Powerhouse Post (No1)

Hey there!

Welcome to the first edition of the Powerhouse Post, my weekly round-up of all things Pilates industry related. Read on for my commentary on Pilates-related content from the past week.

Cheers, Kaleen

On Socials

One of my new obsessions is @thatpilatesdude over on instagram.  I particularly enjoyed his recent (and hopefully ongoing) series poking fun at how to make Pilates “spicier” with props…. Featuring a stationary bike.  

Chrisen is also dropping some hard truths on instagram this week, and I particularly liked his post on things he wishes people knew, Pilates Cueing Edition.  “Fancy words don’t make better cues” is SO TRUE.  I have been thinking a lot about instructors who want to teach and instructors who want to be the star.  I think the output of those instructors creates vastly different experiences.  I want to be a good teacher because I like seeing that in my students, but also because I think that good teaching creates more progress, loyalty, and studio revenue.

Who doesn’t love a little Puplates?  This dog looks to be in heaven.

And a little fun, this is definitely how I feel after a block of teaching. 😜

In the News

Technogym revealed their latest piece of fitness equipment, launching this Fall, called Reform.  And, you guessed it, it’s a Pilates Reformer.  I wrote a little about the announcement and the design over on my newsletter, here.

Entrepreneur Charlie Javice, convicted of defrauding JPMorgan Chase out of $175M ($), petitioned to have her ankle monitor removed at her bail hearing because it would “interfere with her job” of teaching pilates.  I’m not sure about you, but I don’t think that’s a real hindrance.  Creative request, though, I guess.

Pilates Biz

Look, I don’t teach [solidcore] style classes but I think Anne Mahlum is brilliant and I really resonate with a lot of her advice.  This post of hers prompted some deep reflection this week, and I highly recommend following her on your platform of choice.

Balanced Body released a free, Business of Pilates Playbook (yes this was two weeks ago, but recent enough to mention in my first round-up!)  I’d consider this a lead-magnet to mostly brag about how working with Balanced Body is awesome, but surprisingly you don’t need to enter an email to get it.  A missed opportunity, I think. 

On Kaleen’s Blog

My process for building a Pilates class resonated with a lot of instructors the last couple of weeks.  Here’s an overview of my process in writing, and you can catch my analysis of some recent classes I’ve taken here, here, and here.

Technology and Research

This study reported that using an exhale during movement (like in Pilates) produced more efficient neuromuscular efficiency at all intensities when studying the biceps muscle using surface EMG.  Pretty cool train of thought to study, especially when compared to strength training which promotes bracing (holding your breath) for heavy lifts.  Caveat: It’s a small, localized study with no longer term follow-up, so lots of questions remain unanswered, still.

Another study on using Pilates to treat low back pain showed that Pilates training was more effective at reducing pain intensity and functional disability, and overall quality of life improved compared to a home exercise program.  The question that immediately jumped out to me was: did the Pilates rehab program take place at home like the control group? Or was it delivered in-person with a real instructor?  The answer, which I dug for, is that the Pilates program was delivered in-person by an instructor and the control group program was self-paced at home.  Generally I believe that fitness programs are more effective with human connection and comparing two methods against each other when their delivery methods are different is kind of pointless. 

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