes sense.
Not gonna lie, firm padding always tells you the truth, and sometimes you can't handle the truth.
I've got an imbalance in strength side-to-side, and one side of my back struggles to contact the apparatus in lying down positions. It's kinda like being a 3-legged table LOL
Cause I've got a f*ck-ton of them LOL
Again if you've been reading for a while you know that the Short Box Series has been the bane of my Pilates existence since before the turn of the millennium.
The Short Box has nothing to offer me: no springs, I'm plopped up there on a box with my feet strapped in and stuck out into' the air. Super not helpful.
And seated. I can't even smell the danger enough to use my stomach.
This series was the only thing I didn't love about Pilates when I began taking lessons and classes. And I was right to hate it.
All these years later I know Joe Pilates was playing to all of my weaknesses:
Disconnected hips and legs, imbalance side-to-side, an upper body that overworks and a reluctant bottom.
Not a recipe for success on the Short Box'
Oh Short Box, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my exercises.
It's been 6 days since my last Pilates workout.
Enlighten my mind that I may remember the exercises I ought to do and grant me your grace to do my exercises fully, humbly, and with a full heart.
Help me to firmly resolve to do them again and again.
Round One, please share your wisdom with me.
The Ladder Barrel offers the support I crave and that the Short Box on the Reformer never delivers:
You've gotta show up with a lotta stuff on that Short Box, right?
Christmas came in November last year.
Two men carried a more-enormous-than-I-expected box into my house.
They passed my main room which is the Pilates studio noticing my unusual living area.
I signed for the delivery and the men were about to leave.
But first they had a question.
'So what's in the box?'
I pointed to the Barrel I already had, 'Another one of these.'
Even they didn't question why I would need 2 of them!
Obvs.
Now to unleash my plan for my Pilates Project: The Short Box on the Reformer.
(If you love Pilates Projects and you'd like to see more details on this one in a separate post, lemme know in a comment below. I love Pilates Projects too!)
Essentially the project is to include a 'field trip' to the Ladder Barrel in the midst of my Reformer workout.
For a while.
So:
I plan to repeat this sequence every time I do my Reformer workout ' typically about 1-2x per week ' for a few months before visiting the Short Box Series on the Reformer.
Not forever, but long enough to notice what the Ladder Barrel does to me.
Now here's where it gets tricky.
My desire to work with 4 evenly spaced rungs disables my ability to hook my feet under the top rung of the ladder.
So I concentrated on the feeling of standing on my feet. Whatever my feet wanted to do to help me find this feeling would be fine for now.
I know not to rely on my feet hanging onto the top rung. Alas, that's clearly what I've been doing. Now, however, this option is no longer available and I gotta find a better way.
I totally thought I would fall right off as I cautiously unrolled myself over the barrel for the first time. Truth has a way of sternly telling you 'That's NOT how to do the exercise.'
Contact us to discuss your requirements of ladder barrel for sale. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.
Each time I visited the Ladder Barrel I found new connections. I strengthened my control and over time my range of motion in all of the exercises improved.
I tried not to spiral'
Gosh I love to put my hands on the floor (box) and go all the way back in the first exercise, in the Tree like the High Bridge, I can't go anywhere without feeling like I will fall off'
My Ladder Barrel exercises presented yet another opportunity to be patient.
So I did my best, I moved it along, sans High Bridge for a couple of weeks, and eventually, I was rewarded.
Let's just say I found a big piece of my stomach, my powerhouse, my center on the Ladder Barrel. My feet relaxed and I did indeed High Bridge just in time for Christmas.
In the new year I decided that I'd put in sufficient time at the Ladder Barrel and it was time to see if my new Short Box skills would show up for me at the Reformer.
I dearly love Swan done on the Long Box, so that was exciting too.
Yeah, not really a fan of it on the Ladder Barrel, but that is a Project for another day.
I try not to fixate on the first exercise ' my hardest. The one that's like the Roll Up.
Not. A. Surprise.
Yeah, not so great, and kinda searching for the connection in the dark, not gonna lie.
Found a nice way to find my lower body under the strap on the Tall one and used it to dial in before the Side-to-Side and Twist.
It bears reminding again that we are a work in progress.
It's okay to get better and more connected as the series continues.
It's all a part of the process.
And by the Twist, Baby I am all in.
I actually enjoy the Around-the-World ' oh yeah this can feel nice'
Oh shit. The Tree.
Sensing this will not be a High Bridge moment.
But all-in-all it was glorious.
Will I return to the Ladder Barrel for more months of help with the Short Box Series?
Absolutely.
No one arrives on the Short Box perfectly formed and connected ' it's all a process.
Again, no one knows what happened on the Short Box when you show up for dinner in your fancy outfit feeling fabulous and alive!
Mercifully for me, what happens on the Short Box, stays on the Short Box and she's not talkin'.
Pilates barrels are often underutilized yet incredibly versatile pieces of equipment. Whether you're working with a Spine Corrector, Ladder Barrel, or Pilates Arc, these tools offer targeted support and challenge for improving strength, flexibility, and control. This article with Lesley Logan explores how Pilates barrels can transform your practice, from correcting imbalances to mastering challenging exercises.
'''''''''''-
Why Pilates Barrels?
When I first started teaching I noticed most Spine Correctors were under a Cadillac or resting against a wall gathering some dust. From time to time they'd get pulled out to use for an Arm Series or even as a prop for someone who needed help curling up. Yet in my training manuals there were so many exercises you could do! In fact, the more I nerded out on my Spine Corrector and other Barrels, the more I realized that many exercises we struggle with' there was a Barrel for that!
Struggling with extension? The Arm Series on the Spine Corrector should be your best friend!
Pelvis tipping back and forth when you move your legs? The Leg Series on the Spine Corrector or Small Barrel has plenty of variations to help you figure out where to move from.
Short Box on the Reformer gripping your hip flexors? The Ladder Barrel wants to help!
What exercises are you struggling with? There really is a Barrel exercise or three that can set you up for the exercises you want to do.
Add to that the fun story Jay Grimes, my teacher and one of Joe Pilates students, told me: When a client comes in flustered or stressed, the Arm Series on the Spine Corrector was a great place to start. Why? Because it's a breathing exercise that helps connect a client's mind, body, and breath. By the time they're done with the Hug then they're ready to hit their Mat or Reformer!
It's so easy in Pilates to lean into one apparatus more than another. I mean, when's the last time you did an exercise you didn't like? I tell my clients, 'If you don't like an exercise, it's because you need it.' Jay would tell us, 'If someone doesn't like an exercise, they should do it twice.'
When I set out to create the Barrels Flashcards as the 5th deck in the OnlinePilatesClasses.com series (there will be 6 decks total), I wanted to make sure that every exercise was represented. And, that every Pilates level could explore the exercises right for them.
Most people are told exercises can be done on a Spine Corrector or Small Barrel but not always shown, so it was important to me that the Spine Corrector and Small Barrel had their own separate cards. The Ladder Barrel is most known for its Stretches series, but there are so many ways to use it! And, if you know the proper way to measure the Ladder Barrel for your body, then you can get the most out of it. Which is why we were intentional on the "How to Use this Deck" card. You'll see the way to measure for any body.
The C-Shaper is also included in the Barrels deck. I know it's not a common piece of Pilates equipment. But if the Spine Corrector, Small Barrel, and Ladder Barrel teach extension the best, the C Shaper teaches flexion the best. After all, it's literally the inverse curve of the Ladder Barrel!
Benefits of Using Pilates Barrels
1. Support for Challenging Movements
But, really, when we encounter exercises we aren't loving or are struggling with, it is because we are missing a connection. We don't yet have the strength. And, so it's not really another cue that we need' It's often that we need to train our body with another exercise. If you're constantly using your neck for Swan instead of your upper back, having the barrel behind your spine helps you understand where to articulate. You get feedback!
The thing about all the Barrels is that they can be what you need them to be. They can teach you or challenge you. They can be the workout or part of the workout. And the more you play with the exercises on them, leaving out what you're not ready for, the more the rest of your practice will benefit!
Now, I know it is easy to look at the Barrels included in this deck and think they're not like yours. Or that they're classical and so they won't work for you. But, every OPC flashcard deck is edited by a non-classical teacher and a non-Pilates practitioner. In fact, the non-Pilates editor reached out to buy her own Spine Corrector after reviewing the cards!
Got an Arc? You'll be able to use this deck! You'll see you can use the step or remove it. Don't have a C-Shaper? That's ok! It's only a dozen of the 114+ cards in the deck and someday you'll come across someone's dusty C-Shaper and you'll be able to use it!
2. Versatility in Workouts
This deck is designed to help you use the Pilates system to support your practice and your clients' practice. It's designed to move you around your Pilates studio and warm up or cool down on the Barrel apparatus with ease and curiosity.
Other fun features to check out are that each card has a QR code that takes you to the video of the exercise. Then, on the other side of the card, you've got the Set Up, Action and other complementary Barrel exercises. You also have related Mat and Reformer exercises so you don't have to guess at how all the exercises can work together. Plus a quick tip from me!
Put cards out in different stations for clients to enjoy a circuit class. Or, pull them out to plan a client session, or even yours! Take a picture of the cards and you've got a visual of the planned workout!
Get this beast of a deck (it really is the largest we'll ever make) at OnlinePilatesClasses.com or in Australia @PilatesNerdDownUnder or in Canada @b.pilatesandfitness where you will find all 5 of our Flashcard decks (Mat, Reformer, Cadillac/Tower, Chairs and Barrels).
Why Every Studio Should Dust Off Their Pilates Barrels
Pilates barrels aren't just for storage or occasional use'they're transformative tools that deepen your connection to movement. With a little creativity and guidance, they can breathe new life into your practice.
Whether you're teaching clients or exploring solo, the benefits of Pilates barrels are undeniable. From the Spine Corrector to the Ladder Barrel, there's a barrel for every challenge and every body.
If you are looking for more details, kindly visit cadillac pilates.