Two of the most popular Pilates machine is the Malibu Pilates Chair and the Pilates Reformer. And both are excellent pieces of equipment. If you are a Pilates practitioner you can't really go wrong with either machine. Both, while not exactly cheap, are well worth the money you will pay for them assuming you are serious about taking your level of fitness up to the next notch.

The Reformer is probably the best known of the two, although the Malibu chair benefits from a national advertising campaign.This machine has as its emphasis a strong conditioning of your body's core abdominal muscles. This is really the highlight and very function of the Pilates exercise system. The Reformer adds a resistance factor that has become the hall mark of this popular method of strengthening the core.

Laid out in essentially three distinct and important parts, namely the:

• The Spring, Foot Bar, and Gear System
• The Carriage
• Head Rest and Shoulder Blocks

These elements combine together to create a synergy unsurpassed by most equipment of its type. It's Spanish Inquisition like name not withstanding, at just under a cool five grand it is really the top of the line...five stars!

Now we come back to the Malibu Pilates Chair. This is far more affordable than id the Pilates Reformer. This superb piece of exercise equipment is only about $350 (don't be fooled by the $14.95 introductory price) and well worth every single penny you'll pay for it. I know it might be difficult to believe that you can actually get a full tilt work out by sitting on your butt, but it is true! One thing I wish for is that it was a little more portable than it really is, but I suppose that is a small trade off for the work out you can get.

Malibu Chair Pilates, as a full work out has been sweeping the exercise world in the last couple of years. It is gaining ground in many of the country's most popular Pilates studios. It also comes with a DVD putting you through your paces on the Chair and a free wall chart to mark your progress.

All in all you can't go wrong with either the popular Pilates Reformer series OR the new Maibu Pilates Chair. If price is your determining factor choose the Chair. But if not, check out the Pilates Reformer.