Fitness
True Pilates Sydney Studio Instructors - Luke Cook and Pablo Comino training in the studio
It’s no cosmic revelation that every person in the universe is unique in Mind, Body and Spirit. Part of what makes us who we are is from what we see, ear and feel — its individual and personal. Therefore when we talk about Pilates instruction and teaching — all instructors/ teachers are very individual as they determine their focus and approach to a body.
Read MoreTrue Pilates Sydney Team demonstration
Last week we hosted our studio’s Christmas Party for 2017 — the sense of community was well and truly alive as we came in celebration to toast the end of the year and more importantly to our Pilates community of clients and peers.
Read MorePilates demonstration of true strength, co-ordination and control stems from technique and precision. It is more than just being on a reformer and working up a sweat. Pilates is about moving with intention — technique, and being mindful of its execution — precision.
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My ethos to Pilates teaching and training practice is much the same. As much as I am of the belief you can learn from everyone, I am also selective with my time and attention (retention), therefore I endeavour to train and learn from the best.
Read MoreBreaststroke on the reformer with 2nd Generation Pilates teacher Cynthia Lochard
On top of the various Pilates methods available, the exercise world adds to the confusion by cooking up some inventive derivatives of Pilates. Through all the haze of what is Pilates in all its methods and derivatives — the Traditional Method endeavours to stay true to the original method that was taught by Joseph Pilates himself.
Read MoreLong Stretch on the Reformer
Pilates is not Yoga. It is not a relaxation stretch class. It is not physiotherapy. Pilates is exercise — a weight resistance strength methodology that is progressive with over 500 exercises across various Pilates apparatus. It was invented in the 1920’s by a fitness expert named Joseph Pilates.
Pilates focuses on strengthening the deep core muscles of the torso; abdominals, hips, lower back and buttocks — which as a collective, Pilates himself coined the ‘Powerhouse’. Pilates is progressive and adaptive — as one grows in strength, the level of difficulty and intensity of the exercises escalates and becomes more aerobic. For complete strength, control and endurance in the body, all Pilates exercises work the extremities (arms and legs) as ‘extensions of the Powerhouse’.
Read MoreTeaching the ‘Shaving’ of the Arm circles series on the reformer
The popularity of mainstream Pilates has seen it evolve from gyms to more specialised Pilates studios. This evolution is a step in the right direction, but I sometimes wonder if some studios haven’t simply applied a gym class mentality to the Pilates method.
Read MoreFirstly, let’s cover what is strength training? These days, you hear these terms used in pretty much all avenues of exercise. But what really constitutes as ‘strength training’?
Read MoreIt has been 3 years since True Pilates Sydney opened its studio doors in Surry Hills, Sydney. To celebrated this milestone, we created the event idea of EAT. DRINK. PILATES. It was a night to honour and acknowledge the many thanks we owe to our clients, friends and the Pilates community for their continued support and dedication.
Read MoreThese days people function so much on autopilot without much thought to what they eat, drink and how they move. People as a whole eat too much, and food choices are dictated more by convenience and costs rather than health and wellbeing. I’ll be honest — I am not a fan of trending diets and not at all calories conscious — albeit consuming or burning. I am a cynical generalist when it comes to diets and exercise, preferring to defer to how I ‘feel’ to determine what is good, bad, beautiful or ugly for my health and body.
Read MoreTeaching is a skill — it can make all the difference to the inspiration; breathing life or indifference into commitments. In my experience, there are two fundamental parts to teaching; ‘Reading the individual’ and ‘instruction’.
Read MoreThese days strength and fitness regimes are primarily based on weights and repetition or by distance. It is important to note that although these progressions increase strength and endurance respectively, it does not necessarily increase the intelligence of ones’ body. In short — being fit does not mean the body is intelligent.
Read MoreWe have officially entered the twilight zone of debauchery. Yes — I’m talking about Christmas season. When work colleagues, friends and family are all part of a cunning plan to debunk everything you have worked so hard for through the year. It is the only month in the year when healthy eating and exercise regiments are traded in favour of excess eating and drinking in forms of work, social and family commitments.
Read MoreOf late I have been obsessing over my new found passion — whitewater kayaking. One might mistake its overtaken my love for Pilates, however this couldn’t be further from the truth. If anything it reaffirms my belief in the value of the Pilates method as a formidable strength training program that is intelligent and transferable.
Read MoreSometimes as teachers we become so engrossed in the practice of teaching and training, we take for granted we started the same way — as a beginner. We forget precepts were prescribed and drilled into our practice as opposed to them miraculously appearing in our work and practice.
Read MoreImage sourced from www.designedalliance.com — a coaching partnership
The popularity of Pilates has given rise to a market that is flooded with poorly trained instructors. With organisations in the business of making money opposed to maintaining the integrity of the Pilates method — certifications are fast becoming a matter of convenience and mediocrity.
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Image sourced from www.fitnessmagnet.com
On my way to the studio every morning, my senses are assaulted with music of this generation. It stupifies me why I choose main stream radio pop stations as my preferred white noise. Maybe its to snap myself out of the early morning stupor and focus on the hours of teaching ahead of me. Three things comes to mind while the noise persists in the background;
Read MoreIt is true many Pilates instructors do come from a dance background as its a logical segue from dance with both disciplines being about body awareness and movement. However there are many of us like myself that don't fall into this stereotype.
Read MoreThe modern age sees more and more people sitting at desks for prolonged periods and the tri-factor of 1) typing 2) mouse moving and 3) phone answering, is a recipe for tight upper backs and stiff necks. It is common knowledge that muscles become tight from overuse but the lesser known culprit for tightness is inactivity and underuse — thus weakness.
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