Claim OwnershipPilates Elephants
Subscribed: 186Played: 10,951
Subscribe
© Copyright 2025 Raphael Bender
Description
We get to grips with new research, teaching strategies, and social issues around Pilates and Pilates teaching. This is 100% authentic, unscripted, real talk about everything Pilates.
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
AdBarker - https://adbarker.com/privacy
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
AdBarker - https://adbarker.com/privacy
346 Episodes
Reverse
A Pilates cue goes off the rails and exposes everything we get wrong about “perfect form.” Expect heresy, biomechanics, and a very small grape that ruins neutral forever.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: AdBarker - https://adbarker.com/privacy
How much Pilates do you need to do to get stronger?Probably less than you think!This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: AdBarker - https://adbarker.com/privacy
Resources:Strength training reduces injury risk substantially here and here and hereResistance training itself is a very safe activity here and hereFoot pronation increases risk of shin splints here, but has no effect on overall injury risk here and there is minimal evidence that any biomechanical variable predicts running injuries hereKnee valgus does not predict future ACL injury hereThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: AdBarker - https://adbarker.com/privacy
What to look for when coaching your team - or critiquing your own classes.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: AdBarker - https://adbarker.com/privacy
The humble lunge - there's a LOT more there than meets the eye. We go there - biomechanics, cueing, how to layer it and why most instructors don't get the full value from it.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: AdBarker - https://adbarker.com/privacy
In this episode Patricia Robinson from Pilates Vita, London, breaks down how she built a boutique, premium-priced Pilates studio serving VIP clients in Kensington.Find Patricia here:https://www.pilatesvita.com/This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: AdBarker - https://adbarker.com/privacy
The story of how Ana Maria Borrero went from from €17/hr employee to nearly €10k/month in revenue with 6 reformers, 20 classes, and a waitlist in a small Dutch town.Find Ana here:https://movewithana.nl/ https://www.instagram.com/movewithanapilates/This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: AdBarker - https://adbarker.com/privacy
Many studio owners have a love/hate relationship with Classpass - Sari and I have an honest conversation about the pros and cons, and why (and how) her studios are leaving Classpass.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: AdBarker - https://adbarker.com/privacy
There IS a right thing to cue in each exercise in Pilates. Here's how to know what it is.Bonus - There is no consistent pattern of muscle activation in the prone hip extension test. Except that gluteus maximus is consistently the last muscle to activate - hereThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: AdBarker - https://adbarker.com/privacy
Many instructors use layers, but most miss the most powerful part of this amazing programming tool.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: AdBarker - https://adbarker.com/privacy
Cassie and Henry from Sunny Space Studio share how they grew their reformer studio in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, to $65k a month within a year - without spending a dollar on ads. They break down how they attract over 100 first visits per month through exceptional client experience, brand consistency, and word of mouth. Plus how they train loyal clients into instructors, create SOPs that scale, and keep classes sold out with clear standards and warm service. This episode is a playbook for studio owners doing $10k+ who want to grow fast, without chaos or burnout.Check out Sunny Space here: https://www.sunnyspacestudio.ca/And on IG: https://www.instagram.com/sunnyspace.studioThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: AdBarker - https://adbarker.com/privacy
Laura and Sam from Form & Flow Pilates share how they grew from one to two thriving studios in a year. They reveal the systems, standards, and teamwork that made it possible—and how they balance marriage, business, and growth without burnout.Find Laura and Sam's studios here: https://formandflow.co.uk/ Connect with me on Instagram: @the_raphaelbenderDownload a free course guide:Pilates CertificationStudio MastermindTeaching Mastery ProgramThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: AdBarker - https://adbarker.com/privacy
Pilates Process Vancouver co-owner Alison Ward shares how clear boundaries protect studio culture, staff morale, and client respect. We dive into setting policies, holding firm under pressure, and why saying no can actually grow your business.Find Pilates Process Vancouver here: https://www.pilatesprocessvancouver.ca/ Connect with me on Instagram: @the_raphaelbenderDownload a free course guide:Pilates CertificationStudio MastermindTeaching Mastery ProgramThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: AdBarker - https://adbarker.com/privacy
Most studio owners think offering more types of movement classes will attract more clients.In this episode, I explain why those formats actually hurt your studio by lowering margins, confusing your brand, and competing with cheap alternatives.Connect with me on Instagram: @the_raphaelbenderDownload a free course guide:Pilates CertificationStudio MastermindTeaching Mastery ProgramThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: AdBarker - https://adbarker.com/privacy
Laura Saggers joins me to share the real story behind expanding from one to two Pilates studios. We cover the unexpected challenges of growth, what worked at one location but not the other, and how she navigated ClassPass, staffing, and competition. If you’re considering opening a second studio, this conversation will show you what no one tells you before you take the leap.Find Laura here:https://www.instagram.com/laurasaggers/ https://risepilates.com.au/Connect with me on Instagram: @the_raphaelbenderDownload a free course guide:Pilates CertificationStudio MastermindTeaching Mastery ProgramThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: AdBarker - https://adbarker.com/privacy
At just 23, Chelsea McBride turned personal struggles into purpose and built a Pilates studio that filled up so fast she had to close the books.In this episode, you’ll hear how Chelsea:Grew from teaching private sessions at home to running 50 weekly reformer classes with 11 beds.Built a team of sixCreated so much demand she now has a waitlist for new clientsAll in a town of only 15,000 peopleConnect with Chelsea: Online https://www.themindandbodyclub.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themindandbodyclubConnect with me on Instagram: @the_raphaelbenderDownload a free course guide:Pilates CertificationStudio MastermindTeaching Mastery ProgramThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: AdBarker - https://adbarker.com/privacy
Sara Leach, owner of Downtown Pilates in Mississippi, shares how she built a thriving reformer studio serving mostly 50+ clients, scaled to six teachers, and runs 40+ classes a week. We dive into how she built an incredibly tight and loyal community, plus key challenges she faces in her business.Connect with Sara and Downtown Pilates StudioFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/dpstudios042Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dPstudios042 Connect with me on Instagram: @the_raphaelbenderDownload a free course guide:Pilates CertificationStudio MastermindTeaching Mastery ProgramThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: AdBarker - https://adbarker.com/privacy
We discuss:How to tell if you've made this hiring mistake (you almost certainly have)How to properly filter potential hiresPractical steps to get your existing team delivering a consistent high quality experienceThe exact hiring process we used to set up our studio for growth and retentionThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: AdBarker - https://adbarker.com/privacy
Heath and Raphael challenge the myth that flawless form makes for safe, effective Pilates. They discuss why, and when, form should “fall apart” in strength and balance work, how load, not alignment, predicts injury, and why real progress comes from reps at the edge of fatigue and wobble.Bootsy's Basic Funk Formula: https://youtu.be/IHE6hZU72A4?si=1MMYdLpKd6UVjoo1 Connect with me Raph on Instagram: @the_raphaelbenderConnect with Heath on Instagram: @contrologycollectiveDownload a free course guide:Pilates CertificationTeaching Mastery ProgramThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: AdBarker - https://adbarker.com/privacy
Jennifer Tan opened Bacolod’s first reformer Pilates boutique, Madila Pilates, and hit $23K revenue with 87% margins in her first month. She shares her journey from student success team member to thriving studio owner, why she expanded just weeks after launch, and the strategies fueling her rapid growth.Resources mentioned in the episode: Find Madila Pilates online here and on Instagram hereConnect with me on Instagram: @the_raphaelbenderDownload a free course guide:Pilates CertificationStudio MastermindTeaching Mastery ProgramThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: AdBarker - https://adbarker.com/privacy
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States
Love this podcast. This episode is so useful, I'll be listening again
it was great 👍
Loved this episode! So interesting.