At a Glance:

Website: http://reformingbodiespilates.com
Address: 15122 Ventura Blvd, Ste 101, Los Angeles, CA 91403
Class length: 55 min
Price: 1 class/$25, 10 classes/$200
Sweat Scale: low
Energy level: low

Doing a Pilates reformer class has always been on my bucket list but I’ve never had the guts to try it. Anything requiring use of a special machine makes me nervous because I hate looking like I have no idea what I’m doing (who am I kidding, I still look like that after 10 cardio barre classes). I decided to suck it up and give it a try, for the love of the blog!

Pre Sweat

This class is located on Ventura Blvd. that is known for having plenty of traffic during rush hour. I was traveling 1.8 miles to get there from work, left 20 minutes before class, and was almost late! The building is in the back of a computer store and, while the studio has 2 parking spots, there is plenty of metered street parking and even more free neighborhood parking a block away.

When I walked in, the teacher and owner, Christina, greeted me. She asked if I had any injuries and had me fill out a form. I let her know that this was my first time on a Pilates reformer and I was a little nervous. There were three other people in the class, two men and one woman, and I could tell that they were regulars. I put my belongings in the cubby and went over to the reformers.

 

Sweat

I’m surprised how little attention these reformers get. They literally look like torture machines! There are so many hooks, bands, and props it is overwhelming! Christina had us put a small towel on our pillows (a workout with a pillow, sign me up!) and lay down on the machines with our heels on the bar. We put two balls in between our legs, one at our ankles and the other at our thighs. We started to push our legs, sending the “carriage” of the reformer backwards. Christina emphasized using our breath to help engage our abs during each exercise.

Throughout the 55 min class, we did a variety of exercises engaging our legs, abs, and arms. We did a longggg set of mini crunches where I felt my abs burning the entire time. Afterwards, we came to the floor for two one-minute planks. Using the handles and the resistance from the machine, we did bicep curls and triceps extensions. The resistance depended on which color loops were hooked onto the machine. Since it was my first time, Christina was really attentive and made sure I had the correct form and a good amount of resistance.

Although the class definitely worked my muscles, it wasn’t as intense as I would’ve liked. I walked out wishing I had gotten a little sweatier. It was different than anything I had done before. Since there were only four people in the class, there was a lot of personal attention, which I liked. There wasn’t any music playing and I wish the ambiance had been a bit more fun. I’m really excited to try another Pilates reformer class to see how the studios differ.

  

Post Sweat

Imagine the sale section of Urban Outfitters and then multiply that by 10. That’s what the Urban Outfitters Surplus Store in Sherman Oaks looks like. It has all the best deals that they have to offer and it is gigantic! The store was just a half-mile away from the Pilates studio so I walked over after class to see what they had. I ended up finding an amazing pair of PrismSport yoga capris and 4 t-shirts, paying just $52 for everything!

  

Tricks of the Trade

• Let Christina know if there are any moves that you can’t feel. She will do whatever she can to help.
• Try to get one of the reformers with rope. My reformer had leather straps which not only made it look more like a torture device, but also hurt my hands when we had to grab onto the straps.