While away from tour life visiting my husband for 2 weeks in London (where he is currently appearing in a West End Show) I took a break from the sightseeing and theatre-going to try a Pilates Class in the bustling and busy area of Central London this past Friday Evening. After my usual in-depth internet research I set out for class at TEMPO PILATES, which appealed to me for several reasons:
-- Open Class: Evidently UK studios are big on booking their clients for Apparatus Classes quarterly… it’s like signing up for a semester! I looked into several studios, & Tempo Pilates was one of the only ones that could accommodate me for a Reformer Class on such “short notice”.
-- Location: I like to think of myself as an experienced traveler, having lived in dozens of cities across the country… but let me tell you, Central London, after dark, and without my iPhone’s GPS device is VERY stressful to navigate! All the windy tiny little streets & utter lack of street signage has frankly been driving me crazy, so the fact that this Covent Garden studio was just a 10 minute walk from my husband’s theatre was a huge plus… I knew I’d make it to class on time!
-- Affordable Prices: At £25/class with a “Happy Hour Friday” 1/2 Price Class Deal, class cost only £12.50 (about $20.00)… amazing! And London is EXPENSIVE!!!!
-- Integration of Pilates & Music: Not a selling point really, although it did peak my curiosity!!!
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| The Outside of Gymbox |
First Impressions: TEMPO PILATES is located within a busy and trendy gym called Gymbox. As I rounded the corner onto St. Martins Lane I easily spotted the entrance - how could I miss that beaming theatrical Marquis? Through the glass front doors fluorescent colored lights, sleek modern designs, loud music, and bold, brightly painted walls welcomed me further inside. Tempo Pilates occupies one of the gym studios and is lined with mirrors. It contains a sound system, one beautiful wood Balanced Body Reformer/Cadillac Convertible, with smaller, mobile Balanced Body Reformers filling the rest of the room. As I waited for my class to begin I was able to peak in on the earlier class - I watched them do variations of the exercise “Criss-Cross” to the sounds of Euro-Pop for about 6 minutes before the Classical Pilates geek in me couldn’t watch any longer. I found a spot to wait outside the studio door and began the mental speech I always give myself when I know I’m about to have a "different" Pilates experience. Something about how it will be a learning and growing experience at the very least, and “good for you for trying something outside of your comfort zone”…
The Class (Thoughts & Afterward): Based on my little preview of the class before, I was really dreading this class… but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Once I gave up the hope of having an authentic Pilates experience, I even enjoyed a few of the “creative” ways the instructor used the Reformer. The instructor was Vicki, who was enthusiastic, fun, and a great group fitness leader. She counted the music energetically and was even inspired to hop onto a vacant reformer and join us for a few exercises. Class was all about the routine, not the form of the Method really, so I forgave her for not giving one creative cue or correction.
Things I Liked About Class:
-- Mirrors: They were EVERYWHERE, and boy did I use this opportunity to check out my form every single moment I could! Mirrors are the best teachers! Plus, maybe it’s the dancer in me, but every time I’m moving in front of a mirror I immediately “pull-up”… hello abs! I mean, would you let your abs just chill out if you were looking at yourself in the mirror & in your workout outfit? :) I wish all Pilates studios had at least a few mirrors...
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| The Studio |
-- Shoulder Bridge/Footwork: I’m learning through my travels that aerobic/fitness infused Pilates classes that offer the “burn” so many people are looking for usually achieve this through insane reps and variations of Shoulder Bridge on very low springs, and Footwork on very heavy springs… so if you want to kill your glutes and hamstrings, by all means! Usually, I am not a fan of this work, but sometimes some extra hamstring work is much needed, especially as a dancer who is always stretching but sometimes forgetful in exercising her hamstrings!
-- Stretching: I really appreciated that class incorporated some stretching (which many aerobic based Reformer Classes tend to neglect), and we ended class with Eve’s Lunge, so “thank you!”from my tight hip flexors! We also did a great Figure 4 Stretch I had never done before that I will definitely be stealing for future use! Set Up: High Bar, 4 Springs, Headpiece UP (1) Lie on reformer with head in the headpiece & both feet parallel & together on the Foot-Bar (2) Roll your hips up & articulate your spine into your shoulder bridge position (3) Extend your right leg straight up to the ceiling (4) Cross your right ankle over your left knee, and let your right knee open to the right, opening your hips up, while still keeping both hips high and even and pointed towards the ceiling (5) In this position, slowly roll your spine back all the way down onto the carriage (stretch will increase as you roll down) & then back up to shoulder bridge position without moving the carriage (6) Repeat 3-5 times, then repeat to the left.
-- Fun Core Challenge: Try “Side Split” variations like “Pick Up Flowers” or “Saw” with 2 lb. weights in each hand! Really engages your Core, AND is an extra challenge for your balance and stability.
Pilates & Music?
The dancer in me really wanted this to be a brilliant pairing, but based on this experience and some reflection afterward, I sadly don’t think it can work. It’s more than just the argument I’ve heard before that music is a distraction and makes establishing the mind-body connection harder (although I agree with this to a certain extent, as a dancer, I know that through proper training and concentration, music can also IMPROVE the mind-body connection). The main problem with introducing music to a Pilates session is that it messes up FLOW. Flow is one of the Fundamental Concepts of Pilates. Each exercise has a specific, energized dynamic, coordinated with the rhythm of the breath, and transitions from exercise to exercise are carefully choreographed to create a flow through the system that is safe & incredibly efficient. When you impose music with its tempo and rhythmic pattern onto the System, you strip it of it’s natural & complex flow. The dynamic accents in Footwork, for example, are impossible to achieve if you are obeying the quarter note pulse of a great pop song! You begin to breath in time with the music, instead of taking deep dynamic breaths, and transitions that aren’t repetitive or easy to execute “to the beat” become undervalued.
Final Verdict:
This was an aerobics class that incorporated a piece of Pilates equipment, not a Pilates Class. Reps and flow were dictated by the music, not by what the system prescribes. Transitions felt sloppy and unsafe, and there was a lot of “holding” - hanging out in static positions - followed by rhythmic pulses to the music. The teacher was a great motivator, but was not in touch with the bodies in the room nor did she give any particular insight into the technique or method of Pilates.
A few days later I could still feel the work in my glutes, and hamstrings, but I never felt that my CORE was worked, or even activated, and my body certainly lacked that wonderful sense of length and overall wellbeing that a terrific Pilates Class can give. Next time I’m in London, I will be more brave, hop on the TUBE, and find a great Pilates class…. it’s worth it!
TEMPO PILATES
42-49 St Martins Lance
London, WC2N JEJ
tempopilateswc2.com
info@tempopilateswc2.com
07563 578 165
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