pilates

Pilates ProWorks Review: San Francisco Marina Location

02.12.2017

It has been a lonnnggg time since I last did reformer pilates! As you all know I love my current rotation: weight training, running, yoga. BUT I do love to mix it up a bit and always like to add pilates in the mix when I am in a rut and need something a little different. As I’ve said before, we always want to keep our body guessing and make sure we dont get used to a certain routine.

A few weekends ago Pilates ProWorks (the San Francisco Marina location on Union Street) invited me to experience a class. The studio offers reformer pilates, mat boxing and TRX classes but I decided to go with the reformer. Right around the corner from my house, I signed up for a Saturday morning class with Clarissa. From the moment I walked in, the staff was super friendly which is something that I notice and take note of right away. The class before me was just finishing up so after a few minutes it was time to take to the reformer. The class was super intimate which I loved. It was only a class of 10 or so which was great and didn’t feel too crowded like your average studio. The studio was extremely clean, equipment was super well maintained, staff was friendly and the teacher was excellent- thank you Clarissa!

I have done pilates quite a few times, but it’s been awhile. I wasn’t exactly comfortable on the reformer at first, but after Clarissa set me up and showed me how to adjust the resistance I was good to go. The class was challenging and targeted muscles that I have not used (or noticed I used) in a long time! The moves are repetitive but that is certainly the exhausting part. If I am sore the next day, I can tell that was a great workout. And I WAS sore! We focused mostly on legs, so I am wondering if different body parts are focused on each class. Let me know in the comments if you are familiar!

I will say, I do prefer more high intensity workouts and am looking forward to trying the mat box or TRX class next. I was a bit disappointed that I didn’t break a sweat and for me that’s key to feeling like I had a great session. Also, classes fill up FAST! I had a hard time booking actually and I would definitely feel disappointed if I had to schedule like that often.

(2 images above via Pilates ProWorks)

Tips for your first class:

Bring grippy socks with you to class as they are required. You can also purchase them at the studio for $15
There are not showers at the Marina location and not a lot of space to hang out so its best to plan to go home and shower after class
Introduce yourself to the instructor and let him/her know you are new. The will keep an eye on you during class and make sure you are doing moves correctly in order to avoid injury. They will also show you how to work the reformer and adjust resistance
Bring a water bottle and prepare to be sore the next day!

The facts:

Pilates ProWorks was founded in San Francisco in 2010 by a husband and wife duo and since have launched 15 studios in the US and South America.

Pilates Pro classes deliver a powerful 40- or 55-minute workout in a small group setting, in which each person works on their own FitFormer™ Pilates machine. This class combines resistance, lengthening, strength training, and cardio to aid in weight loss, define muscle, improve strength, endurance and flexibility, and boost energy.

matBox is a full-body workout that brings together Kickboxing, Pilates and Yoga into one powerful 55-minute session. The class starts with a round of high-intensity kickboxing with a punching bag. Then, the gloves come off and you hit the mat for a round of Pilates to strengthen your core. The final round incorporates Yoga to leave you aligned, balanced and fully invigorated. The result is a balanced mix of high-energy and focused intensity that tones, aligns and blasts calories. (Cant wait to try this class next!)

San Francisco locations:

2238 Union St, San Francisco, CA 94123 (Marina)
563 Commercial St, San Francisco, CA 94111 (Fidi)

If you want to check out a class they have a few deals running!

Purchase a whole year of unlimited classes in 2017 for $2,017. This works out to $168 per month.
For new clients, enroll in a FIT 10 autopay membership and get your whole first month for $20.17. This works out to $12.34 per class.

Regular prices:

New clients: $20 for your first class or $135 1 month unlimited
1 class is normally $30
They also offer 5, 10 or 20 packs (click here for full price list)

Have you taken a class at Pilates ProWorks before? If so, did you enjoy?

Thanks for reading! xo

Guest Post: How to Maintain Your Weight During the Holidays

11.19.2013

Happy Tuesday! In case you missed my last post from a totally amazing woman and founder of Burn pilates, I wanted to bring her back for another guest post! This time Lisa Corsello talks about how to get through this holiday season to prevent weight gain and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Here she is:

Maintain Your Weight During the Holidays

Fitness Expert Gives Tips to Prevent Holiday Weight Gain

The Holiday season has jump-started, which means fun with family and friends are in the near future! Gathering around a table for a feast with our loved ones can be fun, but can also put quite a dent in our efforts to keep a healthy lifestyle.

This season, keep your diet on track! Personal trainer and fitness expert, Lisa Corsello, wants to share these five tips to keep your weight in check during the holidays, while still being able to enjoy the assortment of foods on the dinner table.

1. Weigh Yourself Regularly– Studies show that those who weigh themselves regularly are able to maintain their weight more easily. By being aware of when we start to gain weight, we can make small, manageable adjustments to diet and exercise to maintain weight.

2. Exercise Portion Control– Don’t skip meals or deprive yourself of the foods you love this holiday season. Instead, practice eating only half of what you would normally eat when it comes to dessert and rich side dishes. Load up on the healthier side dishes (high fiber veggies) and leaner cuts of meat (breast) so you’ll stay fuller longer.

3. Stay Active– Try to carve out a bit of time for exercise each day. Not only will regular exercise help maintain your weight, but it’s also a great way to relieve stress and sleep better.

4. Plan Ahead– Go online and research just how many calories are in the foods you normally eat during the holiday season. Being aware of what you’re putting in your body can help you find healthier alternatives. Also, try to stock up on healthy snacks that help ease cravings and satisfy your appetite, such as nuts or plain popcorn.

5. Change it Up– Try a new exercise class, walking/running route, or sport. Trying something different will challenge your body in a new and healthy way, and it will help keep your routine fresh and your mind more engaged.

Tip: Rate your current exercise routine on a scale of 1-10, 1 being something extremely easy and 10 the most challenging. During your next workout, try to increase that number by 1. After a week, if you’re feeling good, increase it again. Being mindful of the quality of your workout will help lead to better, healthier routines with great results.

About Lisa Corsello
Lisa is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer, nutrition consultant and group fitness instructor who works with clients to create customized, goal-oriented exercise and nutrition plans. Using her extensive training and fitness background, Lisa has developed a popular new fitness technique called Burn. The 55-minute workout brings the benefits of dynamic individualized workouts to groups using a method that draws upon the best of Pilates, strength and core training for optimal results. Her programs emphasize constant movement using circuits to challenge and improve endurance, agility, balance and strength, with appropriate focus on stressing proper form and method. Each workout incorporates dynamic strength and cardiovascular training with active recovery techniques targeting all major muscle groups. Sessions are intended to be learning experiences that constantly evolve, keeping each one challenging and fresh.

She has successfully adapted and applied her methods to clients with a wide range of abilities and capabilities; absolute beginners needing basic knowledge, enthusiasts who want to increase lean body mass and reduce body fat, people recovering from sports injuries or _serious illness, and professional athletes in training. Lisa, a Lululemon Athletica Ambassador, has been a featured fitness expert onWebMDas well as inMy Family Doctor Magazine, LowCarb Magazine, Current Health Magazine, and Cornell University’s Food & Fitness Advisor newsletter. In fact, Lisa is a regularly featured fitness expert on the KPIX Weekend Morning Show. Lisa is currently a contributing fitness expert on SingleMindedWomen.com.

Thanks for reading! And thanks for the great tips Lisa! 🙂

Meet Lisa Corsello of Burn / Top 5 Reasons to Circuit Train

10.07.2013

Hey everyone! I was recently invited to attend a Burn pilates class here in San Francisco, and LOVED it! It’s not your ordinary pilates class, but super high intensity circuit training involving both strength training, cardio and much more. This class kicked my butt (in a good way) and I cant wait to go back! So excited to introduce you all to Lisa who is the owner AND founder of Burn. This woman does it all and is such an inspiration to me. She will also give us the top 5 reasons why circuit training is so important to include in your workout regime. Here she is:

Top 5 Reasons to Circuit Train

By Lisa Corsello, owner and found of Burn

Circuit training, put very simply, is all about doing a variety of exercises with a relatively short amount of time in between each set. Circuits can be done just about anywhere, with just about any combo of exercises. Not sold yet? Read on for the Top 5 Reasons To Circuit Train. I guarantee once you try it you’ll agree. . . . .

1. Efficiency: If you’re looking to get the most out of your workout time, circuit training is the best example of quality over quantity. Moving from one circuit to another keeps the heart rate up and helps increase endurance due to the lack of rest time and the different challenges presented by each exercise.

2. Work Harder: Because each exercise in a circuit is performed for a relatively short amount of time, it’s harder to get bored. Think about it- if you know you’ll be on a spin bike for an hour, how likely are you to challenge yourself the entire time? If you know you’ll be on the spin bike for 3 minutes and then onto something totally different, you are more likely to push harder on the bike.

3. Reduce chance of injury: Because circuits are designed to incorporate many different exercise techniques, the body becomes not only stronger, but better able to take on stress. By training the entire body in many different ways, circuits help create a better overall fitness foundation and level of body awareness that can help reduce injuries in and out of the gym.

4. Burn more calories: Circuits work the entire body, which results in more calorie burn during and after the workout. The after– burn differs, depending on the person, but studies show that the resting metabolic rate remains elevated after a workout and long-term as more lean body mass is achieved. In other words, you keep burning calories, even after your workout.

5. Break through plateaus: Plateaus can be caused by the body’s adaptation to a workout. What was once challenging gets easier over time, if done consistently. Circuit training, therefore, helps keep plateaus at bay by offering a variety of different movements to keep the body focused and working.

Google top circuit workouts and follow the high-intensity exercises,without pausing, three times through, at least three days a week, and you’ll be showing off a sleeker body by the end of the month.

If you are in the Bay Area and prefer group circuit exercise, come to one of my classes at Burn in San Francisco and torch a few calories. See schedule at www.burnsf.com

She has successfully adapted and applied her methods to clients with a wide range of abilities and capabilities; absolute beginners needing basic knowledge, enthusiasts who want to increase lean body mass and reduce body fat, people recovering from sports injuries or serious illness, and professional athletes in training. Lisa, a Lululemon Athletica Ambassador, has been a featured fitness expert on WebMDas well as inMy Family Doctor Magazine, LowCarb Magazine, Current Health Magazine, and Cornell University’s Food & Fitness Advisor newsletter. In fact, Lisa is a regularly featured fitness expert on the KPIX Weekend Morning Show. Lisa is currently a contributing fitness expert on SingleMindedWomen.com.

—————–

Thanks again for having us and teaching us your ways Lisa!!

WE HEART BURN!!!

Connect with Burn: Website / Facebook / Twitter / You Tube

pilates

Latest from Instagram