Pilates Elephants

Resources mentioned in the episode:

• ACOG guideline here
• Ab curls don’t make diastasis worse here and here and here
• There is poor evidence of a relation between relaxin and pelvic pain in pregnancy here
• Connect with Natalie Wilson on Instagram

Connect with me on Instagram: @the_raphaelbender

Download a free course guide:

• Pilates Certification
• Visualized Anatomy

Become a Breathe Education Mentor Affiliate: Program info

My experience offering unlimited Pilates classes, why you should not do it, and what to do instead. Plus, how to transition out of offering unlimited memberships if you’re already doing it.

Connect with me on Instagram: @the_raphaelbender

Download a free course guide:

• Pilates Certification
• Visualized Anatomy

Become a Breathe Education Mentor Affiliate: Program info

Resources mentioned in the episode:

• PE episode 160 Can we even feel muscles activating? here
• Glute activation drills don’t increase glute activation here
• High levels of mechanical tension on individual muscle fibers is the main stimulus for strengthening here and here and here
• DOMS is caused by unaccustomed exercise including longer muscle lengths or eccentric components here
• DOMS is not a good indicator of whether your workout was effective here
• The repeated bout effect means that as you get used to a particular workout it causes less and less soreness here
• In the prone leg extension test there is high variability in the order of muscle firing between healthy pain-free people here
• Connect with Natalie Wilson on Instagram

Connect with me on Instagram: @the_raphaelbender

Download a free course guide:

• Pilates Certification
• Visualized Anatomy

Become a Breathe Education Mentor Affiliate: Program info

If you’re a Pilates instructor and you’re sick of juggling your time between several studios, listen to this.

Connect with me on Instagram: @the_raphaelbender

Download a free course guide:

• Pilates Certification
• Visualized Anatomy

Become a Breathe Education Mentor Affiliate: Program info

The age-old debate. We settle it once and for all.

Resources mentioned in the episode:

• You can bias lower abs from upper abs by doing posterior pelvic tilt vs ab curl here
• People with LBP lift with LESS flexion in their lumbar spine here
• There was low-quality evidence that greater lumbar spine flexion during lifting was not a risk factor for LBP onset/persistence or a differentiator of people with and without LBP here
• Only 4% difference in total load on the vertebrae during stoop vs squat lifting here
• Load shifts posteriorly away from disk as you flex here at close to full flexion less than a quarter of extensor moment is from disk and deep ligaments
• People lift more efficiently in spinal flexion (more efficiently = same force output with less muscle activity) here
• That’s probably why elite powerlifters increase spinal flexion automatically as they approach maximum loads here
• Spine posture in general has not been shown to be a causal factor in LBP according to a systematic review of systematic reviews in 2020 here
• Even lifting a box from knee height when instructed to keep the spine neutral, results in 22 degrees of lumbar flexion here
• Experienced physical therapists can’t detect lumbar flexion of less than 34 degrees during a squat here
• In lab experiments compressive load - not flexion or extension - causes disk injury here
• “Bad technique” doesn’t cause injury - Crossfit injury incidence is 0.27 - 3.3 per 1000 hours of training here
• Injury incidence in running is 2.5 - 33 which is almost exactly 10x higher here
• Injury incidence in ballet is 3.9-4.4 per 1000 hours - which is higher than Crossfit even though ballet dancers practice in perfect alignment here
• Most injuries in fitness centers result from people falling off equipment or dropping weights on themselves here
• Connect with Natalie Wilson on Instagram

Connect with me on Instagram: @the_raphaelbender

Download a free course guide:

• Pilates Certification
• Visualized Anatomy

Become a Breathe Education Mentor Affiliate: Program info

Resources mentioned in the episode:

• How to make $100k a year teaching Pilates book here

Connect with me on Instagram: @the_raphaelbender

Download a free course guide:

• Pilates Certification
• Visualized Anatomy

Become a Breathe Education Mentor Affiliate: Program info

What is perfectionism, how can we recognize it and what can we do to let it go.

Resources mentioned in the episode:

• Connect with Natalie Wilson on Instagram

Connect with me on Instagram: @the_raphaelbender

Download a free course guide:

• Pilates Certification
• Visualized Anatomy

Become a Breathe Education Mentor Affiliate: Program info

If you struggle with clients cancelling at the last minute, or no-showing, this will help.

Connect with me on Instagram: @the_raphaelbender

Download a free course guide:

• Pilates Certification
• Visualized Anatomy

Become a Breathe Education Mentor Affiliate: Program info

Our thoughts on how to find the balance between structure and spontaneity in your teaching.

Resources mentioned in the episode:

• Connect with Natalie Wilson on Instagram

Connect with me on Instagram: @the_raphaelbender

Download a free course guide:

• Pilates Certification
• Visualized Anatomy

Become a Breathe Education Mentor Affiliate: Program info

This is my framework for leading a team of instructors so everyone teaches the same principles - but maintains their individual style.

Connect with me on Instagram: @the_raphaelbender

Download a free course guide:

• Pilates Certification
• Visualized Anatomy

Become a Breathe Education Mentor Affiliate: Program info