Ten styles of reformer Pilates.

Origin: Joseph Pilates, then Romana Kryzanowska, New York

Philosophy. Faithful preservation of Joseph's original system. Specific order of exercises, traditional vocabulary, Joseph's original apparatus specifications.

Feel. Flowing, sequenced, rigorous. The order matters; each exercise prepares the body for the next. Demanding but logical.

Best for. Traditionalists, dancers, members who want to feel the through-line back to Joseph himself.

At R1SE: Strong classical influence in our Foundation curriculum; we teach the named repertoire in its traditional sequence.

Origin: Moira and Lindsay Merrithew, Toronto

Philosophy. Contemporary biomechanical interpretation. Pre-Pilates warm-ups, neutral spine focus, large evidence-base orientation, strong physiotherapy crossover.

Feel. Slower-paced, alignment-first, science-led. Frequently uses props (Magic Circle, foam rollers).

Best for. Beginners with anatomical interest, members with low-back pain, rehabilitation populations, members coming from physiotherapy.

At R1SE: Our contemporary Flow and Fit sessions draw heavily from Stott's biomechanical lens.

Origin: Rael Isacowitz, California

Philosophy. Comprehensive method synthesising classical and contemporary thinking. Strong block-system pedagogy and one of the most respected teacher-training routes globally.

Feel. Methodical, beautifully sequenced, with a strong emphasis on the connection between intention and execution.

Best for. Members who want the depth of classical with the science of contemporary; aspiring instructors evaluating training routes.

At R1SE: Several R1SE instructors hold BASI credentials; influences our Flow and Fit programming.

Origin: Brent Anderson, USA

Philosophy. Rehabilitation-focused. Strong physical-therapy roots, emphasis on individual assessment, motor-control principles, return-to-function pathways.

Feel. Therapeutic, individualised, often slower and more cued than a classical class.

Best for. Post-injury return-to-strength, members with persistent musculoskeletal issues, physiotherapists adding Pilates to their toolkit.

At R1SE: We refer members with clinical needs to physiotherapists trained in Polestar; sessions at R1SE are designed to follow on safely from a rehab pathway.

Origin: Ron Fletcher (Pilates Elder), Los Angeles

Philosophy. Dance-influenced lineage. Distinctive ‘towelwork’, percussive breathing pattern, choreographic flow.

Feel. Theatrical, breath-driven, deeply flowing.

Best for. Dancers, members who love rhythm and breath as primary cues, those drawn to the historical lineage through Ron Fletcher.

At R1SE: Influences our reformer warm-up patterns and breath cueing language.

Origin: Australian physiotherapy community, then global

Philosophy. Pilates delivered by a registered physiotherapist as a rehabilitation modality. Highly individualised; often one-to-one rather than group.

Feel. Therapeutic, assessment-led, slow.

Best for. Members in active rehab from injury or surgery; those with specific medical conditions needing professional adaptation.

At R1SE: We work with several Sheffield physiotherapists for clinical referrals; once cleared, members transition into our small-group reformer programme.

Origin: Sebastien Lagree, Los Angeles

Philosophy. Hybrid of Pilates equipment with high-intensity, low-impact, slow-burn group fitness. Heavily modified reformer (Megaformer) with extended carriage and different cable system.

Feel. Intense, hot, fast-paced, group-music driven. Closer to a Pilates-shaped HIIT class than to classical Pilates.

Best for. Group-fitness enthusiasts wanting low-impact intensity, members who find classical Pilates too slow, those chasing visible body-composition changes quickly.

At R1SE: Not currently offered. Our Fit class incorporates some Lagree-style intensity within a classically-grounded Pilates structure.

Origin: Various professional sports clubs and rehab gyms

Philosophy. Reformer Pilates programmed specifically for sports performance, rotational power, hip mobility, asymmetry correction, in-season recovery.

Feel. Performance-focused, often unilateral, higher spring loads on functional patterns.

Best for. Members training for a specific sport (Premier League, F1, rugby, golf, running), or wanting reformer to be primarily a strength-conditioning input.

At R1SE: Foundation of our Fit reformer class; we have several runners and footballers using reformer specifically for this purpose.

Origin: Eve Gentry, Santa Fe; refined globally since

Philosophy. Reformer adapted to support pregnancy through every trimester and rebuild postnatal pelvic-floor and deep-core function.

Feel. Cautious in the first trimester (or paused); progressively loaded thereafter. Heavy emphasis on pelvic-floor coordination, breath, and avoidance of supine work after week 16.

Best for. Pregnant members (with midwife sign-off), postnatal members at 6+ weeks post-delivery (or longer for caesarean), members with diastasis recti.

At R1SE: Our pre/postnatal-trained instructors run modified sessions; please flag pregnancy on booking so we can adapt.

Origin: Joseph Pilates wrote both into the original system

Philosophy. Mat Pilates is the body-weight version; reformer adds spring resistance, supported positions and a wider range of progressions. Joseph never intended them to be separated; both belong in a complete practice.

Feel. Mat is harder than it looks; reformer is easier than it looks. Both demand the same six principles.

Best for. Most members benefit from doing both. Mat builds bodyweight strength and proprioception; reformer adds load and depth.

At R1SE: Both available, mat sessions at Brook Place and Kelham, reformer at Brook Place.