Always Be You!

With technology continually advancing fitness equipment to enhance your workouts, it can be challenging to determine the best options available. Surprisingly, despite the sophisticated designs of modern workout devices, the most innovative fitness tool was created in the 1920s and has been right under your nose all along: the Pilates Reformer. More than a century after its inception—and having witnessed countless fitness machines come and go—the Reformer remains a staple. It is utilized not only for its original purpose of rehabilitation but also for athletic strength training and conditioning. Whether your goal is to build a strong core and lengthen your spine through traditional Pilates or to increase strength and

Why do so many individuals struggle with the original Classical Pilates exercises? What would the Pilates world look like if Joseph Pilates had been influenced by today’s scientific understanding? Would he adapt new methods for teaching movement? These questions often arise in discussions with classically trained Pilates instructors. Personally, I believe that if we could eliminate the “struggle” many face with Pilates, our industry would become the top choice for exercise. I am convinced that if teachers grasped the science of movement, they would be better equipped to implement modifications. Moreover, they would recognize the value of introducing variations to help students feel more successful and to prevent their bodies

When I teach, my most often used quote is: “If the resistance applied to the extremities is greater than the ability to maintain proper breathing and alignment, then the resistance is too heavy.” Yes, I said it! It’s not about strength. It’s about balanced and coordinated movement. In addition to lifting functional loads, one of the most overlooked aspects of strength is flexibility. If a rubber band is inflexible and can’t be fully stretched, it won’t have the force to generate power. Athletic Reformer is similar to other forms of strength training, but is devoid of excessive and compressive spine loading. The most notable difference is that the emphasis is

There’s a distinct and powerful difference between an instructor and a teacher. I define an instructor as one who provides students information on what the instructor has learned from a book, workshop, or training program. He or she has not personally experienced that which they teach. This is a one-dimensional approach to learning, and one that I see far too often. A teacher, on the other hand, offers a multi-dimensional approach to learning, making it a priority to personally develop their movement skills, apply what they’ve learned, and acquire teaching aptitudes through their personal practice. I, for one, believe that to be truly impactful, you must share your personal experience

Let’s start with an analogy. The beloved wine we know as Champagne is authentic only if it comes from the Champagne region of France. That’s why Italian white sparkling wine is called Prosecco. California sparkling wines are not veritable Champagnes. In relation to Pilates, the proper word for this is “classical.” If you teach the way Papa Joe taught, you’re teaching classical Pilates—the original style of Pilates. But if you teach in a way that is true to your personal experience and your beliefs about how the body works, don’t let anyone tell you you aren’t teaching “authentic” Pilates. The Pilates industry may have come under the influence of polarization,