Joseph Pilates was a visionary who devoted his entire life to devising a series of exercises designed to develop the body more uniformly and proficiently for maximum efficiency and prolonged health.  Read more...

Ab Fab Pilates provides Classical Pilates instruction which, in layman's terms, means we preserve the integrity of Joseph Pilates' lifelong work.  This method was handed down by Joseph to Romana Kryzanowska, who continued to run the studio after the death of Joseph and his wife, Clara.  The lineage continues with Bob Liekens who studied under and worked with Romana for nearly 20 years.  Bob is one of the leading authorities on Classical Pilates in the world and it was under him that Ab Fab Pilates' owner, Jayne McAllister, became certified at Power Pilates in New York City.

"Joe Pilates didn't create things overnight.  He spent years modifying and evolving his method.  So I don't see why all of a sudden we have to 'improve it'."  Bob Liekens, Senior Director of Education for Power Pilates and household name in the Pilates world.

The Powerhouse was Joseph Pilates' image for the now-popular term "core".  In most basic terms, the Powerhouse is the area between your bottom ribs and the top of your pubic bone, encompassing the all-important musculature of the abdominals and the lower back. In some disciplines, the Powerhouse area of the body is also thought to be the energetic center of the body.

Ab Fab Pilates offers the most authentic form of Pilates training, adhering strictly to the way Joseph Pilates intended his work to be continued.  Ab Fab Pilates' certified instructors are trained through Power Pilates, the leading classical Pilates institution in the USA and, now, in many other parts of the world.   All of Ab Fab's instructors have completed fully comprehensive training programs, meaning that they have studied the full repertoire of the Pilates Method over a six- to 12-month continuous period of study.  Many "modular" training programs are available whereby teachers are trained over weekends and do not include an apprenticeship program.  However, Ab Fab Pilates only hires instructors who are comprehensively trained and have served a minimum of six hundred hours as an apprentice. 

Ab Fab's instructors are trained to work with every "body" that walks through the door of the studio, from elite athletes to first-time clients to those recovering from chronic injury.

Not at all.  Gyms typically offer mat classes taught by "one-size-fits-all" personal trainers who have completed their training over a weekend.  Ab Fab Pilates' instructors have completed at least 600 hours as an apprentice during training that lasts between seven and twelve months, and includes a series of grueling written and practical exams.

Ab Fab Pilates recommends two to three times per week at the studio for the best results.  We suggest supplementing your studio workouts with matwork at home and we offer guidance in setting up a home program.  Whatever your commitment to Pilates, consistency is the key to change!

Ab Fab Pilates has clients who, owing to time or budget constraints, come for one session a week.  Often, these clients are participating in other forms of exercise and they are encouraged to take their Pilates to their tennis, golf, surfing etc.  Others practice mat exercises at home on the days that they are away from the studio.  In keeping with the classical Pilates tradition, Ab Fab Pilates encourages its clients to be independent in their workout.  As master instructor Bob Liekens says, "It's not about your performance in the studio, but how you take what you've learned into your daily life."

Pilates is a workout and should be a movement experience from the very first session.  You will begin by learning to access your Powerhouse (Mr. Pilates' term for the "core" musculature) and to incorporate breathing before performing a series of basic exercises to introduce the Method.  Expect to work on the Mat, Reformer, Cadillac, possibly the High Chair, and the Wall.

The Pilates Method does not work muscles to fatigue because both the small and large muscle groups work in conjunction to function more efficiently.  Clients usually feel energized after their sessions, experience better posture and awareness of their Powerhouse muscles.

Even after their first session, many clients become more aware of their posture because of their newly-found Powerhouse connection.  As a result, they walk taller which takes inches off the waistline.  Weak abs are the primary cause of poor posture so increasing awareness will make you look and feel better fast.  Remember, consistency is the key to change!

Pilates is performed on special equipment designed by  Joseph Pilates.  For safety reasons, familiarity with the equipment is essential before advancing to a semi-private session or a group class. Secondly, you'll reap far more from your workout if you have familiarity with the exercises and how to access the Powerhouse.  Finally, in a class situation, the instructor has to divide his or her time fairly between all participants; a new client necessitates and deserves the teacher's full attention.  Ab Fab Pilates operates a three-tier system of progression into classes.  You start with our Introductory Package of four private sessions, then continue with private or semi-private sessions, until you are ready for classes.  An ongoing program of privates and semi-privates is also an option, especially for clients with chronic injury or for those clients who want more personal attention.

Pilates is a lifetime journey.  Even instructors are constantly learning more and focusing on improving their techniques, which is why most of them work out with other instructors.  Ab Fab Pilates sessions are always conducted by an instructor to optimize form, technique and results.

It's wonderful that mass media has made Pilates more available.  However there is no replacement for working with a comprehensively trained, classical Pilates instructor whose first concern is your safety, while focusing on form, alignment and the Powerhouse connection.

Joseph Pilates began creating his exercises for his own body to cure himself of rickets and asthma.  In his early career, Mr. Pilates was involved primarily in training men, including the prestigious Scotland Yard police in London and the Hamburg Military Police in his native Germany.  When he moved to New York, Mr. Pilates opened his studio in a building that housed rehearsal spaces for dancers and actors, which resulted in the close association of Pilates with that community and the misconception that Pilates is for dancers, particularly women.  Joseph Pilates was very much a man's man and eager to show off his strength and prowess. 

At Ab Fab Pilates, our male clients include golfers, boxers, triathletes, marathon runners together with amateur and professional world-class surfers.  Simply put, Joseph Pilates' exercises were designed by a man for men.  Thankfully, women are reaping the benefits too.

Anyone can do Pilates!  With over 500 exercises in the Method, a workout can be tailored to meet your requirements.  Our Power Pilates certified instructors are rigorously trained to work with special populations, including chronic back, neck and knee injuries; hip replacements; scoliosis and obesity.  Power Pilates is owned by a chiropractor, Dr. Howard Sichel, so a great part of the Power Pilates training program is devoted to functional anatomy and the study of chronic conditions.

If you are under the supervision of a doctor, a note from him or her is required before you begin exercising at Ab Fab Pilates.

Initially Pilates is performed slowly with an emphasis on alignment and working from the core.  As you move into the Intermediate repertoire, the work begins to flow, resulting in a more cardiovascular workout.  At all levels, you start to build muscle, which burns more calories than fat.  Plus, you'll see changes in your body that will make you look slimmer.  If you have a significant weight loss goal (over 15 pounds), we recommend combining Pilates with diet and cardiovascular exercise in the beginning.  Obviously results will vary from person to person.  "In one month of coming to Ab Fab Pilates, I have lost 14 pounds and 22 inches.  I have cut 'bad carbohydrates' from my diet, but Pilates is the only exercise program I have undertaken.  I fully attribute the ratio of inches to pounds lost to my Ab Fab Pilates program."  Mary E, client.

Ab Fab Pilates offers pre-natal Pilates to existing clients.  Pregnant women should be very cautious about beginning new exercise programs.  Please call Ab Fab to discuss your options with a certified instructor.  "I continually thank my Pilates classes for giving me the physical strength and the breathing control to get through labor without medication", Kris W, client.

At Ab Fab Pilates, we recommend form-fitting clothes so that the instructor can see your abdominal area.  For women, yoga pants are the best option.  Short, loose shorts are not practical for Pilates, please wear bike shorts underneath.  Clean socks should be worn for all equipment sessions.