The Cadillac. The Wunda Chair. The Spine Corrector. The Ladder Barrel. The full classical Pilates apparatus — available for private sessions at Kynd Studios Stratford.
Book a private session →Most people know Pilates through the reformer. But the classical method Joseph Pilates developed includes a full suite of apparatus — each piece designed with extraordinary precision to address specific movement patterns, strengthen specific chains, and rehabilitate specific weaknesses.
The Cadillac, Wunda Chair, Spine Corrector and Ladder Barrel aren't accessories. They are the original system. And access to them, with a teacher trained in classical methodology, is exceptionally rare in regional Australia.
At Kynd, we have the apparatus and the training. Private classical sessions are available by enquiry.
"Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness. Our interpretation of physical fitness is the attainment and maintenance of a uniformly developed body with a sound mind fully capable of naturally, easily, and satisfactorily performing our many and varied daily tasks with spontaneous zest and pleasure."Joseph Hubertus Pilates, Return to Life Through Contrology, 1945
Each piece of apparatus in the classical Pilates studio was designed by Joseph Pilates to address specific movement needs. Here's what's available at Kynd and what each piece offers.
The most versatile piece of Pilates apparatus ever created. A raised mat table with an overhead frame, the Cadillac supports an enormous range of exercises using springs, push-through bars, a roll-down bar, leg springs, arm springs and a trapeze. It can support and challenge the body in ways no other apparatus can — making it extraordinary for both rehabilitation and advanced training.
Compact but brutal. The Wunda Chair challenges balance, single-leg strength, hip stability, and functional movement in ways that reveal weaknesses quickly and build strength efficiently. Unlike the reformer or Cadillac, the chair demands that the body stabilise without the surface support — making it an extraordinary tool for athletic conditioning and advanced Pilates practice.
The Spine Corrector is a curved barrel designed to open the chest, mobilise the spine, and build thoracic extension in ways that mat work rarely achieves. Essential for anyone who spends time sitting — it creates the opposite of what modern life does to the body. Deeply satisfying to work on, and genuinely corrective for postural patterns.
The Ladder Barrel stretches the front and back of the body in deep, supported ways that no other apparatus achieves. Back extensions, lateral stretches, hamstring and hip flexor work — the barrel creates length and openness through the whole posterior chain while the ladder allows for precise positioning. Phenomenal for dancers, athletes and anyone working on flexibility and spinal health.
The full apparatus system was originally developed for athletes and performers. If you move for a living — or aspire to move better — classical apparatus training is the method.
The spring resistance of classical apparatus is uniquely suited to rehabilitation — providing support and resistance simultaneously, working with the body's healing process rather than against it.
If you already practise Pilates and want to understand the full method, or if you're training to teach, time on the classical apparatus is irreplaceable. This is where the method reveals itself.
Hours at a desk creates specific patterns — forward head, rounded shoulders, tight hip flexors. The Spine Corrector and Cadillac are designed to undo exactly this. Classical work is profoundly corrective.
Already strong in your reformer and mat practice? The Wunda Chair and Cadillac will challenge you in entirely new ways. Classical apparatus training reveals and addresses weaknesses that group classes can't.
If you've ever wanted to understand what Pilates was really designed to be — this is it. A session on the classical apparatus is an education. Most people describe it as a revelation.
Classical apparatus sessions are available by private booking only. Enquire via our privates page and mention the specific apparatus you'd like to work on — we'll match you with the right teacher and build a session around your goals.
Book a private session → See all our classes