Pilates Elephants

Why I don't believe there is a better definition of a good instructor than a full class of strong clients.

This is for instructors AND studio owners.

It's the exact troubleshooting process I use to help studio owners fill their classes - based on the best practices of 100+ studios I've seen the numbers for, and what's working right now for the 30+ studios I currently work with.

Many Pilates instructors make the same mistake when introducing an exercise: they give too much information.

Instead of helping clients move, long explanations overwhelm them and nothing sticks.

In this episode, we explore the difference between explaining and teaching, and why fewer, simpler cues often lead to better movement and faster learning.

If you want clients to actually do the exercise well, this mindset shift is essential.

While we can adapt Pilates to the laws of physiology, we cannot change the definition of technical words like "strength" just to fit a specific teaching style or Pilates philosophy.

Nathan makes the case that instructors should take 100% responsibility for filling our classes.

If our attendance is low,we should see that as a personal indicator that something in the experience or connection is missing.

A common mistake is assuming that two Pilates exercises are the same just because they look identical.

However, the actual "exercise" depends on where the load and force are being applied.

Nerd out with us.

Studios hire Pilates instructors to fill classes with happy clients.

If your instructors' classes are not full, by definition are not good at their job - yet.

As a studio owner, it's your job to help them become good!

Every Pilates exercise trains strength, range of motion, and skill.

We explore how to progress your clients intelligently by adjusting one dimension at a time to build capacity, clarity, and confidence in movement.

Special shout out to Adam McAtee for this post

Citations in these episodes:

1. ep 278 Does Pilates strengthen your little muscles?
2. ep 216 Why knowing which muscles are working in a movement is a waste of time
3. ep 160 Can we even feel muscles activating?

Dallas Noerdlinger (Core Pilates, Oklahoma City) shares why she sold 50% of her studio during pregnancy, what changed in the business and culture, and how she bought it back.

We talk boutique vs franchise positioning, keeping instructors happy, managing owner overwhelm, and the “unlimited membership” + waitlist problem—plus practical fixes for capacity, pricing, and schedule structure.