Press
The Pilates Journal - Oct 2025
Teaching Strength with Strategy
Before Sean Bergara became a Pilates teacher, he was a personal trainer focused on strength and performance. He didn’t plan to change careers. In fact, when he first encountered Pilates, it was simply to better understand the method and improve his own movement. But a skiing accident, lingering pain, and a powerful experience with Pilates-based rehabilitation shifted everything.
“The changes I felt in my own body were undeniable,” Sean recalls. “My strength improved, the pain started to fade, and I began to move better, not just in the studio, but in my life.” Though he once told friends he didn’t want to become a Pilates instructor, the pull became impossible to ignore.
That turning point sparked a commitment not just to practice Pilates, but to teach it with purpose and depth.
The Pilates Journal - Nov 2024
Redefining Pilates: A Journey Toward Inclusivity
I first walked into a Pilates studio with the sole intent of getting a workout. As a bodybuilder, I was used to pushing my limits, but I also knew I needed something more to improve my flexibility and overall movement. My body was strong but rigid—thoracically bound and kyphotic, curved forward from years of intense weightlifting. I had heard that Pilates could help, so I entered the studio eager to start.
But what greeted me was not what I expected. The instructor took one look at my physique and her eyes widened in disbelief. “The gym is down the block,” she said, dismissing me before I could even explain why I was there. When I insisted that I wanted to start Pilates, she coldly replied, “This isn’t for you. We don’t work with bodybuilders. Our clients are lean dancers, not people like you.”
The Pilates Journal - Feb 2024
What makes it Athletic Reformer
When was the last time you did a great Athletic Reformer Pilates class? What made it so great? The Pilates Reformer was an innovative fitness tool first used not only for its original purpose of rehabilitation, but also for Athletic strength training and conditioning. Whether you want to build a strong core and lengthen your spine as traditional Pilates offers, or build strength and muscular size with Athletic Pilates, the Reformer will get you there. It was my own journey that made me discover the benefits of Athletic Pilates and the Athletic Reformer workout. After herniating three discs during weight training, I took years off from strength training to recover and avoid reinjury. Occasionally, I would try gym workouts and find myself once again in pain. Quickly I realised my body could no longer withstand the heavy top loading. I began to explore athletic strength movements on the Reformer. I discovered the benefits of sharing the horizontal and vertical loads and over time, I began to increase my spring tension and found I was not in pain after training on the Reformer. This inspired me to rebuild my muscle mass in a more balanced approach….