Reform RX, Explained: How the Screen Turns Effort Into Decisions
Walk into Protagonist Zurich and the first thing that might catch your eye (after our beautiful space) is a line of sleek reformer machines each equipped with a tablet-like screen. This isn’t your ordinary Pilates reformer – it’s the Reform RX, Switzerland’s first smart reformer, and the centerpiece of our tech-enabled workout experience. If you’re wondering what that screen is for and why we’re so excited about it, you’re in the right place. In this post, we demystify the Reform RX and show how its on-screen metrics turn your effort in class into actionable insights. In short: it helps you and your coach make smarter decisions during and after your workout, so you get better results.
Smart Reformers 101: What’s Different?
A regular Pilates reformer is a fantastic piece of equipment. You’ve got springs for resistance, a sliding carriage, straps and bars for versatile exercises – plenty to challenge you. The Reform RX takes all that goodness and layers on technology to enhance the experience. In a nutshell, Reform RX is to Pilates what Peloton is to spin class – a traditional workout apparatus connected to a digital platform. Each machine has a built-in 21.5-inch touch screen at the front. This screen streams our on-demand programming (when we run hybrid classes), displays your workout metrics in real time, and provides an interface for adjusting resistance with a simple tap. Yes, you heard that right: no more manually moving spring pins or guessing resistance levels. The RX uses color-coded push-button resistance selection – you tap to add or drop resistance, and the exact load (in pounds or kg) shows on screen. It ranges from about 10 kg up to 65 kg of resistance (22 to 143 lbs), giving everyone from beginners to advanced athletes a challenge. If you’ve ever fumbled with stiff spring bars or lost count of which springs you set, this feature alone is a game-changer. It keeps the class flowing and lets you adjust on the fly when you need a bit more or a bit less.
Another visible difference: the Reform RX has an infinity footbar with 21 locking positions, which means whether you’re a petite 5’0” or a tall 6’4”, the machine can be perfectly configured for your body. Day one, you’ll notice you can find a comfortable, secure position for exercises like footwork without over-stretching or crunching up – proper alignment from the get-go. The carriage ride is ultra smooth and, thanks to a heavier base frame and something called the “Smart Spine,” the machine feels incredibly stable, even during dynamic moves. That Smart Spine also houses sensors that track your movement with high precision (to the thousandth of a second, according to the manufacturer). All that data funnels to the screen to give you feedback.
In plain words, the Reform RX quantifies what you’re doing. Push out on a leg press and it can calculate your power output in watts. Hold a plank with the carriage extended and it might measure time under tension. Row on the straps and see your symmetry (how evenly are you pulling on each side). It’s like having a coach’s eye in digital form, showing you things you’d otherwise not know about your performance.
Real-Time Metrics: Your Effort, Visualized
So, what exactly do you see on the screen during a workout? While the specifics can vary by class format, there are a few superstar metrics we love to use:
Power Output (Watts): This measures the force you’re generating against the resistance, factoring in speed of movement. For example, in a reformer jump or a press, a higher wattage means you pushed harder/faster. This is an objective measure of intensity. If you see your watts dropping set to set, it might be a sign to take a longer rest or reduce resistance to maintain form. It basically turns a subjective feeling (“I’m working hard”) into a number (“I’m generating 120 watts”) – motivating you to maybe aim for 130 watts in the next round, or to realize when you’re flagging. Real-time feedback like this has been shown to boost motivation and performance by introducing a bit of gamification and immediate reward. You’ll likely find yourself glancing at that watt number and using it like a personal competition – can I sustain or improve it?
Repetition Count / Range Indicator: For certain moves, the screen can display how many reps you’ve done and even the range of motion achieved. For example, if we set a goal of 10 full-range bicep curls with the straps, a counter ticks up with each correctly executed rep (the sensors know if you completed the full range because they track carriage travel distance). This not only saves you from counting (mental ease – yay!) but also ensures you’re not cheating the range. If you only go halfway, it might not count until you finish the move. This trains you to complete every rep fully, which is crucial for flexibility and strength gains.
Time Under Tension (TUT): This metric might show up during slow, controlled sequences. It’s essentially a clock measuring how long your muscle is under strain for a given set. For instance, if we do a 30-second slow ab curl series, you’ll see a countdown or count-up timer. Many people new to slow tempo training don’t realize that spending more time in the contraction yields big benefits (hello, muscle endurance and hypertrophy!). Seeing a timer helps you endure the burn – it’s oddly encouraging to know “just 10 seconds more” when your abs are quivering.
Heart Rate / Zone: If you wear a compatible heart rate monitor (we support devices like WHOOP or Polar, paired easily via Bluetooth), you’ll see your heart rate on screen and perhaps a color or zone indicator. This is fantastic for making real-time decisions about your cardio intensity. Perhaps you’re supposed to be in a moderate aerobic zone during a certain segment – the screen shows you’re actually too high, so you consciously slow down or breathe deeper to drop into the desired zone. Conversely, if we’re doing a high-intensity finisher, you might use it as a challenge to hit that orange or red zone briefly. It takes the guesswork out of “am I pushing enough?” by giving you physiological feedback live. And beyond motivation, it’s also a safety check – we as coaches can glance around and see if someone’s heart rate is skyrocketing unexpectedly, and we might approach them to ensure they’re okay or recommend easing off.
Form Guidance Indicators: This one is subtle, but in some programs the screen might give feedback like symmetry or pace guidance. For example, if the left vs. right push on the carriage is uneven, the system could alert (“Left leg pushing harder”) – prompting you to adjust and balance out. Or we might have a target tempo bar that shows if you’re moving too fast or too slow compared to the recommended cadence. Think of it like those video games where you have to keep a dot in the center of a moving bar – except here, keeping pace means you’re performing the exercise at the optimal speed for benefit and safety.
All these metrics together do something powerful: they inform decisions in the moment. If your wattage drops significantly, decision = take a pause or lighten the load because your form is likely about to suffer. If your heart rate isn’t climbing at all during what should be a tough set, decision = maybe you need to add a bit more resistance or range to challenge yourself. The screen essentially becomes a friendly coach in its own right, one that’s fluent in numbers. And don’t worry, it’s not overwhelming. We program the display to emphasize what matters for that particular block of exercises, so you’re not staring at a cluttered dashboard. Usually, one or two key metrics at a time are featured, with others in smaller view if you want to peek.
Coach + Screen: The Dynamic Duo
Some might wonder, “With a screen giving feedback, what’s the coach doing? Watching TV?” Not at all! In fact, the synergy of live coach plus on-screen programming is where the magic really happens. Here’s how we utilize both roles:
During a hybrid class (where the on-screen workout is guiding the flow), the screen acts as the pace-setter and demonstrator. For instance, you’ll see the exercise being performed by one of our master trainers on video, with a timer or rep count overlay. This lets everyone in class follow along at a unified tempo – no laggers, no racers. Consistent pacing matters because it ensures you’re executing with control and staying in sync, which often leads to cleaner reps and better technique. Now, while you’re following that, our live coach (maybe it’s Sara or another trainer) is freed up from the “demo” role and can roam the room, looking at each of you. They’re checking that you’re hitting the positions correctly, that your alignment is safe, and giving tactile or verbal cues as needed. For example, the screen might be saying “Tempo: 3 seconds out, 3 seconds in” on a leg press. The coach notices you’re rushing the return a bit, so she comes by and says “Excellent job, now slow the carriage return – feel those hamstrings engage.” Boom, you adjust and feel the difference. The combo of the consistent video pace and immediate personal correction means you learn faster and perform better. It’s shortening that gap between understanding an exercise and truly being able to execute it well.
Studies on learning show that visual demonstration plus immediate feedback is a highly effective teaching method. We see it play out in class: members pick up new exercises quicker with the screen’s help, and they ingrain good form more solidly thanks to the coach’s cues. It’s like having two instructors – one giving you the model to mimic, the other fine-tuning you in real time.
During a more traditional instructor-led class with metrics, the coach is leading the sequence live, but the screen still provides data. In this scenario, the coach might say, “Alright, aim for 15 watts more on this next set!” because she saw your last set’s power output and knows you have a bit in the tank. Or, if she sees a participant’s heart rate has been in red zone for too long, she might call a slightly longer rest for the group – something she couldn’t have known without the tech feedback. In essence, the data helps the coach coach you better. It removes the blind spots. Rather than asking “How does that feel?” to gauge if you’re working hard (which some folks might downplay or not know), the coach has objective info: “I see your HR is high – use this next stretch to bring it down with deep breaths, you’re doing great.” It personalizes the group experience, which is core to our ethos.
Let’s also talk about the session review – a feature that turns your effort into decisions for the future. After class, the screen (and your app, if you choose to sync it) will show a breakdown of what you just accomplished. Typically: total calories, total power output, average heart rate and time in different heart rate zones, maybe the volume of work (like equivalent weight lifted via the reformer resistance), and so on. This is where you get to be a bit of a fitness scientist with us. Suppose over a few sessions you notice your total power output is climbing – that’s a sure sign you’re getting stronger and more explosive. If you see your average heart rate in class is dropping for the same routine, that suggests your cardiovascular fitness is improving (what used to spike your pulse now is easier). Perhaps you note you always seem to struggle in the flexibility portions – maybe the data shows you barely hit certain ranges. That can guide you (and us) to incorporate more mobility work or modify certain moves for you.
Our coaches review these summaries too (we can see anonymized or individual data if needed). It guides our programming decisions: maybe the class as a whole is consistently hitting a ceiling on a particular exercise’s wattage – that could mean we need to adjust the approach or spend more time coaching that movement. Or if we see many members not in the target HR zones we expected, we examine if the class format needs tweaking (too easy or too hard). It’s a continuous feedback loop: effort → data → decisions → adaptation.
From a member’s perspective, it also adds a sense of progression. Instead of classes being disconnected experiences, the data strings them together into a storyline. You can look at day one versus day thirty and see how far you’ve come. It’s incredibly motivating. One member told us that after using Reform RX, she’ll never go back to “blind” workouts – seeing the numbers made her an active participant in improving, almost like leveling up in a game. And that’s the point: the screen isn’t there to make things complex or to pressure you with numbers; it’s there to engage you and inform you.
Plain Words: Tech That Actually Helps
We know fitness tech can sometimes veer into gimmick territory. So we want to be clear: everything the Reform RX does, we use with intention. If a metric or feature didn’t tangibly improve your workout, we wouldn’t bother with it. But the truth is, when used right, this tech makes your workout smarter. It’s like driving a car with a dashboard versus one without – sure, you can drive without knowing your speed or fuel level, but it sure is better (and safer) when you have those gauges. Consider the screen your dashboard; you’re still the driver, and our coaches are like the GPS + co-pilot helping navigate.
For those who love diving deep, we’re happy to explain every stat and help you use it. For those who are less techy, no worries – you can actually ignore the screen if you want and just follow the coach’s voice, and you’ll still get a great workout. The beauty is, the benefits kind of happen even if you’re not paying close attention. The pacing keeps you honest, the quick resistance toggles keep you engaged, the summary will be there for you to peek at whenever you’re curious.
By turning effort into decisions, we basically mean that the more you know, the better you (and we) can adapt. Maybe you decide, “Hey, I see I’m consistently stronger in leg exercises than arm ones – I’ll attend an extra upper-body Strength class for a while.” Or a coach decides, “These 7 AM folks are crushing it; next week I’ll up the challenge since their data shows they can handle it.” It takes the guesswork out and puts knowledge in.
To wrap it in a story: one of our early adopter members was a self-confessed data geek. After her first Reform RX class, she was practically giddy, saying, “I got immediate feedback that I tend to favor my right leg. The screen showed my power was higher on that side. No wonder my left knee always complained! Now I know to focus on balancing out.” She adjusted her form under our guidance and the next class, the power was evenly split. Problem solved in real time – something that could have taken months of trial and error to notice otherwise.
That’s the kind of empowerment we’re aiming for. The screen is not about making workouts easier or harder per se; it’s about making them smarter. So when you see those glowing screens on our Reformers, know that they’re there to help you train like never before – with instant knowledge, precise adjustments, and measurable progress.
The future of fitness is here, and it’s brighter (and smarter) than ever.
Protagonist Zurich | Reformer Pilates & Strength Boutique Studio