At a Glance:

Website: http://pilate-ology.com
Address: 13630 Ventura Blvd, Sherman Oaks, CA
Class length: 60 min
Price: first class $10, 1 class/$25, 10 classes/$200, first month unlimited/$140
Sweat Scale: low
Energy level: low

I walk by this place daily and always notice the “first class $10” sign but haven’t really had an intention to try it. However, when I accidentally signed up for Pilates Plus at 5:45 AM instead of PM, not realizing until I was asked to rate the class and swearing that ClassPass messed it up, I needed to find a plan B. Thankfully, there were still 2 spots left and I booked at Pilate-ology immediately.

Pre Sweat

Although I walked from work, Pilate-ology has parking in the back alley, metered street parking on Ventura, and neighborhood parking depending on the time of day. The studio is bright and welcoming with lots of mirrors and natural sunlight and has 10 reformers that are usually all taken; I’ve noticed the schedule books up days in advance for popular times. They have springboards and Stott reformers, which are a little different from Balanced Body reformers that most studios have—lower to the ground and no pegs for the straps.

Sweat

Throughout class we worked our arms, abs, and legs like crazy—and usually two at a time. A lot of Pilates studios concentrate on one body part at a time, but Amy made sure we were never bored. We would do a few exercises on the reformer then come down to our mats on the floor and do ab work. We did crunches with a lot of pulses, oblique crunches, and roll ups. For as much as I workout, I still cannot master the roll up. It seems like I always need a bit of momentum to get myself up! Does anyone else have this problem???

On the reformer we did planks and a variety of legwork while using our hand weights. For example, we would work our inner/outer thighs by moving the carriage slowly in and out, doing bicep curls at the same time. So not only were my legs burning, but my arms too! Using the box, we did side crunches and more planks. Using the straps, we “hugged a tree” and worked our triceps with kickbacks. Lastly, we put our legs in the straps and stretched with big circles.

Post Sweat

For cold pressed juice, check out Totes. Grab breakfast, lunch, or dinner at Sweet Butter for fresh sandwiches and salads (I love the kale ceasar…add the chicken tenders and you will not be disappointed). For a caffeine fix, check out The Coffee Roaster. If you’re in the mood for delicious ramen, head to the newly opened Hyakumi. There are also some really cute boutiques in the area like Bobbi Rocco and Soto.

Tricks of the Trade

• They have a water jug if you need to fill up, and cups if you forget your water bottle.
• I wouldn’t recommend this as your first go at Pilates. The classes aren’t leveled and on the website they encourage first timers to schedule private classes.