Get an inside look at Equinox’s own mat Pilates teacher training course.
I Tried is a series that spotlights an individual as they experience an Equinox offering. In this installment, writer Renee Cherry tries the Equinox Mat Pilates Certificate Course.
It was somewhere around my fifth repetition of the teaser exercise that I started questioning my life decisions. As I rolled through my spine, slowly lowering my torso to the ground and lifting it back up — all while trying to keep my legs, hovering off the floor, still — every cell in my core screamed at me to stop.
I’m no stranger to intense Pilates moves like this (I’ve taken classes on and off for years). But this wasn’t your typical hour-long session. I was midway through Equinox’s Mat Pilates Certificate Course, a live, interactive training that teaches participants how to lead open-level mat Pilates classes. Spread across six days, the virtual, 30-hour course digs into the philosophy of Pilates, techniques, cues, and more, concluding with both a written and practical exam.
Despite my love-hate relationship with teaser, I loved feeling like a student again, and the course gave me all the tools I needed to become a successful, confident instructor.
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The All-Inclusive Course
The course started with a brief history of Pilates, which gave me a new appreciation and deeper understanding of the workout. The SparkNotes version: In the early 20th century, Joseph Pilates created contrology, a training method influenced by his background in boxing, fencing, and wrestling and his belief that poor posture and breathing (among other limitations) are detrimental to health. After Pilates’ death, some of his students collaborated and developed what’s now known as Pilates, codifying his principles into the classical exercises that are taught in studios to this day.
The bulk of the Mat Pilates Certificate Course curriculum was dedicated to learning the details of 27 different classical mat Pilates exercises. We walked through proper technique and modifications, as well as the purpose of each movement and how they can all flow together to create a challenging class. To help commit the exercises to memory and learn how to cue them during a class, we practiced drilling. Sometimes we’d take an entire class together, other times we’d split into small breakout groups to take turns teaching one another through certain exercises.
We also covered basic anatomy (to better understand Pilates’ physical effects) and teaching skills that would allow us to effectively lead group fitness classes. Some of the students in the class were already veteran fitness instructors, so I knew I had some catching up to do. Outside of class, I reviewed my notes and practiced teaching with my dad and sister over FaceTime. My father had never set foot in a Pilates class, so I quickly learned the importance of being specific and direct with my wording. These mock classes helped me build up confidence for the practical exam, which involved leading two other students in the class through a series of five exercises.
On test-out day, I prepared my body and mind by playing Nicki Minaj, saying a little prayer to the internet connectivity gods, and slicking my hair into a bun so tight you could practically see my skull. To my relief, I passed my written test and practical exam with flying colors. I had a few points knocked for using encouragement as filler words (I’m a reformed people pleaser, and old habits die hard). But, to my delight, I received a perfect score for my command of the room and presence.
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The Biggest Takeaways
The Equinox Mat Pilates Certificate Course felt like a boot camp for my mind and body, since we split our time listening to lectures and actually performing the exercises. Now that I’m officially certified to teach mat Pilates, I’m inspired to become an instructor and start putting all of my learnings into practice. I still plan on referring back to and digging deeper into the course manual, though. The guidebook — aka my new bible — was created by Equinox Director of Pilates Education Carrie Samper, who has decades of experience and was certified by Romana Krysanowska, a protégé of J.P. himself.
In taking the course, I also discovered I had a major misunderstanding of mat Pilates. Admittedly, I had always believed mat Pilates was “easier” than reformer sessions and personally preferred the latter. But once I became better acquainted with mat exercises and exactly how to align my body for the biggest payoff, I no longer found it so simple. I now know where to focus in order to recruit the correct muscles for specific moves; for example, I know to push my shoulders down, squeeze my legs together, and elongate through the crown of my head during teaser, which strengthens the core and hips. It’s tough, especially once you start stringing exercises together at a slow and controlled pace. This focus on precision is one of the six key principles of Pilates, and it’s something I want to concentrate on during other workouts, too.
Thanks to the thorough curriculum and personal feedback, I’m confident in my ability to create a challenging yet empowering Pilates experience and lead a room full of participants of all levels. At the very least, I now have a deeper knowledge base that’ll allow me to get the most out of every mat Pilates session that I take as a student.