Spin Pilates, Anyone?

[Julibird]

Have you taken any of MDA's cert/workshops in Pilates? Any good?

I am looking into another more extensive cert but am wondering if this would be a short term solution.

Thoughts? Advice?

Julie

[wh8sox]

No one has replied, so I'll give it a try. I have not taken Spin Pilates. I think they offer the full cert as well as a spinning plus Pilates workshop.

Are you currently teaching pilates? If you are a Spinning.com member check out the video set on the website--good price!

I share the opinion that you need a name brand cert to get hired, then it is up to you. Continuing ed for Pilates is not very good...IMHO..

I am not convinced that Spin Pilates is a name brand cert yet. I have a PHI cert which is probably very similar to the Spin Pilates because of the Marci Clark connection. Check out the videos from Spinning.

Next month I'll be taking a couple Spin Pilates workshops with the MDA folks. I'll let you know then.

btw what was meant by short term solution?

[Julibird]

No one has replied, so I'll give it a try. I have not taken Spin Pilates. I think they offer the full cert as well as a spinning plus Pilates workshop.

Are you currently teaching pilates? If you are a Spinning.com member check out the video set on the website--good price!

I share the opinion that you need a name brand cert to get hired, then it is up to you. Continuing ed for Pilates is not very good...IMHO..

I am not convinced that Spin Pilates is a name brand cert yet. I have a PHI cert which is probably very similar to the Spin Pilates because of the Marci Clark connection. Check out the videos from Spinning.

Next month I'll be taking a couple Spin Pilates workshops with the MDA folks. I'll let you know then.

btw what was meant by short term solution?

Thanks for responding. I look forward to hearing your feedback after you do the MDA workshop.

I don't teach Pilates. I go to classes in Mat and Reformer at a Pilates gym that also is a Pilates Academy International certification school. It is a satalite to Pilates on Fifth. http://www.pilatesonfifth.com/Certification.shtml

Meanwhile, the group ex. director encouraged me to get certified and start teaching at our gym. The short term solution would be to do the quickie Spin/MDA cert. The PAI cert takes a couple weeks of classes, hours of practicum, and more costly. But it is a great foundation. That interests me more, but the MDA cert would be good enough for the gym where I currently teach Spinning. It would not be accepted at other places where I might hope to teach in the future.

So - for a weekend and a couple of hundred dollars (MDA), I could start soon. But I'd be flying by the seat of my pants.

How many classes do you teach? Do you enjoy it?

Julie

[sandy]

I've never taken it, but somehow I ended up with star points for taking a Spin Pilates continuing ed course.:confused:

[wh8sox]

Thanks for responding. I look forward to hearing your feedback after you do the MDA workshop.

I don't teach Pilates. I go to classes in Mat and Reformer at a Pilates gym that also is a Pilates Academy International certification school. It is a satalite to Pilates on Fifth. http://www.pilatesonfifth.com/Certification.shtml

Meanwhile, the group ex. director encouraged me to get certified and start teaching at our gym. The short term solution would be to do the quickie Spin/MDA cert. The PAI cert takes a couple weeks of classes, hours of practicum, and more costly. But it is a great foundation. That interests me more, but the MDA cert would be good enough for the gym where I currently teach Spinning. It would not be accepted at other places where I might hope to teach in the future.

So - for a weekend and a couple of hundred dollars (MDA), I could start soon. But I'd be flying by the seat of my pants.

How many classes do you teach? Do you enjoy it?

Julie


Given your situation I wouldn't hesitate to do the MDA cert. I am sure it is fine. I do suggest picking a mentor or two to work with and talk things through with. I have not found the online community in the Pilates world that exists in the Cycling world.

Getting started is the key and just practice, see what works and what doesn't. The class/instructor interaction is quite a bit different than what you get in a cycling class.

I do an equipment class and two/three mat classes a week. I do enjoy it, I wish I was better at performing the exercises. I am not a PT and don't really have the desire to do privates, so that limits what I can do at this point.

I love the pilates on 5th podcasts!

[veespin]

Have you taken any of MDA's cert/workshops in Pilates? Any good?

I am looking into another more extensive cert but am wondering if this would be a short term solution.

Thoughts? Advice?

Julie

Julie.....I think I've done this course.

That statement there tells you everything about its value as a stand alone certification.

Back when I first did my orientation, I didn't have a teaching gig or any real contacts and only the occasional sub or two came my way. I did pretty much every certification that cropped up in the NY area just for the exposure to other instructors as much as the course content themselves.

It was OK....if it's the course I'm thinking of....but I viewed it as more of a handful of ideas that could be used within the Spin room setting (although, not any Spin room I've subsequently taught in) rather than any sort of foundation course for Pilates proper.

Mind you.....I've come to the conclusion that extending your repertoire is as much a function of personality as it is specific certification. I'm very much a pre-planner and really like to have my act down before I offer my "product" to the paying customer (this is true for the fitness world as it is for dentistry) As a consequence, I've taken all sorts of courses that have been offered to me but never dared start teaching them for fear of being the first timer, so take my opinion in that context.

Vivienne

[wh8sox]

Julie.....I think I've done this course.

That statement there tells you everything about its value as a stand alone certification.

Back when I first did my orientation, I didn't have a teaching gig or any real contacts and only the occasional sub or two came my way. I did pretty much every certification that cropped up in the NY area just for the exposure to other instructors as much as the course content themselves.

It was OK....if it's the course I'm thinking of....but I viewed it as more of a handful of ideas that could be used within the Spin room setting (although, not any Spin room I've subsequently taught in) rather than any sort of foundation course for Pilates proper.

Mind you.....I've come to the conclusion that extending your repertoire is as much a function of personality as it is specific certification. I'm very much a pre-planner and really like to have my act down before I offer my "product" to the paying customer (this is true for the fitness world as it is for dentistry) As a consequence, I've taken all sorts of courses that have been offered to me but never dared start teaching them for fear of being the first timer, so take my opinion in that context.

Vivienne

I find this confusing myself, and blame MDA. I think Juli was asking about getting a Mat Pilates certification from MDA. This was first called fit core or core fit, or spin-something or other. It was basically Marci Clark from PHI (aka powerhouse) joining MDA and starting a Pilates program. The program looks like a mee-too of most of the other weekend certification programs (usually 16+hrs for the first course). Most programs then offer additional levels and equipment/props courses. If you go all the way with them you are in for ~$3,000 and about 6 weekends.

All most gyms require is a basic Mat level 1 to teach, because most gyms do not have towers and reformers. Usually smaller studios have the equipment.

If I can digress--I wonder what MDA was thinking when they went into this arena and away from spinning. They seem to be offering more and more programs away from the core business of cycling. They are/were dominant in cycling --right--why not focus on that business segment instead of doing all this other stuff (half a$$ed). The half a$$ part is the customer service/website/name changes stuff. There is now a spinfitness thing out there that I haven't figured out.

I have never been to WSSC. Have they always offered all the other stuff like Yoga, Pilates, and all the other non-cycling "products" that have been offered in recent years?

Does any club really do a half spin half pilates class? come-on..

[cfoam4me]

If I can digress--I wonder what MDA was thinking when they went into this arena and away from spinning. They seem to be offering more and more programs away from the core business of cycling. They are/were dominant in cycling --right--why not focus on that business segment instead of doing all this other stuff (half a$$ed). The half a$$ part is the customer service/website/name changes stuff.

My guess is it's all about $$$$$$$$$$$ and how much more they think they will make offering other carp. Customer service is horrible, my account still isn't right but since I'm certified till 2055, I no longer care to keep calling them about it. :roll:

[wh8sox]

Does anyone know if they are making any money at the other (than cycling) carp?

[Kathleen H]

Since I have stopped buying their stuff.....Probably not.

In all seriousness, it is hard to say.

[Julibird]

I find this confusing myself, and blame MDA. I think Juli was asking about getting a Mat Pilates certification from MDA. This was first called fit core or core fit, or spin-something or other. It was basically Marci Clark from PHI (aka powerhouse) joining MDA and starting a Pilates program. The program looks like a mee-too of most of the other weekend certification programs (usually 16+hrs for the first course). Most programs then offer additional levels and equipment/props courses. If you go all the way with them you are in for ~$3,000 and about 6 weekends.

All most gyms require is a basic Mat level 1 to teach, because most gyms do not have towers and reformers. Usually smaller studios have the equipment.

If I can digress--I wonder what MDA was thinking when they went into this arena and away from spinning. They seem to be offering more and more programs away from the core business of cycling. They are/were dominant in cycling --right--why not focus on that business segment instead of doing all this other stuff (half a$$ed). The half a$$ part is the customer service/website/name changes stuff. There is now a spinfitness thing out there that I haven't figured out.

I have never been to WSSC. Have they always offered all the other stuff like Yoga, Pilates, and all the other non-cycling "products" that have been offered in recent years?

Does any club really do a half spin half pilates class? come-on..

Thanks for the opinions and ideas. I'm going to ask around in my area for more guidance here and let you know if I learn anything re: MDA spin.

The gyms where I work usually have yoga or pilates immediately before or after Spin, so from a directors standpoint it is more desirable to hire and schedule an instructor who can do both. Plus each class membership feeds the other one - so attendance is boosted. That's what I learned from our director. That's at least how she sees it. And she finds Spin instructors are easy to come by, and Pilates instructors less plentiful.

[wh8sox]

Thanks for the opinions and ideas. I'm going to ask around in my area for more guidance here and let you know if I learn anything re: MDA spin.

The gyms where I work usually have yoga or pilates immediately before or after Spin, so from a directors standpoint it is more desirable to hire and schedule an instructor who can do both. Plus each class membership feeds the other one - so attendance is boosted. That's what I learned from our director. That's at least how she sees it. And she finds Spin instructors are easy to come by, and Pilates instructors less plentiful.

What your Director is saying is just what I do--Back to back classes and I get a lot of cross pollenation between the two.. Getting a sub is a bit of a drag, but don't let that stop you.

For educational materials: get the Romanna Video set on ebay. The spin pilates set is cheap and pretty good. The Winsor set is ok (probably the most popular with the masses).

For Books Pilates for Men by Lyon and Pilates by Rael Isacowitz are two of the best books.