Erika Quest
"Erika Quest, owner of Studio Q Pilates Conditioning in Laguna Beach, California, is an honored Balanced Body® master instructor, part of the BOSU® and Hedstrom® elite team, and a BASI® graduate. She is a visiting instructor for Pilates Anytime, and a premier presenter, curriculum developer and international educator at many fitness and wellness conventions, including Pilates on Tour, Pilates Method Alliance, IDEA, ACSM, SCW, AFC, Pilates in Asia and many more. A former corporate marketer for Fortune 500 companies, she now has the great joy of sharing her passion of integrated movement daily."View FitConnect Profile
Article Archive
Maintaining safety and control can be tricky in any group exercise class. Keeping sessions fresh, motivating and unintimidating is equally challenging. Add in a moving carriage, loaded with springs, and sometimes a box and a multitude of other props and you see why linking exercises efficiently is critical when teaching a group reformer Pilates session. In addition to understanding the objective and muscle focus of each exercise, generating flow through proper sequencing can be imperative for an effective workout.
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Maintaining safety and control can be tricky in any group exercise class. Keeping sessions fresh, motivating and unintimidating is equally challenging. Add in a moving carriage, loaded with springs, and sometimes a box and a multitude of other props and you see why linking exercises efficiently is critical when teaching a group reformer Pilates session. In addition to understanding the objective and muscle focus of each exercise, generating flow through proper sequencing can be imperative for an effective workout.
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Circuit training is an excellent way to maximize time in your Pilates studio while utilizing different equipment and props. It’s also a nice way to help clients through a mental plateau, because circuit training combats boredom and shifts neuromuscular patterns.
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As a Pilates instructor, you have a responsibility to help students and clients extrapolate every ounce of joyful challenge from each exercise. You’re also constantly multitasking as you calculate safe setup, initiation and movement pattern and apply appropriate cues. One skill that can take your Pilates repertoire to the next level is knowing how to create a trajectory. From this line, you instruct the anatomical and energetic points of opposition.
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The BOSU Balance Trainer is the perfect accessory to complement a wide range of authentic Pilates exercises. You can learn to incorporate the BOSU ball into traditional mat and equipment exercises. Regardless of how experienced your clients are, this workout will give you dynamic and fresh content to use with them, both in one-on-one training and in group settings.
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The BOSU Balance Trainer is the perfect accessory to complement a wide range of authentic Pilates exercises. In this article, you’ll learn to incorporate the BOSU ball into traditional mat and equipment exercises. Regardless of how experienced your clients are, this workout will give you dynamic and fresh content to use with them, both in one-on-one training and in group settings.
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Using an easy-to-remember word as a “checklist” is a fun way to set up your client for success. Here are the six steps I go through when teaching the Pilates repertoire. I’ve found this checklist covers it all–from fundamentals to higher-level exercises.
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Many exercises in the Pilates repertoire involve thoughtful and calculated initiation before you even begin the movement. Can’t feel the muscle focus? Don’t understand the objective? Then you’re cheating! The art of providing proper cues to clients is crucial to their success. Let’s explore a few exercises specific to the reformer and share ideas on how best to “tell a story” using a variety of cuing avenues.
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