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Polestar
POLESTAR PILATES REFORMER EXAMINATION (NEW
2024/ 2025 UPDATE) QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED
ANSWERS| GRADE A| 100% CORRECT
Stomach Massage - ANS ✓Equipment: Reformer, RB
Exercise: Seated on Reformer, facing footbar, Hands & Pilates V Feet on Footbar,
knees bent, shoulders hip width apart, sit behind sit bones in posterior
tilt/lumbar flexion. EXHALE to push out, straightening the knees. INHALE while
you lower your heels below the foot bar (flex). EXHALE to lift your heels (point).
INHALE to come back home by bending the knees.
Benefits: Abdominal Strength, Core Control, Ankle Strength + Stability + Mobility,
Toe Flexion + Extension, Local Stabilizers of Lumbar Spine Activated, Pressing
Heels Together Activates Deep Six Hip Rotatores, Lumbo-Pelvic Stability, Knee
Flexion
Tall Sitting (Axial Length, Trunk Stability, Posture).
Program Design: Seated
Planes of Movement: Sagittal, Frontal, Transverse
FA: Long Sit, Half Squat, Full Squat, Heel Raise, Roll Up, Prone Knee Bend,
Superman
Tendon Stretch/Gymnast - ANS ✓Equipment: Reformer, RB
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Exercise: Seated on Footbar, Hands on Footbar - palms facing back, Feet flat on
carriage, heels off the edge. Stand up & bend forward, coming into hip & spine
flexion, weight into balls of feet. Tendon Stretch: INHALE into your back ribs to
prepare.
EXHALE to press the carriage out. Keep your arms and legs straight and your
spine rounded. Reach your sit bones toward your heels to encourage a posterior
tilt and lumbar flexion.
INHALE to pull yourself back into the starting position.
Gymnast: Stay with carriage pressed out, sit tall, bend/extend at elbows, then
return back to start position.
Benefits: Lengthens posterior chain (back extensors, HS, calves), abdominal
strength, core control, shoulder stability & mobility, c-curve, spine mobility.
Program Design: Inverted
Planes of Movement: Sagittal
Standing Series Side Splits - ANS ✓Equipment: Reformer, RB or R or B or Y,
Light spring tension=(strengthens adductors (assists abduction), Heavy spring
tension=strengthens abductors (assists adduction)
Exercise: Hold on to the foot bar as you step the first foot onto the standing
platform. Then step your second foot on the carriage. Lift your torso to stand
upright. EXHALE to push out.
INHALE to return carriage home.
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Benefits: Hip Mobility into Abduction, Postural Awareness/Axial Elongation,
Balance, Hip Adduction, Hip External Rotation, Hip Stabilizers, Lengthens Outer
Ankles, Hip Disassociation, Strengthens Adductors (Light Springs), Strengthens
Abductors (Heavy Springs)
Program Design: Standing
Planes of Movement: Frontal
FA: Seated Hip Abduction, Heel Raises, Side Lift, Squats (can perform squats in
this series)
Short Box Series - ANS ✓Equipment: Reformer, All Springs, Short Box, Foot
Strap
Exercise: Come to sit on the short box facing the foot bar. Keep at least one palm's
width of space behind you.
Slide your feet under the foot strap. Round Back; aka Roll Down. INHALE, sit tall
to prepare. EXHALE, roll off your sit bones into a C-Curve. INHALE into your back
while holding the C-curve. EXHALE to roll up, maintaining the C-curve until your
lumbar spine is upright. INHALE, stack your spine, bottom to top, until you're
sitting upright. Flat Back aka Hinge or Straight Back; INHALE, sit tall to prepare.
EXHALE, lean back, rolling off your sit bones. Keep the rest of your spine straight.
INHALE, return to an upright seated position. Opposite breathing pattern
possible to help with axial length. Twist aka Rotation; INHALE, sit tall to prepare.
EXHALE rotate to one side, keeping your spine tall. INHALE, turn to the center.
Repeat on the other side. Progression: Reach your arms to a T. Regression: Place
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a dowel behind your neck and on top of your shoulders and rest your arms on the
dowel, this helps keep the shoulders relaxed and improves awareness of spine
rotation. Opposite breathing pattern possible. Wring out your torso like a wet
towel. Oblique Flat Back Twist; INHALE, sit tall and twist a bit to one side.
EXHALE to lean back in a straight line (with your spine rotated). INHALE to come
back up the same way. EXHALE to turn to the center. EXHALE, lean back in the
center, INHALE come up. EXHALE twist to the other side etc. Progression: Skip
the straight repetition in the center. Around The World
INHALE, sit tall to prepare and twist to the right. EXHALE, hinge back with a flat
back. Rotate your torso through the center to the other side. INHALE lift up into
an upright seated position, turn to the center. EXHALE reverse direction. Side
Bend aka Lateral Fl
Semi Circle - ANS ✓Equipment: Reformer, RY or RB
Exercise: Supine on Reformer. Reach your arms overhead and firmly grab the
shoulder rests with your fingers reaching around the outside of the shoulder
blocks. Lift your bottom and torso slightly. Push the carriage back with your arms
while wiggling or sliding your body forward (towards the foot bar) until your
arms are straight, your pelvis is hovering over the springs and the edge of the
carriage is behind your thoracic area. So now your shoulder girdle and head are
resting on the carriage, and your hips are suspended over the springs.
Press the heels of your hands against the shoulder rests, your fingers are facing
outward. INHALE to prepare. EXHALE to roll your spine up into a Bridge. INHALE
Polestar Pilates
Polestar
POLESTAR PILATES REFORMER EXAMINATION (NEW
2024/ 2025 UPDATE) QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED
ANSWERS| GRADE A| 100% CORRECT
Stomach Massage - ANS ✓Equipment: Reformer, RB
Exercise: Seated on Reformer, facing footbar, Hands & Pilates V Feet on Footbar,
knees bent, shoulders hip width apart, sit behind sit bones in posterior
tilt/lumbar flexion. EXHALE to push out, straightening the knees. INHALE while
you lower your heels below the foot bar (flex). EXHALE to lift your heels (point).
INHALE to come back home by bending the knees.
Benefits: Abdominal Strength, Core Control, Ankle Strength + Stability + Mobility,
Toe Flexion + Extension, Local Stabilizers of Lumbar Spine Activated, Pressing
Heels Together Activates Deep Six Hip Rotatores, Lumbo-Pelvic Stability, Knee
Flexion
Tall Sitting (Axial Length, Trunk Stability, Posture).
Program Design: Seated
Planes of Movement: Sagittal, Frontal, Transverse
FA: Long Sit, Half Squat, Full Squat, Heel Raise, Roll Up, Prone Knee Bend,
Superman
Tendon Stretch/Gymnast - ANS ✓Equipment: Reformer, RB
Polestar Pilates
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Polestar
Exercise: Seated on Footbar, Hands on Footbar - palms facing back, Feet flat on
carriage, heels off the edge. Stand up & bend forward, coming into hip & spine
flexion, weight into balls of feet. Tendon Stretch: INHALE into your back ribs to
prepare.
EXHALE to press the carriage out. Keep your arms and legs straight and your
spine rounded. Reach your sit bones toward your heels to encourage a posterior
tilt and lumbar flexion.
INHALE to pull yourself back into the starting position.
Gymnast: Stay with carriage pressed out, sit tall, bend/extend at elbows, then
return back to start position.
Benefits: Lengthens posterior chain (back extensors, HS, calves), abdominal
strength, core control, shoulder stability & mobility, c-curve, spine mobility.
Program Design: Inverted
Planes of Movement: Sagittal
Standing Series Side Splits - ANS ✓Equipment: Reformer, RB or R or B or Y,
Light spring tension=(strengthens adductors (assists abduction), Heavy spring
tension=strengthens abductors (assists adduction)
Exercise: Hold on to the foot bar as you step the first foot onto the standing
platform. Then step your second foot on the carriage. Lift your torso to stand
upright. EXHALE to push out.
INHALE to return carriage home.
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Benefits: Hip Mobility into Abduction, Postural Awareness/Axial Elongation,
Balance, Hip Adduction, Hip External Rotation, Hip Stabilizers, Lengthens Outer
Ankles, Hip Disassociation, Strengthens Adductors (Light Springs), Strengthens
Abductors (Heavy Springs)
Program Design: Standing
Planes of Movement: Frontal
FA: Seated Hip Abduction, Heel Raises, Side Lift, Squats (can perform squats in
this series)
Short Box Series - ANS ✓Equipment: Reformer, All Springs, Short Box, Foot
Strap
Exercise: Come to sit on the short box facing the foot bar. Keep at least one palm's
width of space behind you.
Slide your feet under the foot strap. Round Back; aka Roll Down. INHALE, sit tall
to prepare. EXHALE, roll off your sit bones into a C-Curve. INHALE into your back
while holding the C-curve. EXHALE to roll up, maintaining the C-curve until your
lumbar spine is upright. INHALE, stack your spine, bottom to top, until you're
sitting upright. Flat Back aka Hinge or Straight Back; INHALE, sit tall to prepare.
EXHALE, lean back, rolling off your sit bones. Keep the rest of your spine straight.
INHALE, return to an upright seated position. Opposite breathing pattern
possible to help with axial length. Twist aka Rotation; INHALE, sit tall to prepare.
EXHALE rotate to one side, keeping your spine tall. INHALE, turn to the center.
Repeat on the other side. Progression: Reach your arms to a T. Regression: Place
Polestar Pilates
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Polestar
a dowel behind your neck and on top of your shoulders and rest your arms on the
dowel, this helps keep the shoulders relaxed and improves awareness of spine
rotation. Opposite breathing pattern possible. Wring out your torso like a wet
towel. Oblique Flat Back Twist; INHALE, sit tall and twist a bit to one side.
EXHALE to lean back in a straight line (with your spine rotated). INHALE to come
back up the same way. EXHALE to turn to the center. EXHALE, lean back in the
center, INHALE come up. EXHALE twist to the other side etc. Progression: Skip
the straight repetition in the center. Around The World
INHALE, sit tall to prepare and twist to the right. EXHALE, hinge back with a flat
back. Rotate your torso through the center to the other side. INHALE lift up into
an upright seated position, turn to the center. EXHALE reverse direction. Side
Bend aka Lateral Fl
Semi Circle - ANS ✓Equipment: Reformer, RY or RB
Exercise: Supine on Reformer. Reach your arms overhead and firmly grab the
shoulder rests with your fingers reaching around the outside of the shoulder
blocks. Lift your bottom and torso slightly. Push the carriage back with your arms
while wiggling or sliding your body forward (towards the foot bar) until your
arms are straight, your pelvis is hovering over the springs and the edge of the
carriage is behind your thoracic area. So now your shoulder girdle and head are
resting on the carriage, and your hips are suspended over the springs.
Press the heels of your hands against the shoulder rests, your fingers are facing
outward. INHALE to prepare. EXHALE to roll your spine up into a Bridge. INHALE
Polestar Pilates
