u/No-Drama724

I danced growing up and started Pilates in my early 20s. I have done it now for 20 years and recently have found an uptick in instructors that do this. I am not intending to be ageist , but the ones that do it are several years older than me and I am wondering if it was something that was common or taught to instructors at some point?

Does anyone else find this annoying? I think finger snapping is rude.

One of my best friends is a dog trainer and she snaps her fingers at the dogs and that is what I think of everytime an instructor does this🤪

I am visiting a friend in another state and she has wanted to start Pilates at a local studio, so I went with her to the 1st class today. Boutique studio, introductory "trial" class for 50 min.

We started in Footwork, did a few ab exercises then went right into high kneeling facing risers pulling straps. 8 in the class, everyone except me fell forward. The instructor then said well let's just sit on our heels. 1 person couldn't because of knee issue and the instructor said just sit however you can...wtf?

From this point we did plank on Reformer, Scooter lunge, standing side splits on floor with a heavy spring.

We then had a "Chair sample" with standing single leg presses, bridging w/feet in peddle, pikes and swan dive.

Am I out of the loop here?

I have been doing Pilates since 2000 and I know the whole athletic Reformer thing is big right now, but this seemed insane for a newbie 1st class. The instructor was maybe 25 and really fit, but there were a mix of ages with one lady that looked maybe mid seventies. She tried to hang in, but gave up a few times and no mods were given.

Is this what the Pilates world has become outside my bubble?

Years ago before franchises like CP existed, Pilates teachers were always independent contractors. Is this still the norm in privately owned studios?

I am in the US

I took a 1.5 yesterday from a new instructor and we spent the first 40 minuted lying down on the Reformer. I never broke a sweat. It was a bit odd.

Has anyone else experienced a class like this?

Friends are opening a studio within a month in a smaller city that is also going to have a CP a mile up the road a few months later.

My friends are not instructors and only ever took classes at CP. I feel they are taking a huge risk.

My question is:

If this was your city, what would make you choose a 7 person class boutique studio or vice versa?

An independent studio is opening near me with 7 Reformer/tower combos. They are looking for teachers, but have no clients signed up yet. When I asked the owners ( who are not instructors and have never been in the fitness business) what they were doing for pre-sales, they said we have a few hundred people on our email list and we are going to invite then to a soft opening🤔

So in other words, opening your doors with no one signed up and no idea.

I am an instructor and thinking to myself why in the heck would I sign on to teach?

Would love to hear your thoughts😊

I have taught for over 2 decades and owned my own studio before moving across the country.

I was asked by a couple that built a studio to help them build their teaching staff and classes. Basically a consulting role.

The wife has done Pilates for a few years, he never has.

The studio is built and beautiful, but they are set to open in 2 weeks, hired 3 instructors that all have vastly different certs/backgrounds and when I asked them what their ethis is as a studio such as more traditional, athletuc etc as there is alot of variations within the pilates space, they had no idea.

Should I even get involved in this?

Fellow teachers. I just looked at my schedule for tomorrow to see how full the classes are and the entire 5 hr teaching block has been pushed back ny half an hour. Now instead of finishing at 8pm it is 8:30.

No one asked or told me. Wtf. Has this happened to anyone else?

I am already fried by 8pm.

I am a teacher of 24 years. I started teaching for CP a few years ago. I find that most members are not actually doing Pilates. They are working out on Reformers, Chairs, Springboards etc.

To be fair, the trademark lawsuit named Pilates a generic term, but if you have no core control, no breath connection, and have no idea how to engage your TA, you are just working out on a Reformer.

The problem I see is that people that don't know the difference are coming to these large Reformer classes seeking the touted benefits of Pilates, but not receiving them.

I know this topic can ruffle some feathers, but it feels like selling a lie somedays

I recently picked up a class at a studio that requires us to be there half an hour before teaching to let members in even though there is a front desk employee.

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I have never had this request. It is usually 15 -20 min. I find it a bit of an ask seeing as how I am not gettimg paid for that time.

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Is this normal and I have just missed it thus far?

My husband received a really good job offer in Florida near the Space Coast. We would be relocating from the Midwest where I teach Pilates. We have such a demand for Instructors up here, I am wondering if it is the same in Florida. I see alot of studios, but they seem to be well staffed or small privately owned. I am concerned that it may be hard to find places to teach.

Would love to here from anyone with insight😊

My spouse received an offer from Blue last week and since has heard nothing about back ground check, drug screen etc. This would be a big move and we were excited, but now that there has been a week of no communication or response, we started looking a bit deeper into the company work culture and read about stack ranking implementation. That is concerning if we uproot for this job and that is an annually scheduled attrition system.

We know there are no guarantees, but something about this isn't landing well.

Since there has been zero communication since accepting the offer a week ago I am wondering of this is normal or the recent incident muddled the hiring process.

The whole thing seemed very eager to hire then fell off and with the discovery of stack ranking, maybe it's a sign to reconsider...

I have been in the fitness world for almost 3 decades. I am NOT a prude.

But yesterday I had a permanently burned into my retina moment while teaching class.

A male came to class in womens light colored leggings with NO underwear on and they were so tight and IT was in your face. Like literally could tell he waa circumcised.

Wtf?

I have been teaching Pilates for 24 years and I danced for 18. Men wear a jock support usually.

This makes me think I have a pervert in the vacinity. Like who the f**k does that. You could tell the women in class noticed, one looked mortified.

Has anyone else experienced this?

I am the Lead and feel it should be brought up to mamagement for policy discussion.

Oh..and of course he was Class Pass🤔

I enjoy this sub and see so many of rhe same flavor of questions/discussions from members that I thought a post for clarity may be helpful.

Class format:

Level 1.0 is designed to be a Foundation class. It is appropriate for all Levels, injuries, restrictions. Modifications for YOUR body should be taught here so that if you want to move into 1.5 but may not be able to perform full plank yet, you can modify safely but still get the many other benefits if a 1.5.

What we are NOT supposed to teach in Level :

Unilateral moves

Chair

Extension past neutral

Kneeling on Reformer

Loaded spinal flexion such as c curve with hand weights

NO hand weights

Planking on Reformer

Level 1.5 is Progressions introduces the following:

Unilateral moves

Balance challenges

Hand weights

Chair with at least 1 foot on floor

More long levers

2.0 is where we:

Stand on Reformer

Pike and other moves on Chair including learning to stand on it

2.5 is considered Mastery and where the class flows seamlessly, all moves understood and excellent body awareness

After the 1st Trimester in Pregnancy only Level 1

If injuries or movement restrictions Level 1 or 1.5 only

We NEVER stand on the black side of BOSU

Reformer Flow is NOT meant to have you laying on your back the entire class . It is meant to move you through a multifaceted workout flowing from one piece of equipment to the next. That can include the box, circle, weights, ball, bands.

Each class should start with:

5 min Footwork

5 min Bridging

5 min Abs into Midback

We move into Level appropriate Plank

Springboard

Leg work

Upper body

To cool down we move into Eves Lunge

Feet in Straps

Stretching/mobility

Ending class with standing Roll down

So why is this not happening consistently?

Instructors are hired that do not Bridge train and no oversight so they teach whatever they want.

It is hard to find and keep instructors. Remember the business model is selling membership to classes, so they need someone there to teach said number of classes.

Finally I will say there is a big difference between an instructor and a teacher. Anyone can get a cert and repeat a script. A teacher connects with the room. Can see the various levels in front of them and give progressions for said levels seemlessly while maintaining cohesive class flow.

THAT is something learned over time.

When you take different classes politely ask how long they have been teaching. Take classes from advanced teachers to hone skills and give the new instructors a chance and the practice they need by supporting their classes too. Learning to manage 12 different movers is quite a challenge even for seasoned pros😁

Hope this all helps!

If I missed anything important I will come back and edit😊

This is not a member rant ;)

I am an instructor that never takes time off. I have literally taught every Sunday except Easter for the past 10 months, only missing one of my other shifts 1 time for food poisoning.

In the past month one of the CPs I teach at has had to cancel the 1st class of my shift due to a bad accident that had me trapped on the expressway with no exit. Literally all cars in park, no one moving for an hour.

Sometimes it is just out of our control, but I still feel awful about it.

I see all the posts about class cancellations and sometimes life just happens. Sure there are instructor woopsies, but this business model is not set up to account for these situations well.

A member told me she fell on her bum in a class the other day. When I asked what happened she said they were doing tricep dips on the Chair with their bum sitting on the pedal. Then the instructor had them hold the seated position and take their hands away from the Chair and the pedal crashed to the floor with her on it. It was a 1.5

Has anyone ever done this? Sometimes I think Instructors are just bored and make stuff up or try it out without doing the R&D on the front end.