10 Ways To Get The Most Out Of Your Group Pilates Classes

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Teachers empathize. You paid a premium to take Pilates and we want you to get full value of your session too. Here's a list of 10 ways you can get the most out of your Pilates sessions.

Understand what the type of Pilates class you signed up for does (and doesn't) do.

Marketing teams are going to use marketing language to get you in the door. Pilates is not a regulated term, so there are a lot of types of Pilates classes out there. Make sure you understand the type of class and studio you are signing up for and also understand that may be very different from another that you have previously taken class at. If you are in doubt, ask the teacher or the studio what that each of their class formats offer. As a rule of thumb, most Pilates classes will primarily offer a mix of stability, mobility, strength and endurance. Some will market that they will tone, trim, or offer a cardio experience -- make sure you understand what those terms mean. At Graduate Pilates, we find that claims of toning, trimming or cardio benefits are (sometimes) secondary but require very thoughtful programming and many that come for theses reasons as their primary driver are left pretty disappointed as their are a lot of factors that go into weight loss.

And make sure you pick a studio and class format that is designed for your goals and expectations. They are not all the same. If you don't like the class format or studio, there are so many others in the market right now to go try and choose from.

If you have specific goals, injuries, or doctor's restrictions, let the instructor know.

Some of your instructors teach hundreds of people a week. If you have specific needs, please let them know at the beginning of class and then they can offer you modifications as necessary. When you are in a group class, your instructor can offer you positions that are safer for your specific needs, but it is also important to remember that when you are in group class, it cannot be fully tailored to your needs. There may be portions of the class that are not specific to your individual goals to make it balanced for the entire group, who may have different goals and needs. You instructor will never knowingly ask you to do something that will harm or injure you. If you are in doubt, pause ask for a modification or opt to take a quick break during that specific variation.

Trust and respect the Pilates Instructor's programming and cues.

Your instructor has taken the time to program a group class that moves you safely through warm up and progressive training. There is intention on the exercises order, the form they chose, and the spring settings they call for. These can be different from the last class you took. These can be different from the last instructor's programming and cues. These can be different from what you are used to. We never want you to do anything that you feel uncomfortable in, but in order to get the most, you should take the exercise that is offered and not jump ahead. If you need a modification because an exercise is painful, pause and ask for one. When you start doing your own programming without consult of the person leading your class, it is distracting, can cause confusion to others, and is disrespectful.

Remember that you are in a group class, often with mixed levels and abilities.

There will be times when something feels "easy" for you and it might feel "hard" for your neighbor or vis versa. That is also the nature of group training. There will be times when an instructor can give multiple options, but cannot make every exercise specific to every body in a group format. Y'all are in it together and should respect each other so everyone can get value out of the class.

Remember that progress takes practice and time in any discipline.

Showing up to class every once in a while, even if you are a physically fit individual will not help you progress in Pilates. Pilates at it's core is not about doing more under heavier weight, adding endless layers, or moving faster. It's about deepening your connection to the exercise and improving your form. This takes patience, attention and practice. The more often you come, the more often your instructor can learn your body and respectfully move you into improve form in a group setting. While you will likely have to take from multiple instructors due to the nature of group training business, taking from a few of the same trainers will also help you get their sooner, rather than studio or instructor hopping.

Understand that one exercise can have many different modifications and one is not necessarily "harder" or more advanced than another.

Many exercises will have different variations and they offer different values. There are what seems like endless possibilities of Supine Arms in a Contemporary studio, for example. Each variation can put more emphasis on different muscle groups. We unfortunately fell into a pattern in the industry of trying to standardize progressions and falsely made the community believe that adding a chest lift makes it "harder." It makes it different. The idea of "harder" has done a disservice to making it effective for the goal. So if an instructor cues flat back or chest lift, there is often a purpose or reason they have in mind and it's important to not just add on to add on. Staying in the exercise cued give your instructor an opportunity scan the room and provide feedback to improve your form and connection-- the hard truth is when you jump ahead, the instructor has to regain control over the room and will often decide to skip over you for feedback and corrections since you have decided to do a different variation.

Create a relationship with your instructor(s.)

When you are respectful and establish a relations with your instructors, they will go above and beyond to give you what you need, even in a group setting. If they know your body and you respect their programming, they will feel comfortable offering you more body specific corrections, as well as private progressions specifically for you. Also, it's important that just because you have a relationship with the instructor doesn't give you free range of the studio to break policies or ignore the programming of another instructor.

Give your instructor space to grow.

One class should not determine the quality of the instructor as a whole. The Pilates industry has exploded. Certification takes months-years to complete. Instructors are in high demand and limited at the moment. Many work part time because the industry pay and schedules don't support full time employment. Many of your instructors right now will be new to the job. This doesn't mean they are automatically lesser than any other instructor, but it does mean they need time to settle into the role. Most new instructors have just gone through 200 to 500 hours of training, learning so much about the body, equipment and exercises. They are learning how to apply that in real time while managing several different bodies and expectations. They are educated and here to help you reach your goals, but just like any other job, they need time and space to get better at their job. Give them that opportunity and grace without creating an environment where they feel like they can't succeed. This will lead to burn out and leave you at square one with a new instructor that takes over for that one when they quit. This isn't the industry asking you to pay for sub-par instruction. It is the industry reminding you that not every class or day will be knock your socks off. This is also true of experienced instructors. Everyone will have an off day. Many instructors have zero paid time off, no coverage when they are feeling sick, work long hours where they are on the entire time, with very little time to even use the restroom between classes. There will be days where your instructor has more energy than others to give. This isn't an excuse, it's just a reality. Instructors care deeply about their clients and job and hope their clients care about them, too. If you're coming to class regularly you can also better determine if your instructor had an off day or just doesn't meet your expectations.

Consider Private Training when you feel like you aren't getting what you need from group class.

When you really feel like you just aren't getting what you want out of group training, it's time to have a serious conversation with your studio. Private training doesn't have to be long term or ongoing. Many times, a single Private Training session every once in a while can help you understand common group class exercises better to then return to group class. If you have very specific goals, Private Training 1-2/week may be necessary to objectively reach those goals within your expected timeframe.

A good studio will also let you know when Pilates isn't right for your specific goals. For example, if you are looking to lose weight (a common goal we hear in the fitness industry) and are coming to Pilates several times a week and are not seeing results you want, it may be time to consider talking to a nutritionist, doctor, or add in additional exercise methods that are better for weight loss.

If you really want to do your own thing, invest in your own equipment or rent studio time.

There are many affordable quality Pilates equipment options these days. 5 years ago it would have cost tens of thousands of dollars to have the equipment at home. Now, there are brands that feature at home versions of professional equipment that are safe and effective. If the equipment is very cheap it is probably too good to be true, but you can find quality at home reformers for $3000ish. Yes, that is an investment but if you are really looking to do your own thing and don't value the trainer programming and guidance, that's the best way to do it. At $3000ish, that's around the same cost as 100 group classes. Some studios will also offer studio rental time. You may inquire your studio about this. Expect to spend the same amount on studio rentals as your group class. Also studio rentals might have someone on site, but you should not expect and instructor to show you things or coach you. Rental is not a Private training session.