Cadillac Workouts

The Pilates Cadillac is perhaps the most striking of all Joseph Pilates’ inventions — a towering frame with springs, bars, and straps that looks part exercise equipment, part acrobatics rig. But like many of his creations, it was born from necessity.

During World War I, while working in the camp hospital on the Isle of Man, Joseph Pilates used bed frames and springs to help bedridden patients rebuild strength. Years later, after moving to New York in 1926, he evolved that concept into a fully upright, versatile training apparatus.

By the 1940s, the “Trapeze Table,” as Joseph originally called it, featured a raised mat platform with a sturdy canopy frame overhead. From this frame hung adjustable springs, push-through bars, roll-down bars, and fuzzy loops — each attachment offering countless exercise variations for strength, flexibility, and rehabilitation.

In the mid-20th century, Joseph even took the Cadillac to the public — selling it on Saturdays at Macy’s department store in New York City. This was an unusual sight: shoppers browsing clothes and perfume could also watch demonstrations of a towering exercise machine that promised strength, flexibility, and vitality. While the Cadillac’s name didn’t come from Macy’s, the exposure helped bring Pilates to a wider, more mainstream audience.

The Cadillac earned its luxury nickname from the Pilates community itself — because compared to earlier, simpler pieces of equipment like the bednasium or massage table, this apparatus had all the bells and whistles, just like the top-of-the-line car.

The Pilates playground where gravity doesn’t always win.

The Cadillac is more than an impressive piece of equipment — it’s a tool for building strength, mobility, and control at any stage of life. Its springs and bars can make exercises easier for beginners or more challenging for advanced movers, making it one of the most adaptable pieces in Pilates.

Training on the Cadillac connects you to Joseph’s vision of equipment that meets you where you are and helps you go further. Whether you’re recovering from injury, working on athletic performance, or exploring new movement patterns, the Cadillac offers a safe yet limitless space to grow stronger, more flexible, and more confident in your body.

When you step onto a Cadillac, you’re stepping into a century-long tradition of innovation.

Often called the “Swiss Army knife” of Pilates equipment, the Cadillac offers endless possibilities for movement, support, and challenge. From gentle rehabilitation exercises to advanced acrobatics, it’s designed to meet your body exactly where it is and help you move toward where you want to be.

The Cadillac’s bars, springs, and straps provide both assistance and resistance, allowing you to access proper alignment, move from your center of gravity, and retrain your body out of harmful compensation patterns. Whether you need to lengthen, strengthen, mobilize, or stabilize, the Cadillac adapts to every goal, making it a lifelong training tool for health, performance, and longevity.

• Endless Versatility – Suitable for rehab, general fitness, or high-level athletic training.
• Improves Alignment & Posture – Adjustable springs guide you into optimal positioning.
• Activates the Deep Core – Every exercise reinforces powerhouse engagement.
• Eliminates Compensation Patterns – Teaches balanced muscle recruitment.
• Enhances Flexibility & Mobility – Assisted stretches open range of motion safely.
• Supports All Levels & Needs – From gentle recovery work to dynamic strength flows.
• Boosts Functional Strength – Movement patterns carry over into daily life and sport.
• Builds Stability & Control – Multi-directional spring resistance challenges coordination.

• Anchor First, Move Second: Check that push-through bar, roll-down bar, and all springs are secure before starting.
• Stability in Suspension: Keep your centerline strong during spring-assisted or inverted movements.
• Explore Planes of Movement: Use the Cadillac’s versatility — vertical, horizontal, and diagonal work keep the body balanced.
• Breath into Length: The spring system can help decompress the spine — inhale to create space, exhale to deepen support.
• Respect Your Range: The Cadillac invites big, beautiful stretches — but flexibility should be earned, not forced.

• Form Over Flash: Quality trumps quantity every single time.
• Breath = Power: Never sacrifice breath for movement — your exhale is your built-in core cue.
• Awareness is Everything: Leave mental clutter outside your practice; apparatus work is mindfulness in motion.
• Clean Space, Clear Energy: Wipe down your equipment after every session — hygiene meets energetic reset.