1. Old Fitness Friends
As a young injured dancer in 1944, Ron Fletcher met Joe Pilates and his wife Clara at their New York Pilates Studio. At that time, Pilates was almost more of a physical therapist than an exercise trainer. After Pilates "therapy," Fletcher recovered and went on to become a very successful dancer. Years later Fletcher returned to the New York studio and reacquainted himself with Clara Pilates. At that time, he made the decision to devote the rest of his career to training others in the Pilates method.
2. Blueprints for the Tower
When Fletcher first saw the tower in the Pilates' studio in New York, he thought it looked like a guillotine. Fletcher's Tower is built of strong metal, just like the original tower of Pilates. It must be bolted to both ceiling and floor, which makes it rather inconvenient to use in comparison to the Cadillac. The tower is a great piece of equipment, but the Cadillac has displaced it in popularity because of its greater convenience and versatility. The Fletcher Tower, however, is better for apartments, basements and smaller areas, because it takes up less space.
3. Different Strokes
Fletcher's Tower and the wall unit are names for the same thing. The reformer was the first piece of equipment Pilates built, and the one that gave him the ideas for the Trapeze/Cadillac, modified Cadillac and the tower. Yes, sometimes the multiple names for one piece of equipment gets confusing. However, it's simple when you realize there are four main pieces; the reformer, the Cadillac, the modified Cadillac and the tower. The Cadillac, originally designed for the bedridden, does everything. The half Cadillac takes up less space than the full Cadillac and the tower is even more compact.
4. Paraphernalia of the Half Cadillac
Fletcher's Tower has roll down and spring-loaded cross bars, leg and arm springs, straps, levers, adjustable parts, ankle and thigh cuffs, overhead resistance cords and fuzzy adjustable pieces. There's also a mat for standard mat exercises. Because of all the different components and adjustable parts, it is beneficial to work with a professional in the beginning to get the hang of it all.
5. Exercises for the Wall Unit
Books and videos with more than 80 exercises are available for the tower. As in all Pilates' exercises, the goals are stabilization, flexibility, lengthening, strengthening of the core and alignment. Physical therapy is also an important goal for those who need it. Spring-assisted sit-ups, stretches with the bars, squats, resistance leg pulls and arm pulls are a few of the many exercises anyone can perform using Fletcher's Tower.
