My Version of Pilates Gym

Our only non-renewable resource is our time. As Pilates Teachers, we are only too aware of this. What do we do then when we reach our capacity of time and the ceiling of what we can charge for a private? What if I told you that there is a way you could half the number of hours you teach, double the number of people you teach and the income you earn? Would you want to know how to do that?

I was lucky early in my teaching career that I was able to spend time with Lolita San Miguel, Alan Herdman and the late Julian Littleford, all of whom were happy to share their model of teaching a version of the Pilates gym and share their knowledge of how Joseph Pilates did it. As with anything I was able to take a little bit from everyone and align that with my studio values, mission and how I want to teach. I have spent the last 13 years refining my version of the Pilates Gym at my studio Chapel Allerton Pilates where we currently run 20 gyms per week at a capacity of 4 people per gym. Today more than ever I believe in this model because of its accessibility financially for both the client and the teacher and because of the autonomy it offers the client and in turn reduces the risk of burnout for our community of teachers.

The Pilates Gym I run today and teach my student teachers and studio owners to apply is not an open floor free for all or everyone coming in at half-hour intervals doing the same program or even their own program forever.

Here are the steps you need to know about the Pilates Gym model I have created:

1. It starts with movement and health screening and goal setting in a private with the client.
2. Creation of a tailor-made program for that client using the apparatus I have available that will lead them to achieving their goals
3. Teaching them in one or two private sessions the exercises and set up for their Pilates Gym Program
4. Joining the Gym session weekly or twice weekly, with ongoing coaching, progressing and adapting
5. Review session privately to overhaul or refresh their Gym program
6. Return to step 4.

You can do a lot with a little.

You don’t need to have four of everything to be able to teach a Pilates Gym. You do need to be creative and know your repertoire and your clients’ goals really well. I know if you are reading this that you are 100% creative and know your clients’ goals and your repertoire inside out and upside down, so it won’t even be hard for you. It will actually be a lot of fun, keep you inspired, fulfilled in your work and reduce your risk of burnout too.

The Possibilities are Endless

Also, you don’t need to start with four people, you could start with two people and two pieces of apparatus. If you have a Reformer with a tower or just a Cadillac, you can still do a two-person Pilates gym. In the example of the Reformer with the Tower, you can easily have someone on the Reformer doing the footwork, feet in straps, abdominal series, quadruped and all sorts while the other person is on the tower end using a mat on the floor for leg series, rowing, Thigh Stretch, Kneeling Arms, Standing arms and so much more. That’s where you get to be creative and align your repertoire with your clients’ goals. Equally, with the Cadillac, you can have someone on the tower bar end doing repertoire there & someone on a mat at the open end doing side leg springs, abdominal series, standing arms, lunges, and squats. The possibilities are endless.

Remember, using the Pilates Gym model, you can half your hours, double your clients and double your income and you can provide an affordable option for people to attend multiple times per week.

Join my course with Profitable Pilates where I will teach you my tried and tested steps to go from teaching 20 people per week in 20 hours per week and earning $2000 dollars to teaching 40 people per week in 10 hours earning $4000 per week.

Claire Sparrow
Pilates Studio Owner since 2005