Equipment Spotlight: The Cadillac

How to Use It and Get the Most from This Iconic Apparatus

If you’ve ever peeked around our studio and seen what looks like a cross between a bed frame and a jungle gym, you’ve already met one of the most versatile and transformative pieces of Pilates equipment: the Cadillac.

While the Reformer often gets all the attention, the Cadillac — sometimes called the “Trapeze Table” — is a powerhouse for building strength, stability, and mobility. At The Pilates Center Fort Worth, it’s a client favorite because of its adaptability. Whether you’re brand new to Pilates, working through an injury, or looking for advanced athletic conditioning, the Cadillac has something to offer you.

A Brief History of the Cadillac

Joseph Pilates originally created this apparatus by attaching springs to hospital beds during World War I. His goal was to help bedridden patients regain strength and mobility when they couldn’t stand or walk. He worked with what he had at the time - the beds the patients were in, and the springs that were around the hospital. That ingenious idea evolved into what we now know as the Cadillac — a raised table with a sturdy frame, springs, push-through bars, and trapeze attachments that provide endless exercise possibilities.

This origin story is important: the Cadillac was designed to meet people exactly where they were, no matter their limitations. That’s still true today. The Cadillac remains one of the most approachable yet challenging tools in the Pilates system.

What Makes the Cadillac Unique

Unlike the Reformer, which focuses on moving carriage resistance, the Cadillac uses a fixed surface combined with springs and bars to create stability, support, and challenge. Here are some of my favorite things about the Cadillac:

• Gentle Support for Beginners & Rehab: The raised table height makes it easy to get on and off, while the springs can provide assistance for movements that might be too difficult on the mat. It’s perfect for building confidence and control after injury or surgery.
  
  
• Deep Core & Postural Work: With attachments like the push-through bar and roll-down bar, the Cadillac helps isolate the deep abdominal muscles and encourages spinal articulation, improving posture and core strength.
  
  
• Full-Body Conditioning: The Cadillac isn’t just for your core! You’ll love it for your arms, legs, shoulders, hips, and everything in between. Springs can be adjusted for resistance, making exercises accessible to some clients and highly challenging for others. Your instructor will pick the exercises best suited for your goals, needs, and how your body feels that day. 

• Space for Creativity: Because of its versatility, the Cadillac offers endless possibilities, from gentle stretching to dramatic acrobatic moves. It grows with you as your Pilates practice develops. This is one of its best features! From beginners to seasoned experts, it offers something for everyone.

• Balanced Strength: One of the Cadillac’s biggest advantages is that each limb is connected to its own spring. That means your right leg or arm can’t “help out” your left, the way they sometimes do on the Reformer where both sides share the same resistance. Instead, every limb has to pull its own weight — literally.

This design makes the Cadillac especially effective for:

• Rehabilitation & Injury Recovery
  When one side of the body is weaker, the Cadillac allows you to strengthen it without letting the stronger side take over. This creates a more balanced recovery and reduces the risk of re-injury.
  
  
• Correcting Imbalances
  Many of us unconsciously favor one side in daily life — think about which hand you carry a bag with or which leg you push off when climbing stairs. The Cadillac highlights these differences and helps retrain both sides to work evenly.
  
  
• Building Symmetry & Control
  Independent springs require your body to engage with precision. The result? More balanced strength, improved coordination, and a deeper sense of body awareness.
  
  

This “limb-by-limb” approach is one of the reasons physical therapists and Pilates instructors alike consider the Cadillac such a powerful tool for rehabilitation and long-term joint health.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Cadillac Sessions

1. Start with the Basics: Work on foundational movements like the roll-up, footwork, and push-through bar exercises to build strength and confidence.
   
   
2. Listen to Your Instructor: The Cadillac can look intimidating, but under guidance it’s incredibly safe. Our instructors know how to tailor exercises to your body and adjust spring resistance for your needs.
   
   
3. Focus on Precision: The Cadillac rewards mindful, controlled movement. Pay attention to your alignment, breath, and flow. Small corrections make a big difference.
   
   
4. Progress at Your Own Pace: As you get stronger, you can explore advanced moves such as hanging exercises or inversions. These exercises are not only impressive, they’re also phenomenal for building total-body strength and flexibility.
   
   
   

Why We Love the Cadillac at Pilates Center Fort Worth

The Cadillac is a piece of equipment that truly embodies the spirit of Pilates: adaptable, intelligent, and transformative. It allows us to serve clients across every age and stage,  from someone regaining mobility to athletes pushing the limits of their performance.
By including Cadillac work in your sessions, you’ll experience a new dimension of Pilates that balances support with challenge, helping you discover just how capable your body really is.

Curious to try the Cadillac for yourself?
Book a private session at The Pilates Center Fort Worth and experience one of the most iconic — and effective — pieces of Pilates equipment firsthand.

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