A hill I will die on as a Pilates educator

You need to know this if you're thinking about booking a Pilates teacher training course

As an aspiring Pilates teacher you may have seen a lots of animosity online between Pilates enthusiasts (and if you haven't, I am SO HAPPY about that and hope it stays that way!)

With all the snide comments about different pathways and what is and is not Pilates, it can be difficult to understand what the requirements are and what you should be choosing to do.

After all, you want to spend your money wisely and build a career teaching Pilates, so a solid course is an important foundation.

No-one wants to feel like a fraud or end up on a course that hasn't taught them the basics of what Pilates is.

I am sure you want to learn how to teach incredible Pilates sessions with confidence and be able to stand in the knowledge and skills you acquire without shame.

Am I right?

Some people think that only people who are comprehensively trained in Mat and on all the large pieces of Pilates apparatus (Mat, Reformer, Cadillac, Wunda Chair, Ladder Barrel, Electric Chair, Arm Chair, Spine Corrector..) can call themselves Pilates teachers.

Those people claim that you can't possibly be teaching Pilates unless you know it all...

But what they forget is that in his book Return to Life Through Contrology (Contrology is what he called his method - we call it Pilates now), Joseph Pilates tells the reader we should do the exercises as laid out in his book (the Matwork) everyday.

He didn't write anywhere that it's only Contrology (Pilates) if you come to a studio that has all the equipment and someone who trained comprehensively is teaching you.

He also sold his Universal Reformer and Wunda Chair amongst other inventions (like the V-bed) to the public with charts showing pictures of a handful of exercises for people to do alone at home.

None of those advertisements say anything about having to use all the equipment or be with a comprehensively trained teacher otherwise it's not his method.

I think that's a good enough rebuttal...

But more so, the people who trained with him didn't all use every piece of apparatus.

The Pilates Elders/first generation teachers (those who went to Joseph's gym and started teaching his method before Joseph died) did not learn or move on all the pieces of equipment!

And, only two people ever formally trained to teach with the man himself. So does that mean none of the other first generation teachers were not teaching Pilates?!

What about people who cannot afford to go to a fully equipped studio? Let's be honest - the equipment is AMAZING but it's HUGE and expensive. Are they excluded from 'real Pilates' because they don't have access to the equipment?

That goes for training too.

Even if aspiring Pilates teachers wanted to train in the full system, fully comprehensive training takes a long time simply because there is so much to learn. Some people have the privilege of abundant time and money so they can afford to train for 12-18 months without any real income from Pilates.

Most cannot (even if there is a fully equipped studio close by).

So, we start with one thing. Mat or Reformer. And then, in time other training can be added IF that's what the teacher wants to do.

For me, it doesn't mean it's not Pilates (unless it isn't!)

If a training course is a bunch of exercises using the Reformer without any of the Pilates method, I wouldn't call it Pilates. It's more of a workout using the reformer.

Same goes for mat. If the class is more like a barre/sculpt class, and has no relation to the Pilates method, it can't really be called Pilates in my mind.

Why does it matter? Because clients need to know what they are signing up for. And teachers need to use their marketing to get the right clients in the door!

But everyone gets to choose...

I believe in freedom. Not a dictatorship on what is and isn't Pilates.

BUT you need to know the facts and be exposed to the method to be able to make an informed decision.

That's why on my courses I present the facts and open the discussion.

You get to decide what Pilates is to you.

You get to decide what you call your classes.

We are all adults and we all deserve to have the knowledge to help us make our own informed decisions.

Another argument comprehensively trained Pilates teachers make is that they don't need to change movements because they can move clients to a piece of apparatus that will be better for them.

They question why people change exercises and modify them.

Their way of working is perfect if you have a fully equipped studio.

But like we already discussed, that's simply not an option for most people.

So, the teaching skill is different.

When you only have the Mat or the Reformer you have to get creative to find solutions for different people using the equipment that you have.

Those are the skills we work to develop.

You can train to teach just Reformer.

But if you want to make this your career, I STRONGLY encourage you to take a Level 3 Matwork Pilates diploma. It's an entry level recognised qualification.

And smart people train in it because you can teach Mat Pilates anywhere without an expensive equipment. Think travel, zoom, in the park or any space really!

If you've made it this far. I salute you!

I am comprehensively trained and I have a fully equipped studio.

But I didn't for many, many years of teaching Pilates (amongst all the other dance and fitness things!) I also still teach classes that are just Mat or just Reformer.

Different skills are needed for both, and the best teacher is a versatile one who can find movement options for different people with the equipment they have available in the space they are using.

I've done all of the hard work - thousands of hours of study, teaching, moving my own body and researching - so you don't have to!

Natasha just finished her Mat Pilates training with me...

There are lots of great courses... and there are lots of not-so-great ones.

Some of the most well-known courses don't prepare you to actually be a confident teacher.

I know this because I have first-hand experience of their courses.

Also because I have people attend my training courses who didn't feel confident after doing a different course previously (some gave up before finishing other courses).

Your initial training course is the start of a journey of learning, but you should be capable and confident to teach at the end of your course.

Don't end up like this person who messaged me yesterday...

We teach the archival/traditional repertoire (i.e. what Joe Pilates taught) and we teach you how to make that work for all kinds of different people.

Not to brag, but our training content and the resources you get to keep access to are unrivalled. Just sayin'!

Get in touch if you want to make the move into teaching Pilates!

You can find out more about our Level 3 Mat Pilates diploma course here.

Ready to become a Reformer Pilates teacher? Check out the information here.

Want to train comprehensively on the whole Pilates system? Get in touch