Pilates Technique Thursday: Eccentric Work and Spring Control

Focused eccentric control as the springs support balanced, continuous movement through the Pilates method.

Springs are the heart of the Pilates apparatus. They create a resistance that feels alive, unlike fixed weights. On the Reformer, the Cadillac, or any spring-based equipment, the goal is not to overpower the spring but to move with it.

Romana once told me, “Fifty per cent of the work should be you and fifty per cent should be the springs.” That balance defines the method. The springs are designed to complement the movement, to work with your muscles, not replace them or make them overwork. You are in charge of the springs, not the other way around.

When you press the carriage out on the Reformer, you stretch the spring. The return phase is where true control lives. As you come back, the muscle lengthens under tension. This is eccentric work. It demands focus and teaches precision. I often ask clients to make the return phase, the journey home, more challenging than the push away. That is where the quality of movement is built.

Eccentric control links breath, focus, and flow. Each inhale and exhale should match in length, creating one continuous movement. No drop, no snap, no sudden release.

Springs are there to guide and challenge you, not to take over. Working eccentrically with them builds strength through control and awareness. Unlike traditional strength training,

Pilates uses resistance to refine how you manage effort, not how much you can produce.

Fifty per cent you. Fifty per cent springs. One balanced partnership that defines the Pilates method.