What Level Reformer Class Should I Book?
The right level makes all the difference. Lucia Poulter cueing in a Reformer Fundamentals class at Luma Pilates, Edinburgh
Short answer
If you're new to Luma or new to the Reformer, start with Reformer Fundamentals. If you've been practising elsewhere, get in touch before booking and we will help you find the right level. If you are returning after a break, drop back one level from where you left off. When in doubt, go lower. The foundations are where the practice lives, and a class that feels too easy is always more useful than one where you are lost.
Choosing the right level is one of the most common questions we get at Luma, and it is a genuinely important one. Start too far below where you are and the work won't challenge you. Start too far above and the foundations won't be there to support you.
This guide walks through every level at Luma and helps you find the right starting point, whether you are completely new to the Reformer, returning after a break, or coming to us from another studio.
If you’re still not sure after reading, just get in touch. It’s always a conversation worth having.
Find your level: a quick guide
Not sure where to start? Work through these questions:
Have you ever been on a Reformer before? No? Start with Reformer Fundamentals. There are no exceptions to this at Luma. Everyone begins at Fundamentals, regardless of fitness level, flexibility, or experience in other forms of exercise. The Reformer is a specific environment with its own logic, and Fundamentals is where you learn it.
Have you done Reformer Pilates before, at Luma or elsewhere? If you have trained at Luma before and are returning after a short break (less than a month), pick up where you left off. If you’ve been away longer, drop back one level. If you trained elsewhere, read the section below on coming from another studio before booking.
Are you recovering from injury or surgery? Tell us before you book. The right level for you depends on your history, your current range of movement, and what your physiotherapist or surgeon has advised. Get in touch and we will help you find the right starting point.
Are you fit, active, and used to exercise but are new to Pilates? Still start with Fundamentals. Physical fitness is not the same as Pilates literacy. The Reformer asks for a specific kind of body awareness and movement vocabulary that takes time to develop, regardless of how fit you are. Most athletic clients find Fundamentals more challenging than they expected.
Reformer springs are adjusted to change resistance, helping tailor classes across all levels.
The Luma class levels explained
Reformer Fundamentals
Reformer Fundamentals is the entry point for everyone at Luma. It is where you learn how the machine works, how to set it up for your body, and the foundational movement principles that underpin every class at every level.
In Fundamentals you will cover footwork, leg press, spinal articulation, pelvic alignment, and basic arm and abdominal work. More importantly, you will begin to develop centring, the ability to initiate movement from the deep spinal stabilisers rather than the superficial muscles. This is the single most important skill in Pilates, and Fundamentals is where it begins.
Most clients spend four to eight weeks in Fundamentals before moving on. There is no fixed timeline. What matters is that the foundational patterns are genuinely established.
Reformer Fundamentals Progressing
Fundamentals Progressing is a bridge between Fundamentals and Reformer 1. It assumes you understand the machine and the basic movement principles, and it begins to introduce more complexity and more demand.
The class builds on the Fundamentals vocabulary and starts to layer in more challenging variations. The pace is still measured and the instruction is still detailed, but the class asks more of your body and your awareness. You will begin to encounter exercises that require genuine strength in the deep stabilisers, more demanding footwork variations, and the early stages of the posterior chain and shoulder girdle work that becomes increasingly central as the practice develops.
This is also the level where body awareness starts to deepen. Clients in Fundamentals Progressing begin to feel the difference between doing an exercise and doing it well. That distinction is what the rest of the progression is built on.
Most clients spend one to three months here.
View Reformer Fundamentals Progressing
Reformer Pilates 1
Reformer Pilates 1 is where the practice starts to feel like a practice. The foundations are in place, the class moves with more pace, and the range of exercises widens to include more lateral and rotational work, more demanding abdominal sequences, and the beginning of kinetic chain integration.
Tower work is introduced at this level. The Tower attachment extends the range of possible exercises and adds a vertical dimension to the spring resistance work.
Clients at level 1 are typically working on genuine posterior chain strength, improving thoracic spine mobility, and building the shoulder stability that underpins more advanced upper body work. The class is physically demanding in a way that Fundamentals is not.
Most clients spend three to six months at level 1.
Reformer Pilates 2
Reformer Pilates 2 develops everything introduced at level 1 with greater complexity, greater range, and greater demand on the body's ability to stabilise under load. The exercises are more varied, the transitions are faster, and the class requires a level of body awareness and stabiliser strength that takes consistent practice to develop.
Single-leg work becomes more central at this level. The lateral and rotational challenges increase. The kinetic chain work requires the whole body to function as a coordinated system.
Most clients spend six to twelve months at level 2.
Reformer Pilates 3
Reformer Pilates 3 is the most advanced class in the Luma progression. It is for clients who have developed a strong, confident practice and are ready for exercises that require significant strength, control, and body awareness.
At this level, the exercises are complex, the demands on the deep spinal stabilisers and posterior chain are substantial, and the class moves with a pace and precision that assumes fluency with the Reformer and its vocabulary. This is not a level to arrive at quickly. It is a level to earn.
Reaching level 3 is not the end of the practice. It is the beginning of a deeper one.
At a glance: the full progression
The table below gives a rough sense of where each level sits and how long most clients spend there. The timeframes are approximate. Every body is different, and progression is always agreed between you and your instructor based on whether the foundations are genuinely in place, not how many classes you have attended.
| Level | Suitable for | Typical timeframe |
|---|---|---|
| Reformer Fundamentals | Complete beginners, new to the machine | First 4 to 8 weeks |
| Reformer Fundamentals Progressing | Building confidence, foundations established | 1 to 3 months |
| Reformer Pilates 1 | Solid technique, ready for more challenge | 3 to 6 months |
| Reformer Pilates 2 | Strong practice, comfortable with complexity | 6 to 12 months |
| Reformer Pilates 3 | Experienced practitioners, fluent in the vocabulary | 12 months plus |
Coming from another studio
If you’ve trained at another Reformer Pilates studio and are coming to Luma for the first time, the honest answer is: get in touch before booking.
Level names vary between studios. What one studio calls level 2 might correspond to Fundamentals Progressing at Luma, or it might correspond to Reformer 1. The terminology is not standardised across the industry, and the quality and rigour of instruction varies considerably.
What we need to know isn’t what level you were attending, but what you can actually do on the machine. Can you set up the Reformer independently? Do you understand neutral spine and how to find it? Are you comfortable with the footwork sequence, basic strap work, and spinal articulation? Can you feel the difference between a movement driven from the deep stabilisers and one driven from the superficial muscles?
If the answer to most of those is yes, you’re probably ready for Reformer 1.
If some of them are uncertain, Fundamentals Progressing is a better starting point.
If you’re not sure, start at Fundamentals. You won’t regret it, and you’ll move through it quickly if the foundations are genuinely there
Get in touch and we’ll help you find the right starting point.
Returning after a break
If you’ve been away from Luma for a while, the general rule is to drop back one level from where you left off.
This is not about your fitness having declined. It‘s about the movement patterns, the body awareness, and the stabiliser engagement that Pilates develops through repetition. These things fade more quickly than strength does, and coming back at your previous level when those patterns are rusty is more likely to reinforce poor habits than build on good ones.
A few weeks back at a lower level is always time well spent. Most clients find they move back up faster than they expected, and they do so with better foundations than before.
And if you’ve been away for more than three months, or if you’ve had an injury or surgery during your break, get in touch before booking. We’ll help you find the right re-entry point.
How progression works at Luma
Progression at Luma is always a conversation between you and your instructor. It’s never a judgment about your ability or your effort. It is a practical assessment of whether the foundations are solid enough to support what comes next.
The signals that you are ready to progress are usually clear: the foundational exercises feel genuinely supported rather than effortful, your body awareness has developed to the point where you can feel the difference between correct and approximate alignment, and you are consistently working at the edge of what the current level asks of you.
The signals that you’re not yet ready are equally clear: you are still developing the centring and stabiliser activation that the current level requires, the movement still feels like conscious effort rather than integrated habit, or your instructor can see compensatory patterns that more advanced work would reinforce rather than resolve.
Neither is a problem. They are simply information.
For a full breakdown of what each level involves and what it is building toward, see our detailed guide to how to progress through the Luma class levels.
Frequently asked questions
I'm fit and active. Do I still need to start at Fundamentals? Yes. Physical fitness is not the same as Pilates literacy. The Reformer asks for a specific kind of body awareness and movement vocabulary that takes time to develop regardless of how fit you are. Most athletic clients find Fundamentals more demanding than expected. You will move through it quickly if you are fit, but the foundations it builds are worth establishing properly.
How long will I be in Fundamentals? Most clients spend four to eight weeks in Fundamentals before moving to Fundamentals Progressing. There is no fixed timeline. Your instructor will tell you when you are ready.
Can I skip Fundamentals Progressing and go straight to Reformer 1? Only if your instructor advises it. Fundamentals Progressing exists for a reason. It is where the foundational patterns consolidate and where body awareness starts to develop beyond the basics. Skipping it tends to create gaps that show up later.
I trained at another studio for two years. Where should I start at Luma? Get in touch before booking. Level names vary between studios and the quality of instruction varies considerably. We need to understand what you can actually do on the machine rather than what level you were attending. In most cases, Fundamentals Progressing or Reformer 1 is the right starting point, but this depends on your background.
What if I book the wrong level? Tell your instructor before or at the start of class. We would always rather know. If the class is clearly the wrong level for you, your instructor will help you find the right one and sort out your booking.
How do I know when I'm ready to move up? Your instructor will tell you. Progression at Luma is always agreed between you and your instructor based on whether the foundations are genuinely in place. If you think you might be ready, ask. It’s always a conversation worth having.
Written by Lucia Poulter
Lucia is co-founder and lead instructor at Luma Pilates Edinburgh. She holds Comprehensive BASI certification and has 26 years of teaching experience. She teaches Reformer classes at Luma weekly.
