“The circuit classes were initially designed to give the clients I was teaching at Physio Pilates somewhere to transition to. The majority of them came from an injury/pain background but had progressed to a level where they were pain free and doing weekly/bi-weekly reformer classes with me, mostly at a confident, but fundamental level. Everyone else who joined the circuit classes had previous studio/equipment experience.

I don’t think every client is suited to this style of class. I guess our choice of people for this class was based on gut feel, but if the client is new to Pilates then no! The client must have the basic principles down pat. The client needs to be body aware and prepared to do some level of self management throughout the hour.

Classes are run in blocks of 10 in conjunction with the school term ($28 x 10 = $280). We try our best to accommodate any catch up classes, but we start a new block of 10 at the beginning of each term.

When Kate and I first discussed the circuit classes, our thoughts were 5 clients, 5 equipment stations to one instructor. We discovered very quickly (ie first class!) that one instructor was not adequate so we changed to two instructors per class. Each station had laminated A4 cards detailing the exercise with an accompanying photo.

For the first 5 weeks of term we used roughly the following circuit:

· Warm up (altogether as group): bridging, chest lift, oblique + spinal rotation
· Reformer 1: leg & foot work
· Reformer 2: arms in straps
· Reformer 3: scooter & elephant
· Wunda chair: prone triceps & basic back extension
· Trap table: legs in straps
· Swiss ball: opposite arm leg + bridging + seated theraband arm work
· Warm down (altogether as group): heel raises / half roll downs or something just so we all finished together

The second 5 weeks we spilt the group in two and did:

· Group 1: 30 mins matwork so we could incorporate prone sequences and side lying leg work.
· Group 2: 30 mins on reformer so we could incorporate knee stretches and hip opener series.

There is a lot of work that goes into setting up the circuit cards with the appropriate progressions/regressions to ensure they “fit” a broad group of people. However, the cards are reusable and I am sure that we will use them again.

The overwhelming feedback from the classes has been they are fun, dynamic, challenging and educational. People have enjoyed the variety and the challenge of using difference pieces of equipment. But they also liked working within a structured routine.

Like all group classes, as an instructor, you have to relax control to some degree; however, I was surprised how many people, given the opportunity, found correct positions in their body on their own. Teaching with Kate in the room is fabulous, we have to work very carefully together so we don’t “trip over” each other or confuse the clients with conflicting cues but so far so good on that front. Also, timing is critical to the classes running well, so you have to be efficient in your start and finish times. If a client doesn’t get to visit all the stations, I note it down and ensure they start on the stations they missed the following week.

In summary , I think circuit classes are a cost efficient way (for the client, maybe not for the studio) to access studio Pilates. I think the ideal teaching set up would be one experienced instructor to one trainee instructor.

Kate and Leisa, Destination Pilates, Bowral.

And for a little more inspiration, Pilates Circuits IDEA

A Russian version of ways to use your ball. You will need to mute, she can really talk, and talk……

And the glossy professional DVD version with annoying mood music. But some nice moves.

Kelly Kane, founder of the Kane School of Core Integration, has been teaching Pilates for more than a decade. She studied with Romana Kryzanowska, Hila Paldi and Irene Dowd, and completed the training program at the Pilates Institute in Santa Fe, two years of the BodyMind Centering teacher-training program and a certification in massage from the Florida School of Massage. Her manual therapy repertoire includes Structural Integration, CranioSacral Therapy and Visceral Manipulation, and she cultivated her manual perception skills through three years of human cadaver dissection at the New Jersey School of Medicine and Dentistry. Her expertise also includes GYROTONIC® and Continuum Movement.

An anatomical review, a hands on palpation exercise and practice at cueing the ideas she taught were all included. Kelly is somewhat of an anatomy guru and in her work with dancers and a client load of head forward posture highly strung NY types, she has clearly considered the cervical spine in great detail.

I went away from this DVD with a tool kit of ways to help my clients tune in to the way their neck worked, palapation techniques to help me connect with bony alignment and an understanding of the concentration and presence needed to work in this area.

DVD available for purchase from the Australian Pilates Method Association.

Very interesting. A contentious issue. I think imprinting works for some and neutral works for others. Look forward to your thoughts.

Pilates in Layers is an excellent instructional couple of videos for your clients to try at home, and for you to try as an Instructor. Plenty of modifications/variations given with clear instructions and sequencing of movements.
Looking forward to more videos Francine.
(Francine is also an author on Pilates Digest)

Sit-up / Curl-up Anatomy and Kinesiology

No. 2 is the affiliate program on offer whereby you receive 8% of any sales coming through your website or blog. Abi’s gear sells itself.

Finally, she has revived the bomber jacket, slim fit and stylish for our working day.