What are Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Exercises in Pilates?

As part of your teacher training program you might or might not have divided the Pilates repertoire into beginner, intermediate, and advanced level exercises. Grouping exercises into these categories can be helpful for new teachers. It gives you a guideline regarding which exercises might be too easy, too hard, or just right for your student.

But what determines whether a Pilates exercise is considered beginner, intermediate, or advanced? Here are a few things to consider:

• How many joints are moving? Exercises that require multiple joints to move are more challenging. For example, picture Tricep Extensions in the Supine Arm Series on the Reformer. Only the elbows are bending and straightening. Now think about how many joints are involved in Coordination. The head, neck, and shoulders curl up, the knees straighten and bend, the hips abduct and adduct. Whew, way harder!!
• Does the exercise include short or long levers? Toe Taps load the hip joint and lumbar stability moderately via a short lever (knees are bent), but Double Straight Leg Stretch loads those same areas much more intensely via a long lever. To make DSLS easier, you could bend your knees and lower and lift your legs that way.
• Is the choreography simple or complex? The perfect example for this is, of course, Coordination on the Reformer, also Short Spine or the Rowing Series. How long did it take you to remember the flow of those exercises?
• How many movement directions or planes of movement? In Single Leg Stretch, for example, all joints move on the sagittal plane (thoracic flexion, hip flexion, knee flexion), but Criss Cross move on two different planes, the sagittal like SLS, but the rotation of the upper torso adds the rotational (transverse) plane to the mix.

I've put together lists of mat, Reformer, Trapeze Table, Chair, Ladder Barrel, and Spine Corrector exercises divided by these levels:

• Fundamental
• Intermediate
• Advanced

Keep in mind that there are many exceptions to this guideline. Someone who might have practiced Pilates for a long time might still struggle with fundamental exercises or movement skills. On the other hand, a dancer or athlete might be able to perform advanced repertoire right from the start. Use the lists below as a general guideline to help you decide where to start with your students.

Pilates Mat Exercises

Fundamental/Beginner Pilates Mat Exercises

• Chest Lift
• Leg Slides
• Marching
• Knee Folds
• Table Top
• Pelvic Clocks
• Bridging
• Bent Knee Opening
• Arm Arcs
• Dead Bugs
• Hundred
• Side Balance
• Side Kicks
• Clams
• Book Opening
• Dart
• Prone Arm Clock
• C-Curve
• Assisted Roll Up
• Cat + Cow
• Knee Hover
• Opposite Arm and Leg Reach
• Standing Posture
• One Leg Balance
• Heel Raise
• Knee Bend
• Calf Stretch

Intermediate Pilates Mat Exercises

• Stomach Series:
  
  • Single Leg Stretch
  • Double Leg Stretch
  • Single Straight Leg Stretch
  • Double Straight Leg Stretch
  • Criss Cross
• Side to Side
• Mermaid
  Side Lift on Elbow
• Swimming
• Baby Swan
• Swan
• Single Leg Kicks
• Rolling Like a Ball
• Open Leg Rocker
• The Roll Up
• Back Control
• Leg Pull (Up)
• Front Control
• Leg Pull (Front)
• Side Plank
• Kneeling Side Kick
• The Z

Advanced Pilates Mat Exercises

• Roll Over
• Corkscrew
• Jackknife
• Scissors + Bicycle in the Air
• Control Balance
• Grasshopper
• Heel Beats
• Scarecrow
• Double Leg Kicks
• Swan Dive
• Rocking
• Seal Puppy
• Crab
• Teaser
• Boomerang
• Neck Pull
• Hip Twist
• Side Bend
• Star
• Twist (Advanced Mermaid)
• Push-Up Flow

Reformer 

Fundamental/Beginner Reformer Exercises

• Footwork
• Supine Arms
• Supine Abs
• Feet in Straps
• Sleeper
• Overhead Press
• Swan Facing Front
• Pulling Straps
• Seated Footwork
• Roll Down
• Reverse Abdominals
• Side Splits
• Scooter
• Eve’s Lunge
• Standing Hip Stretch

Intermediate Reformer Exercises

• Bridging
• Jumping
• Short Spine
• Long Spine
• Quadruped
• Short Box Series
• Stomach Massage
• Mermaid
• Kneeling Arms Facing Back
• Kneeling Arms Facing Front
• Kneeling Arms Facing Side
• Knee Stretch
• Down Stretch
• Long Stretch
• Inverted V + Arabesque
• Up Stretch
• Elephant
• Jackrabbit
• Front + Russian Splits

Advanced Reformer Exercises

• Semi-Circle
• Backstroke
• Swan Facing Back
• Breaststroke
• Teaser
• Rowing Front
• Rowing Back
• Long Back Stretch
• Front Control
• Back Control
• Tendon Stretch + Gymnast

Trapeze Table/Tower 

Fundamental/Beginner Trapeze Table/Tower Exercises

• 90/90
• Breathing
• Supine Scap Series
• Teaser
• Footwork
• Supine Leg Springs
• Side-lying Leg Springs
• Prone Arm Springs
• Roll Down
• Seated Pull Down
• Seated Push Through
• Circumduction
• Thigh Stretch
• Standing Leg Springs

Intermediate Trapeze Table/Tower Exercises

• Tower
• Monkey
• Parakeet
• Pelvic Press
• Hip Extension
• Hip Opener
• Spread Eagle
• Hanging
• Standing Arm Springs Facing Out
• Standing Arm Springs Facing In
• Squats

Advanced Trapeze Table/Tower Exercises

• Magician
• Semi-Circle
• Dolphin
• Swan

Chair 

Fundamental/Beginner Chair Exercises

• Lying Flat
• Footwork
• Mermaid
• Side Balance
• Seated Triceps Press
• Hamstring 1
• Standing Leg Pump
• Standing Ankle Pump

Intermediate Chair Exercises

• Teaser From Floor
• Swan From Floor
• Prone Scap Series
• Swan on Top
• Reverse Swan + Teaser
• Cat
• Side Pull Up
• Hamstring 2
• Hamstring 3
• Frogs Facing Out
• Press Up With Handles

Advanced Chair Exercises

• Tendon Stretch
• Forward Lunges
• Side Lunges
• Piano Lesson

Ladder Barrel 

Fundamental/Beginner Ladder Barrel Exercises

• Leg Stretches
• Horseback
• Dart
• Short Box
• Standing Back Bend
• Side Sit up Basic

Intermediate Ladder Barrel Exercises

• Semi-Circle (Bridging)
• Side Dangling
• Side Over
• Side Sit up Advanced
• Swimming Grasshopper
• Swan

Advanced Ladder Barrel Exercises

• Swan Dive
• Leg Series
• Roll Over Shoulderstand

Spine Corrector

Fundamental/Beginner Spine Corrector Exercises

• Bridging
• Chest Lift
• Hundred
• Seated Back Bend
• Roll Down
• Leg Series
• Roll Over
• Corkscrew
• Side Sit up
• Side Kicks
• Mermaid

Intermediate Spine Corrector Exercises

• Reach
• Stomach Series:
  
  • Single Leg Stretch
  • Double Leg Stretch
  • Single Straight Leg Stretch
  • Scissors
  • Criss Cross
• Side Over
• Dart
• Seesaw
• Balance Point
• Back Control + Leg Pull
• Front Control + Leg Pull Front

Advanced Spine Corrector Exercises

• Teaser
• Swimming
• Swan Dive
• Grasshopper

These lists are available in a printable PDF as well. Just click below to download.

If you need help with any of the exercises, the Pilates Encyclopedia membership has tutorial videos, detailed descriptions, and teaching tips for each exercise. We also have a whole section on Class Planning designed to help you put together new class plans in minutes.