What is the difference between Classical and Contemporary Pilates?

Classical Pilates is the preservation of Jospeh Pilates original teachings. Classical Pilates maintains the ideology that Pilates, when taught authentically, on Classical equipment, maintains the systemic approach that Joseph Pilates set in place, which progresses a students strength uniformly, rapidly & effectively. Classical Pilates is taught as a system and utilizes a variety of specifically engineered classical Pilates apparatus which serves a purpose and function. Classical Pilates also practices an order of exercises in both the reformer & mat repertoire Classical Pilates instructors can trace their lineage on a Pilates family tree back to the source of Pilates, which is Joseph himself. 

Classical Pilates also has different “styles” of methodology handed down from individual 1st generation proteges or pupils of Joseph Pilates, whose time or extensive sessions with Joe or his wife Clara were tailored to their own needs, goals, and limitations. This individually tailored experience is what metamorphasized each student to blaze a path that proliferated  their own unique experience through instruction and education which in turn, gave our industry a rich variety within the global classical Pilates community.

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Contemporary Pilates is a hybrid style of resistance training inspired by Pilates original method that does not strictly teach the original work, but rather fuses physical therapy, athletic conditioning, or other forms of resistance training not originally taught by Joseph Pilates. Contemporary Pilates does not follow a prescribed order of exercises or use classical transitions. This style can be considered an off shoot, modification or variation of the original work which utilizes equipment that has been modified from classical parameters along with modern day inventions of new props & variations of apparatus to better serve the evolving body of work contemporary Pilates continues to revolutionize. 

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Made up Pilates is the really scary stuff that's not Pilates at all. It was never a thing in our industry until social media and influencer culture came about.  Subsequently, our industry has no Pilates Police, and people can call anything Pilates and sell it. It's dangerous, it's made up, it's terrible, so do your research. 

What and Who is Pilates?

Pilates was originally called, Contrology, the art of control, and was created by, Joseph Hubertus Pilates nearly 100 years ago, which we honor, in naming our studio and education, Century Pilates®. It is said that Pilates, during his interment during WWI, began developing his method as a means of staying healthy both mentally and physically as conditions in camp were very poor. His knack for body conditioning started long before this chapter in his life. As a sickly child, Pilates was diagnosed with rickets, asthma, and rheumatic fever. Joe's strong will essentially strengthened his mind into overcoming his frailty by taking up bodybuilding wrestling, marital arts, and yoga. By the time he was in his teens, he was modeling for anatomy books.

Pilates came to New York in the 1920's where his method had the chance to take off. Decades later, Pilates is known for its unsurpassable ability to uniformly strengthen and tone the entire body through the use of varied spring loaded apparatus, barrels, props, and mat work which all work together as a system with the help of your body’s weight and the spring resistance acting as another set of muscles. Pilates’ equipment and method provides the mechanism to total body transformation.