Real People Pilates

Karinne is the #1 Joint/​Muscle Genius in my life. When I have an issue, she observes how I move and with her knowledge of anatomy, she instantly constructs a plan how to release or strengthen the problem area. If I tell her something doesn’t feel good (during the exercise), Karinne figures out (in a second) how to do the exercise another way without hurting me OR thinks of another exercise that would be better for me.
Karinne has a quick & flexible mind, sunny disposition, and is empathetic, a good listener and most of all, has the rare ability to WORK my muscles SANS PAIN. I tend to pull tension in my neck, so she always has me do neck releases after each exercise or so and she watches me like a hawk for tension.
Karinne is the STANDARD against whom I measure ALL other teachers. I have been with Karinne for 6+ years, so she has been with me during my strong (non-​injured) times and injured times. I am particularly thankful to have her this year, as I injured myself after 5 sessions of TRX (thought I would branch out from yoga/​pilates) in February 2014. I continued my weekly session with Karinne throughout my physical therapy (14 sessions — 2 different therapists). It was Karinne who really watched how I moved (would do some homework exercises for her) and corrected my alignment. Karinne was also able to add to my home exercises and I’ve gotten STRONGER (less pain) as a result.
Karinne’s knowledge is also applicable to daily life. Because I can no longer do vigorous yoga, I began walking, then started to have knee pain. In one session with Karinne, she diagnosed what I was doing with my feet & knees, did exercises to jump start muscle memory and then told me what to do when walking and it WORKED. Also, at her behest, I am now stretching my hamstrings and psoas before and after I walk. After trying to pick up a napkin from the floor during an event and experiencing pain, I asked Karinne the best way to bend and we practicing me bending over while keeping my lumbar neutral. I can now clean for longer periods of time as a result. She even figured out that my chronic habit of crossing one leg over the other (when I work) was contributing to my back pain.
In short, if I experience pain doing something, I mention it to Karinne during our session and she always has a solution.
Karinne’s corrections for me:
1. When walking, make sure weight on outer foot is same as inner foot (I tend to over-​pronate). Make sure knees are in line with 2^nd and 3^rd toe (I tend to let my knees point outward, so need to keep knees in). Make sure chin not too high, but slightly down so my cheekbones are level with my ears (she demonstrated this). Make sure front ribs in so lightly contract abs. (I tend to arch.)
2. When doing exercises on back, make sure weight on both sides of hips is even (I tend to put more weight in left hip) and lengthen both sides of waist (I tend to shorten the right side).
3. When doing plank, make sure TA contracted and elbows bent a little (to use arm muscles instead of joints).
4. When doing leg lifts or bicycling on back, make sure TA contracted BEFORE lifting or kicking out (so lower back doesn’t take the work)
5. Right now, my lumbar prefers neutral, no pelvic tilts back and forth or rolling down in bridge (results in nerve pain afterwards).
6. When side stretching, be sure to lift UP from waist and stretch UP as high as possible before bending
7. No crossing legs for me when working (hard habit to break, especially when stressed).
8. When doing arm weights, shoulders away from ears, use back muscles, keep shoulder blades in place

Fantastic instructors and facility. I’ve heard that all the instructors are good. The ones I’ve used are outstanding: Joseph, Kelli, and Amber. I go 3x a week for ½ hour private sessions and it has made a remarkable difference in the way my mbody feels and overall health.

After a rear end collision left me in chronic pain and a herniated
Disk in my neck, I was struggling with depression. I tried chiropractic care acupuncture and physical therapy. Nothing worked much for me, the message I was left with was ways to cope with chronic pain. Then I met Joseph at R.P.P. Without any promises of a cure, he was confident he could help me, I learned to move my body, my joints and most importantly my spine in ways I’d forgotten was possible. He helped me take it slow and safe, soon I was almost pain free and able to get stronger and more flexible. Today I am back at the gym, bike riding and enjoying being a dad again. Pretty much cured, and in many ways better than my pre accident health. This place saved my life, Thank you Joseph!

I have been going to Real People Pilates for a year and a half. My husband got it for me for Christmas and it’s stuck. Lori Parton is an excellent teacher, really knowledgable about the body and with a kind heart to boot. I have neck and back issues and I find that her careful instruction makes it possible for me to do sessions without injury. I’ve gotten strong and I enjoy the sessions. Lori deserves lots of clients! Give her a try at this friendly, caring studio full of really nice people like owners Karinne and Joseph Quinn. Erin Lutzko is also a complete sweetheart! I never tire of chatting with her during my Tuesday sessions. LOVE her too.

Lori Parton is wonderful! I am so glad I found her. She has no shortage of wonderful excercises for me, and I have already become much stronger.

I’ve been doing pilates here for over three years now. I can swear by the difference it has made. Both for bartending and old man sports like softball. I can run as fast as I used to while avoiding the aches and pains from long bartending shifts. I’ve now worked one on one with Kelli Colson for the past year and she has been awesome. We just started doing small group matt classes and the extra work has really payed off. There’s usually an extra space if you wanna join!

I have a chronic back problem and last year my chiropractor finally said «you gotta start doing pilates.» This place is in my neighborhood and I was lucky to get Lori Parton as my instructor. She’s super positive and encouraging and she really pays attention and listens and tailors each session to me and my particular issues. The location is nice and the equipment is top notch and kept clean. Can’t recommend real people pilates and Lori highly enough.

I have been doing pilates consistently here for about three months now…
For a second there I thought I had a tape worm
…enough said!!!

A little over a year ago, my wife (fiancé at the time) and I were in full wedding planning mode when she suggested we get on some sort of regular exercise regimen to look our best for the wedding. Since she already looked perfect I could only conclude that she was delicately pointing to my soft middle and its need for a tune-​up. The gym? Puhleeze! Hot yoga? My own personal hell. After passing by Real People’s Pilates everyday on our way to work and with 3 months to go until the wedding, we decided to give it a try.
Fast forward 13 months later… We are still here. The wedding? Spectacular. But we couldn’t stop and nor do we want to. The feeling you get after a pilates workout? Incredible!
Joseph (the owner) is enthusiastic, fun, deeply-​knowledgeable, and genuinely vested in his clients. Though we were in a «duet» which saved us lots of money, the sessions could not be more personal and tailored to the physical differences between my wife and I. He takes the time explain not only what the excercises are meant to accomplish, but why they are important and effective. He and his lovely wife, Karinne, even gave us cool grippy socks and homemade cookies for Christmas!
Bottom line, for someone who never really saw himself doing something like Pilates, I’m hooked! The method and techniques are great, but it is Joseph’s instruction and the care with which he runs his studio that keeps us coming.

I’ve been going to RPP for around 4 years and feel right at home in the Berkeley Studio. I have taken solo and duets with Joseph, the owner, and I can easily rave about his precision, attention to individual needs, and of course what a good friend he’s become over the years. I also cherish what I’ve learned about my body, how strong I feel, and how I can alleviate neck or back pain using simple movements I’ve learned from Joseph. I enjoy the flexibility with scheduling due to my nutty work schedule, and the fact that there are always smiling friendly folks coming in and out of the studio. I highly recommend RPP for beginners and advanced students alike. Your body, spirit, (and wallet) will thank you!

LOVE IT! If Unilocal gave me the option to rate this place 10 stars I would!!! This place is amazing! The studio is cozy, clean, and well-​equipped! The entire staff is super nice and cheerful! My instructor is Erin Lutsko and she’s AMAZING! She is super nice and supportive all the time! (Even at 6 am when I’m half asleep!) She challenges me in a way that is both motivating and helpful. She always makes sure that I’m doing the movements correctly, making sure I am not going to injure my back or knee (I have slight knee problems). I definitely feel that I have gotten stronger, leaner, and more flexible over these 2 months since joining thanks to Erin’s awesome teaching ability! Look no further– you’ve found the best pilates studio!

This review is for Erin Lutsko:
Erin is an amazing pilates instructor and I highly recommend private or duet sessions with her. She always challenges me in a warm and encouraging way, keeping me motivated. Her core and arm/​shoulder series are both always tough but satisfying, and she has helped me with tightness in my hamstrings, lower back and pecs. Erin is very knowledgable about the human body and is able to give me a handful of exercises and suggestions for literally any ache or pain I have. She has consistently been an crucial resource in diagnosing my body’s quirks/​issues and giving me concrete things to focus on at home related to my posture, stance, walking and sleep position. She takes her work very seriously and is always eager to help with any physical issue, sometimes doing further research on her own time about the specific issue I’m having. If you tell her you have pain in your ankle (or your shoulder /​wherever) she will want to know exactly where on the ankle the pain is and exactly what motion you’re doing when it flares up so she can diagnose the situation properly. She is able to explain very clearly how certain muscles are connected and work together and how, for example, my poor posture might impact a bunch of muscle groups. In addition, Erin is such a sweet person who clearly cares about her clients on a personal level. Throughout our sessions she corrects my form even in subtle ways and she regularly checks in with me to make sure I am never in pain. Erin is very cheerful and also very patient, which is a large part of why I keep coming back to our sessions. She makes our sessions genuinely fun because of her great personality. I’ve worked with many pilates instructors at various Berkeley studios and they have all been great but Erin stands out as one of the most genuinely caring ones. Leah Paperno, who used to work at Real People Pilates as well, is also amazing and I saw her regularly until she moved out of state.
I also recommend Bridgette’s group classes at Real People, which are fun and engaging. Class sizes are limited to 5 people, so you get a lot of personal attention. Bridgette is also a pleasure to work with. All around great staff at this studio!

I was in Berkeley for a week and found Carinne… she is a true treasure! I learned so much from her and really took my Pilates practice to a whole new level. It’s a wonderful studio… I can’t recommend it enough. I only wished I didn’t live so far away (NYC)!!

After an ACL replacement and meniscus tear surgery, per the surgeon’s orders, I went to physical therapy once a week for 4 months with a slow recovery.
Then I decided to supplement my PT with Karinne at Real People Pilates, and my ambulatory life changed in no time at all.
I’d never done Pilates before and was quite the skeptic, so was not an easy client. But Karinne was determined and persistent. She guided me along the Pilates way, always with wonderful compassion and a big bright smile. She refused to allow me to push through the pain, and instead found clever ways to work the same muscle groups without causing pain.
Before my very eyes, my muscles began to strengthen, the stability in my knee and thus my walking improved, and the tremendous pain I felt walking down stairs began to subside.
I credit Karinne with accelerating my rehabilitation at a pace 3 – 5 times faster than PT was doing for me. In addition, my sitting AND standing posture improved dramatically with my newly formed muscle groups in my legs and core supporting me. Wow. I had no idea I could feel this good.
The Real People Pilates studio was superbly clean, beautiful, warm and welcoming. The staff were incredibly friendly. And Karinne was a genius healer to whom I will always be grateful.
If you are recovering from any kind of injury or need to strengthen a certain area of your body, I can’t recommend Real People Pilates enough. They rock!
~ Hitch

Summary review:
Real People Pilates is a solid, accessible and welcoming studio for people new to Pilates.
Liza taught me the basics of the Pilates method, and set me up for success in my future practice. She helped me heal from an ankle injury safely and effectively.
Detailed review:
I came to the Bay Area temporarily for work, and my first order of business was to find a Pilates studio to continue my at-​the-​time 3 month old practice. RPP had a good Unilocal rating, so I booked a private session with Liza to get ‘jumped in.’ Real People Pilates is a cute and welcoming studio. There are three rooms besides the lobby: a small room with one Cadillac, a large room with a few reformers/​chairs/​barrels, and a long and narrow mat room. The ‘changing room’ is the restroom across the hall, which is my only real complaint. The mat room is where I did many classes, and I like the aesthetic very much. Dark stained wood, minimal lighting, with an effective heater for cold days. I think there is room for five students at a time, if memory serves. I took classes on Tuesdays (intermediate) and/​or Thursdays (beginner) at 7 PM, for about three months. The mix of student skill level was broad; I can recommend Thursdays if you are just starting or have an injury. The price for mat classes is very reasonable, comparable to some yoga classes. The trade off is that the mats and rollers have seen a lot of use, although they certainly get the job done.
Obviously the trainer is more important than the studio, so I’ll spend the rest of this review talking about Liza. I feel quite grateful to this lady for several reasons. She helped me to develop a solid foundation and understanding of the Pilates method; form, pelvis mobility, a stable upper ab curl. I started my practice with chair classes, and a few reformer sessions, and was fairly skeptical that ‘just mat classes’ would be very interesting. I learned fairly quickly that the fancy machines, while fun, distracted me from really understanding what I was trying to accomplish. Now, when I take reformer classes, I rely heavily on the basics I learned from Liza. I’m certainly getting more benefit from equipment now that I can keep everything stable and controlled. Towards the end of my time at RPP, I sprained my ankle (indoor rock climbing, whoops!) and was crutching around. I booked a private session with Liza to help start my rehab, and was very pleased with the results. She helped me to gently strengthen my injury and gave me some take home exercises to help with mobility over time. My ankle is basically fixed now, and I credit Pilates with a quick recovery.
On a personal level, Liza has a very calm and gentle style, which I certainly appreciate. She teaches beginner and advanced classes with the same style, which proves you don’t need to be a harsh and dominant trainer to get results. I’m also grateful to her for recommending many delicious restaurants in Berkeley; sort of like a human version of Unilocal

I am excited about Pilates because I recently sustained an injury and was looking for alternative healing modalities. After reading about pilates, I decided to check out Real People Pilates given that it was so close and received great reviews. After a couple of phone calls, I was contacted by Joseph who invited me to come in to check out the studio as well as participate in an introductory session.
When I came in for the intro session, i was received warmly by one of the instructors and Joseph was amiable as well. The intro session was thorough and by the end I felt good. I was caught off guard at the end though when he asked how I would be paying for the session. When we spoke prior to the meeting, he mentioned nothing about the cost so i was surprised. Lucky I had money to pay for the session, but knowing ahead of time could have saved me money and choice.
A few days later he followed up by email and asked if I would be interested in classes. I emailed him back and told him that I would but also brought up the issue around his lack of disclosure converning the introductory fees and also asked if there were opportunities for work/​trade or sliding scale (at least $ 12).
I never heard back from him and I hoped to hear something even if it’s like, «We don’t offer those options, but there are other studios that might.» Joseph is indeed talented and knows his stuff, but I came away from that experience feeling that pilates IS a fitness/​healing modality of the elite.

Yea, I’m the first of 2011!
Thank you, Unilocal,for helping us find Joseph and Real People Pilates!
First, the story…
I was looking for an activity my husband and I could do together and
one that would not aggravate his back problems (he’s had two back
surgeries). I had taken pilates mat classes before and experienced
its benefits, but I knew my husband would be skeptical of its
effectiveness to work out his body without straining his back. After
learning from the Unilocal reviews that Joseph trains the Cal football
team, I knew my husband, who is a college football fanatic, would be
intrigued. It only took one session for him to be hooked. When
Joseph asked whether or not we wanted to schedule another session, my husband replied, «I think you can count on us coming for at least one year.» Well, we just passed two years this month, and as long as
Joseph will have us, we’ll continue to come.
Now, the specifics…
— Joseph is professional, reliable, passionate and dedicated, as is
everyone at Real People Pilates.
— All of the instructors are very well trained and highly skilled
(we’ve had sessions with two other instructors when Joseph was out of
town.) They are knowledgeable about anatomy, rehab techniques, and
injury prevention. My husband is a physician, and he has been
impressed with their ability to customize workout routines to each
client’s specific physical needs/​limitations.
— Sessions are affordable.
— Good for people of all skill levels.
— They offer group classes as well as individual and couple (duet) sessions.
— The studio has all the relevant equipment: reformers, cadillac,
chair, mats, barrels, and springboards.
— Sessions are FUN but challenging. You will leave feeling like you
really achieved something each time.
— Instructors are motivating and encouraging. All positive
reinforcement here!
I can honestly say that Real People Pilates has changed us for the
better, body and mind. We feel stronger, leaner, more flexible, more
energetic, and less stressed. It has also given us a greater
appreciation for what our bodies are capable of. And, as an added
bonus, it will make you better at whatever physical activity you
already enjoy doing, e.g. surfing, skiing, biking, hiking, etc. I
cannot recommend it highly enough! I’m inspired to sing, even though
it shows my age, «Whose down with RPP? Yeah, you know me!»

I am so happy that I made it out to Real People Pilates. Liza, the instructor of my group class has the MOST incredibly soothing voice, and really takes the time to listen and address your individual needs. The class was challenging, but didn’t kick my ass, making me want to come back again even more. Plus I could definitely feel my ab muscles the next day, always a good thing.
It’s a bit of a trek for me to go out to the east bay, but totally worth it! (Until Liza starts teaching in SF!)

We found Karinne and Joseph on Unilocal,and may i say ‘thank you’. I work with Karinne, my husband with both Karinne and Joseph.
I look forward to the visits, she stays completely focused, and it makes a difference!
Having gone to other instructors, i know i am not that easy and certainly i am lazy, so karinne not only works extra hard she makes me work too – which is after all why i signed up.
The studio has several rooms so you have not only a private lesson (if that is what you sign up for) but a private room as well. Very well equipped, really great set up.
great work Karinne! thank you. cc

I started going 8 months ago when I had some pretty severe knee pains following a jog and a hard bike ride (after age 30, it’s a bad idea to start an intense workout after a couple years of sitting on your duff – start slooooow).
Karinne is great and had me doing strengthening exercises that did not stress out my knees and when my muscles started to reemerge after their multi-​year absence I can manage short jogs and ride up Grizzly Peak without problems :)
All the people there are super friendly and flexible about scheduling.