Cadillac Exercises: Trapeze, Leg Springs and Push-Through

A Cadillac (also called a trapeze table) holds a wider spread of exercise families than most Pilates apparatus. Springs hang from the frame at several heights, two bars pivot from the uprights and a trapeze swings from the canopy. That variety can look confusing at first. This guide sorts the repertoire into five families and explains what each one asks of the equipment, using the BASI Trapeze Table, the Elina Cadillac and the Peak Artistry Classic Cadillac as reference points.

Why start on a Cadillac instead of the floor?

Because the table does not move and sits close to seat height. The Elina Cadillac bed is 22.83 in from the floor and the Peak Artistry mat sits at 24.75 in, so a client can sit down and swing the legs up instead of kneeling and lowering to a mat. Nothing rolls away underneath them.

That stable surface is why teachers often bring clients who find floor work hard to get into and out of onto the Cadillac. A reformer carriage glides the moment weight goes onto it, while a Cadillac table stays put. Programming for any individual still belongs with a qualified instructor.

Leg spring and arm spring series

Many sessions begin lying on the back with the feet in loops attached to long springs hung from the canopy. Moving the spring higher or lower on the upright changes the angle of pull as well as the load. On the BASI Trapeze Table the spring holders travel along an aluminium track, so placement is continuous instead of limited to fixed holes.

Arm springs work the same way for the upper body, usually on shorter springs. The Elina Cadillac supplies eight springs in two lengths and two tensions: short and long yellow for light work, short and long green for medium. BASI sets its table up with twelve springs in six weights, which gives finer steps between one setting and the next.

Push-through bar and roll down bar

The push-through bar pivots from the uprights and can be sprung from above or below. Loaded from below, the bar wants to rise toward the user, which is why the BASI and Elina tables include a safety strap to hold it secure. The Elina push bar also adjusts to three heights. The roll down bar is held seated or kneeling while the spine curls down and back up against spring tension, a simpler family that suits early sessions.

What are fuzzies and hanging straps for?

Fuzzies are padded loops, usually fleece or sheepskin lined, that hang from the top of the frame to cradle the feet or ankles. Hanging straps do a similar job for suspended positions. The BASI Trapeze Table and Elina Classic Aluminium Cadillac both include a pair. Sheepskin hanging straps come in a traditional 26 in length.

These pieces open the hanging repertoire, where the body is partly supported from above. That work sits at the advanced end of the Cadillac and is not a starting point for anyone.

Trapeze and hanging work need supervision

The trapeze swings from the canopy on straps and springs, so it moves in more directions than either bar. Approach the whole family as supervised work:

• Learn trapeze and hanging exercises with a qualified instructor present, not from video.
• Check straps, carabiners and spring hooks before anyone leaves the table surface.
• Confirm frame fasteners are tight as part of regular maintenance.
• Use non-slip pads where grip matters. Small non-slip rubber pads can serve as hand grips for inversions.
• Leave clear floor around the table for stepping down.

To see the tables discussed here next to each other, browse our Cadillacs and trapeze tables and compare spring sets, bar options and mat heights before choosing.