Ah, the good old days of step training! Some of you may remember it (and others might be googling it as we speak). Picture this: three people per bench, up and down, up and down, music pounding like we were auditioning for a 1980s music video. It was glorious chaos. And then along came research, thank you Kenneth Cooper of Dallas, telling us to slow it down, focus on the movement, and actually work smarter, not harder. Suddenly, step training had purpose, precision, and science behind it. But then, as always happens in the fitness world, the lines got blurred. What was once a straightforward cardio-and-strength tool became a platform for dance-offs, flashing lights, and moves that had very little to do with stepping. Still fun, sure, but not the original intention.
And here we are again. Only this time, it’s not a step, it’s our beloved Reformer.
The Reformer was designed as a methodical tool to assist with alignment, strength, and control. It wasn’t about sweating under disco lights or burning calories to a BPM that could rival a nightclub. It was about the method. The Pilates method. That same method that helped dancers, athletes, and yes, even the rest of us mere mortals, to move better, feel better, and live better.
But now? Well, now it’s dynamic. It’s fast. It’s sweaty. It’s being marketed as “the best workout ever.” And listen, I’m not here to ruin anyone’s party. If you love dynamic Reformer classes with loud music and flashing lights, you do you. Movement is movement, and we need more of it in the world. But let’s call a spade a spade: this isn’t Pilates.
It reminds me of step training's transformation. At first, it was simple, up and down the step.
Then it morphed into something so far removed from its original purpose that the only thing left of the original concept was, well, the step itself.
With the Reformer boom, we’re seeing history repeat itself. The lines are blurring. Pilates, which has always been about precision, control, and balance, is being reinvented as something unrecognisable to those of us who’ve been teaching it for decades.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not anti-evolution. The fitness industry thrives on reinvention, and that’s not a bad thing. I mean, I was there when spinning started in a dark room with Johnny G and a single spotlight. I thought to myself, “Who’s going to want to sit on a bike indoors when they could go outside?” Clearly, I missed that trend prediction! But some things are meant to stay true to their roots. Pilates, in my mind, is one of them.
We’ve always been a method that supports athletes, professionals, and everyone else to enhance their movement, not replace their workout with a sweaty cardio frenzy. Pilates isn’t supposed to be cardio, just like step wasn’t supposed to be a dance routine.
So here’s my tongue-in-cheek plea: let’s keep the Reformer what it was designed to be, a tool for precision, control, and strength. If you want to sweat under disco lights, might I suggest Zumba?
But who knows? Maybe this dynamic Reformer craze will have staying power. After all, spinning is still around, and I’ve had to eat my words before. But for me, Pilates is Pilates, fitness is fitness, and the two are best kept separate. As they say, history repeats itself. Let’s just hope it doesn’t come with flashing lights this time.
What do you think? Are you Team Traditional or Team Dynamic? Let’s have a friendly debate. But remember, no flashing lights in the comments.
Happy Fitness Friday, Michael
Comments