What is Classical Pilates anyways?

Classical Pilates is the original work of the late Joseph Pilates. It is an ingenious corrective exercise system made up of controlled movements designed to increase flexibility and strength at the same time in order to create a healthy, well balanced, integrated body. The classical method is a full body head-to-toe workout with an emphasis on the development of the core muscle groups (spine, abdominals, hips and lower back). Classical Pilates is a specific series of exercises which are performed in a specific order either done on the mat or on specially designed equipment such as a reformer.

What are the benefits of Classical Pilates? 

The benefits of Classical Pilates are huge! When done consistently, it improves overall fitness by building strength and flexibility and by developing control and endurance in the entire body. With a focus on stretching while strengthening, Classical Pilates improves flexibility which helps to prevent injuries and every Pilates exercise focuses on proper alignment using the core muscle groups to power movement in the limbs, building greater core strength and promoting better posture. With a strong emphasis on the breath Classical Pilates helps the body in cleansing toxicity while increasing abdominal strength and diaphragmatic mobility. And, it develops the often neglected intrinsic muscles which assist in balancing the entire body and improving coordination. And finally, not to mention one of the main benefits of Pilates is a strong and flexible spine!

There are so many things a person could say about it, and this description is my attempt to explain Classical Pilates in the most thorough way I can. I often wonder though if it’s really all that clear to people. Is it too lofty of an answer? Does this really explain what it is or mean anything to anybody? I have had lots of people attend my mat classes who tell me they have experience with Pilates only to be completely surprised that what I am teaching them is not what they thought Pilates was at all! They might recognize an exercise or two (like the Hundred or the Rollup) but beyond that what I’m trying to teach them is usually brand new.

It isn’t hard to see though why so many people are confused about “Pilates” and what it is when almost every gym and community centre seems to be offering a different version of it. Often the Pilates classes you see offered are actually adaptations or fusion classes, using elements of Classical Pilates in modern fitness and toning classes. Pilates is often also mentioned in the same family of wellbeing practices as yoga, and while there are a few similar movements, they are two very different things. For me the real distinction is that when someone calls the class “Classical Pilates”, then I know that what I’m going to get is the original Joseph Pilates method and not some hybrid fusion class.

I personally am a huge believer in Joe’s original method (can I call him Joe?) and I am on a bit of a mission to help revive and preserve the original works of Joseph Pilates and to attempt to educate people in understanding and experiencing Classical Pilates as opposed to the “watered down” or fitness based version that is often seen. Why? Because I have seen for myself that the original system really works and having experienced both the Contemporary and the Classical methods, I noticed a greater change in the way my own body changed and was functioning once I began studying and practising the Classical method.  

So what IS the difference between Classical Pilates and Contemporary Pilates or the Pilates classes we see offered in many gyms and community centres? 

Well… Classical Pilates is essentially Pilates in the truest, most authentic form, as Joseph Pilates intended. The main difference between Classical and Contemporary Pilates is the system of exercises and the order that are performed in. Often the “Pilates” classes we see offered now are fusion based work, using some of the elements of Pilates and using pieces of Pilates equipment (generally the mat or reformer), but incorporating other movement techniques and methods that move away from the true methodology. Classical Pilates is a strong corrective exercise method and not fitness based exercise done on Pilates equipment. 

In the original Classical Pilates method there is a sequence to the work, which was designed to move the body through a full range of movement, in all directions. Mr. Pilates’ order appropriately warms up the body, challenges it and cools it down. His order strengthens and stretches the torso, arms and legs in all planes of movement. His order challenges clients in the appropriate progression with and then against gravity: lying down, sitting up, kneeling, standing. The sequence builds intelligently with foundational exercises at the beginning and more complex exercises towards the end as you gain strength and control. Each exercise in the sequence has been designed to prepare you for the next one. In a fully equipped studio, the Classical Pilates workout includes a mat, reformer, and often one or two additional pieces of equipment that are selected by the instructor during a workout to improve, intensify, and address unique body challenges. Working with ALL the parts of the body and not just one component, makes it a powerful system. Even the transitions between exercises are exercises in themselves and the work in intended to be performed in one seamless, continuous flow. It’s fluid and efficient. Classical Pilates is dynamic, controlled, flowing and yes, you do sweat!  

Contemporary pilates, on the other hand, is also based on the work of Joseph Pilates but has been modernized by adjusting the exercises to fit with modern research and it has a heavy influence from physical therapy and bio-mechanics. A contemporary instructor often interchanges the classical style with a more “free form” method of teaching and is less likely to stick to the original order and exercises. There is nothing wrong with this, but in my own experience with both approaches I found the greatest improvements in my body practicing the Joseph Pilates original Classical method.