WTF. This can’t be right, right? She’s not any kind of exercise physiologist so I’m annoyed at her comment. Anyway, would the CP instructors tell me if I was doing things wrong? Now I’ve got this paranoid feeling bc I’m not there to damage anything, especially my damn pelvic floor.

Do you have instructors that avoid teaching teaser? I actually enjoy this movement, but so many of the 1.5 and 2.0 flow classes don’t teach it at my studio. Is this just a ‘my studio’ thing? And instructors almost never teach it on long box, supine, with hands in long loops. Why is that?

TLDR: what are your thoughts on switch from 8 class membership to class pass?

Short story long: I’m in my 30s, have never worked out consistently until this year. I’ve tried personal trainer, LA Fitness by myself, and now Club Pilates. I’ve never stuck to anything always go too hard and get too sore to continue. Level one classes have been the perfect pace for a baby fitness girlie and I finally took my first 1.5 and didn’t completely die. My friend suggested using class pass because it’s cheaper, I can try other CP studios and even different styles of training, etc. I really like my studio, I hear some different stories here about cancellations etc but my studio is really lenient and forgiving. The staff is wonderful and supportive. Looking for thoughts and opinions - thanks 😊

My home club was amazing, I had the unlimited pass for just under $300 a month and I used it everyday. Due to some back and forth living, I upgraded to fully unlimited (I think it’s called destination pass), where I can go to any club Pilates location, not just within the franchise. So at this point now I was paying about $360 a month. Pretty much every other club I went to, front desk staff had the worst attitude. Every interaction was an opportunity for them to exert their unnecessary power, which is really weird considering they only have a job for all the members they have keeping that location open.
In addition to that, I don’t like the policies for late classes or missing a class when you have any of the unlimited passes.
I’m not saying there should be no penalty, but $25 is ridiculous. Paying 360 per month, if you miss just one class, you’re now paying 385. Do you know what type of fancy gym 385 per month can get you? Definitely not one where the front desk 19 year olds give you attitude!!
If you are paying that much, I think it’s fair that you are awarded 1 no show per month at no cost. How do you expect there to never be situations that arise?? One time my tire blew out on the way to a class, I call about 10 mins before class asking the front desk if they can just delete my class because I obviously now have a big situation to deal with, no help.
Another time, I’m leaving the house and my monthly visitor arrives just as I’m getting in the car. Hot summer day, shorts on, I had to go back inside and contain the situation and put on a full change of the bottom half of my clothes. I end up arriving past the 5 minute mark. I asked the front desk if I can join, she says no. I explain what happened and if she can help me out since $25 is ridiculous, she said “I already marked you a no show”
I don’t think this is how people paying the highest membership you have should be treated. It’s not everyday occurrences, it’s not like these situations were happening all the time. I don’t like that I’m spending my money here & being treated as if my life shall have no situations occur without penalty. It’s insane. I will spend my money elsewhere.

I’m 9 classes in, have done a mix of 1.0 and 1.5 flows. I think I’m at the point now where I can move up to 1.5 permanently, other than one instructor whose 1.0 is pretty tough lol.

That being said, I’m wanting to get into the other CP classes starting with Control. Can anyone tell me what goes on in this class?

Also, I want to get more familiar with the names of the moves/positions, is there a guide anywhere for this?

Last question!
Before this I was strength training 4x a week but have pretty much moved away from that and now doing CP 3-4x a week. I know it’s different for everyone, but does this seem like enough to lose body fat/gain strength? I eat the same that I did when I was strength training which included a lot of protein and a recomp level of calories. Or would I be better off adding an additional day of full body strength training with the 3x a week Pilates?

I just joined a few weeks ago. I’ve never taken Pilates before. I used to take barre but haven’t done much since having my son a little over a year ago.

Anyway.. I was in class last night and about 5 mins in, the instructor came over and very loudly asked me if it was my first class. I was a little embarrassed because despite it being my 7th class, I thought I was keeping up with the others and doing a pretty good job with form, etc.

My question is.. how long or how many classes in until you truly felt like you were able to keep up? How many classes in until you saw a difference in your form/strength? I’m not necessarily looking to lose weight, but I want to build my core, tone up, and just feel good about investing this time in myself. 🤍

I've been putting off starting yoga because I told myself I'd grab a couple of decent leggings first, but now I'm stuck in an endless rabbit hole. Every time I think I've found a pair, I check the reviews and it's either completely see-through, sizes run two sizes too small, or started pilling after one wash

I don't need premium $100 leggings, I want something comfortable that fits well and actually lasts. What brands have you bought from recently that you'd genuinely recommend?

I want to thank my home studio. The manager is so lovely and she + others that work the desk have always waved my late/no show fees when I call because my kids are sick or traffic etc. What’s something I can bring for her but also others to enjoy? Food seems weird and unsanitary but I want to bring a gift the instructors can enjoy too. I was thinking a large gift card for a walkable coffee shop that everyone can use? Or numerous smaller quantity ones? Any idea I’ve had ultimately seems silly… any and all ideas appreciated!

Hello. I have been doing Pilates for almost 2 years now. I made the mistake of putting on too many springs for footwork one day because I like having a heavier weight for the springs. I felt like I wasn’t getting anything out of the two reds and a green spring that all of the teachers would cue for level 1 and 1.5 classes.

Anyways, I learned my lesson because I started getting pain about a month ago on the insides of my knees. Just when I thought it went away, it came back. I’m not sure if I should talk to my studio and cancel or put a hold on classes for a month or so. I can do pretty much anything except for squatting and footwork. I was trying to find classes that benefitted me the most, but literally every single class has footwork as a warmup, and it’s usually pretty long. Or if it’s not footwork on the reformer, it’s something harder on the chair, for instance.

I like going to Pilates for other things like bridging, arm work, glutes, core work, and feet in straps. I don’t know how to ask for a footwork modification if it’s one of the easier things and takes around 10 minutes of the class.

Lately, I’ve been trying to organise my week better by alternating my Pilates classes with cardio and Zumba sessions. My question is about recovery: do you have a specific weekly routine or strategic rest days to avoid overworking your legs and maintain your energy levels?

Liability is a big issue at my studio and it’s used as an excuse as why more Level 2 classes aren’t added to the schedule line up. if liability is such an issue why are 6 mos+ pregnant women allowed in the level 2 classes? My studio limits who can even get in to a level 2…. But are allowing 6 mos+ pregnant women in who need modifications to the flow of the class. It’s a little frustrating.

Just when I get rid of it by babying, extra exfoliating, extra moisturizing, I have another class and it’s back to rough and peely. I’m so frustrated!

Recently, I’ve been hearing people say that Pilates "doesn’t build strength” or that they "don't even break a sweat." To that, I say: you get out of it what you put into it!

Pilates is incredibly scalable if you challenge yourself. When I first started my Club Pilates classes, I was using 1lb dumbbells and 1lb ankle weights. Today, I’m officially using 5lb dumbbells and 2lb ankle weights!

Because Pilates focuses on high repetitions, deep stabilization, and time-under-tension, moving up to a 5lb weight is a massive difference.

If you think Pilates is easy, here is my challenge to you for your next class:

1. Grab two sets of dumbbells so you can switch between them and keep the resistance high.
2. Add ankle weights to level up your lower body and core work.

In their a way for instructors to see our class count? I just feel like it is really off putting when an instructor that you take often keeps asking if you are new at the beginning of class.

I don’t expect them to know my name but it is really to the point, I am considering finding a different studio.

I’ve taken about 180 classes in the last year, different class types ranging from 1.0-1.5. I’ve always found something I liked with every instructor I’ve had, even last-minute subs. I do have preferred instructors but I’m open to trying new ones if they fit into my schedule. Yesterday was an exception.

The normal Thursday evening instructor for C&B 1.0 was off and the sub was new to me. She spent the first 10 minutes of class doing a meet and greet where each of us said our name and our goal for Pilates. Some people are talkers and the instructor was basically making small talk so what should have taken like 1-2 minutes got drawn out. Then we actually started class but the pace was so slow. We had a few people with less than 10 classes under their belt but she would literally stop the class to help one person with a movement. Most other instructors will guide a newer participant while continuing queuing the next movement.

I feel bad because I think the instructor was trying to be cordial and build rapport but that’s the last thing I want to do when I book a class. Looking back at my Apple Watch, what should have been a 47-50 minute workout was only 36 minutes. I know C&B 1.0 is slower and not as intense as even RF 1.0 but I honestly felt like I wasted my time. I have a good relationship with several instructors and the manager and we often chat it up before and after classes. Should I even bother giving this feedback to the manager? I don’t want the instructor to get in trouble, I just want me money’s worth.

Let me preface this by saying that I think that it’s GOOD that different instructors vary the exercises and through that create stepping stones between levels/allow for a harder class.

Today, in my 5th class of pilates (ever) (if you include the intro + 1 C&B) at 5am on a Friday (diabolical timing for this instructor to make this choice) I took Flow 1 with an instructor I hadn’t worked with yet and oh my GOD.

Every single exercise included an immediate progression, the tempo was faster, by the end we were doing like raised neck toe tap crunches PLUS ring squeezes.

Im not mad at all because it was good that it was hard but every time she added a new progression on top without a reset you could see like half the room make wide eyes. By the end she explicitly said it was a 1.25 and that it was the exact same as her 1.5 this week just without hand weights.

I should have known I was cooked when we started the warm up on 1 Red 1 Blue 1 Green.

I enjoyed it a lot and it was a fun taste of progressions but it definitely made me wish I could leave myself a note in the app about how much more advanced her classes are compared to others.

Like a little series of stars to rate the difficulty so people can see if an instructor skews towards a particular skill level.

TLDR: I discover new core muscles every time I breathe today. Ouch.

Also ETA: Am I crazy or is control front not normally in level 1? (I had to google it and I might be wrong because she didn’t cue us to put our hands on top of the shoulder blocks, just in front of them and our toes on the gray block under the bar. We did it twice for almost a minute and on the second one we were encouraged to do raising and lowering and I simply could not) Is this typically a level 1 move? I felt very underprepared for it

I’ve completed 25 classes at CP and recently started exploring Flow 1.5 and some of the other class variations. I took Cardio Sculpt, which has been the most challenging class for me so far, and I’m scheduled to take Circuit and Control next week.
I was wondering what I should expect from these classes and how difficult they are compared to Cardio Sculpt. Are they similar in intensity? I’ve actually been enjoying the Flow 1.5 classes more than Reformer Flow 1 and would love to hear your thoughts!

Hey fellow CP members! Sharing good advice I was too foolish to take myself. I’m an experienced member and also love a challenge. Took a 1.5 this am with an instructor I try to avoid. She cued coordination on two reds and a blue while holding an upper a curl. I even questioned her about a spring change before we started because that was something I’d never done and I’m 700 classes in. Anyway I struggled through it and threw out my neck and upper back. Trust yourself and trust your body first and foremost!! There are instructors making up dumb shit they haven’t tried themselves and that can lead to injury.

Does anyone know why it’s so hard at club Pilates to schedule a private session? I paid for several sessions to find out that it seems no instructor wants to teach them. Does the instructor get paid less to hold a private session vs group classes? I’m curious what others have experienced.

I'm very new to Pilates, so this might seem like a ridiculous question. I took 7 Level 1 classes but felt like I needed more of a challenge with tension on my muscles. I took a 1.5 class and got through it just fine, but then took a second 1.5 class recently and the instructor said that my breath work wasn't good enough and I needed to go back down a level. It's definitely true that for certain movements I'd hold my breath or not be breathing consistently enough and try to push through it. However, I thought I was able to complete the actual exercises fairly well. My primary form of exercise is strength training and weight lifting so I think I'm equating being "strong enough" for the movements as the goal when it seems like this practice is so much more about a mind/ body / breath connection. How important do you all think the breath work component of this practice is? I guess I'm going back to taking more L1 classes!

As someone who regularly takes Level 2 classes, what can I expect in a Level 2.5 class please?

Does anyone else feel like once Spartan comes in and buys a private owned club Pilates. They change out all the original instructors and replace them with Pilates teachers who have only trained thru Club Pilates ?? I have been a member at 2 different locations due to the first one selling and then I joined one a town over and now again within 3 months all the teachers trained by either Stott or balance body or classical are all gone it’s insane to me!

Ok I am new to club Pilates, I have worked out at something sort of similar for 3 years, but it’s more Lagree than Pilates (solid core for those who know). But I have done a few 1.5 classes and I’m not gonna lie, I don’t feel super challenged. In some of the moves I do but I am used to doing overall more lower body work. What are moves that are done in level 2 classes? I am wondering if I would be ready for that but I’m low key nervous to ask my studio out of fear of looking like an idiot 😭 thanks !

I take 4 classes a month. Due to the work I do and the availability of my studio’s class schedule sometimes I don’t do 4 a month but maybe 2-3. This doesn’t bother me too much because as long I’m doing Pilates I’m fine. I find that I can be stiff because I focus on making sure I’m doing things right. But then eventually I need my posture corrected 🤣

I feel like at 3 months I should have the hang of it. If it’s of any use I work in tech so it’s a desk job therefore I wonder if it’s impacting me when I do Pilates. What can I do at home to improve posture while on the reformer?