Reach Pilates Incorporated

I’ve taken classes for years at Reach and cannot say enough good things about my experience! Molly is an exceptional instructor– she not only makes sure her students get a solid workout, but she keeps class entertaining. I look forward to classes twice a week and only wish I could get to class even more often. It truly is a great workout and has definitely helped me build my core strength. I would highly recommend!!!

I can’t say enough good things about Molly Barnes. I came to her a year ago after a very rough c-​section recovery. She listened to all of my concerns and came up with a plan for me. After weekly sessions and only one month I felt 100 percent better. I have more strength and mobility than I ever thought I would. This is one exercise program I can honestly say I look forward to coming to weekly. If you need Pilates in Chicago Molly is the person in Chicago you need to see. Can’t say enough good things !

I’ve been taking advanced reformer class with Lynn for years and I really enjoy it. Small-​ish studio which provides plenty of personalization. They offer a deal on privates for new students I believe. I started with privates and recommend that.

At 6 days post-​partum, I saw something in the mirror I never expected to see ever again in my life: ABS! This is absolute proof of the wonders of pilates, and Reach made it possible.
Kim and Margaret were instrumental in making my pre-​natal body the best that it could be. I had some solid sessions at another local studio, but Reach was the only studio that could accommodate my need for private 6AM sessions with seasoned instructions who could kick my butt while still making me smile (hello, side leg series, my nemesis). Despite the woes of being pregnant, I felt really strong and confident going into labor, and I do believe the sessions we had contributed to my recovery.
THANK YOU!
PS. Really looking forward to their group classes now that I am not pregnant.

I’ve taken a lot of pilates classes and now I’m a devout fan of Reach. I’ve taken a mix of mat and reformer classes since last summer (August 2011) and have zero complaints. I feel I’m fairly athletic (lots of running, cycling and yoga) and these classes can work up a wicked sweat and induce a burn. In fact, I recently took two weeks off due to travel and I am sore today (Monday) from my Saturday mat class with Molly.
I’ve only had classes with Molly and Lindsay. Both are wonderful instructors. Molly explains what each exercise is doing for you, where it’s working you and corrects you (in a nice way), if needed. The classes I’ve taken are all very small (5 – 7, at most). When classes are really small, the instruction is quite personalized which is fantastic because you aren’t paying the rates for individual lessons, but that’s the quality class you’re receiving.
When I am devout (taking two classes/​week for an extended period of weeks), I definitely see the results. I feel leaner, more toned and stronger. A plus — the online management system makes it really easy to schedule classes, move appointments, etc.

I tried out this studio using a Living Social deal. I took reformer and chair classes. I would consider returning for a chair class (with Lynn), but not reformer. There are better reformer classes at other studios in the city, such as Flex, which doesn’t offer chair. Lynn was my favorite instructor. To be fair, I did not take Lynn’s reformer class. The reformer classes I took dragged on a bit, even for a beginner level class, incorporating a number of different exercises. I also did not feel as motivated or challenged by the reformer instructor, and the class was just not as fun as I expected.

I have only done one Pilates class in the past pre-​child years ago. A friend had suggested I try it again to help with post baby abdominal weight. I was excited to find a living social deal for a Pilates studio right in my neighborhood. It was perfect as I wanted to start this in November when the weather starts to turn cold. As a busy Mom of a toddler I forgot about it til rt before it expired. I tried calling the day before to ask some questions as to which option would be better for me: reformer class or group chair class with no luck. I went to the studio the next day when it was to expire and asked the instructor/​owner, Kim Mazzella her opinion so I could sign up for the right class. She excused herself from a group class to talk to me even though I told her I could come back. She was nice at first until I mentioned the Living Social voucher. She told me she would not honor the voucher –only the amount paid. She said something about ‘you living social people’ and the schedule online. I explained again how I tried calling for guidance as to which class to choose & she told me to go online. The voucher was not expired until the end of the day, but she would not honor it. She said I can sign up for what classes are left and apply the paid value of the voucher to the price of the class only, but not the promotional value. When she noticed the women in the class were listening she quickly said call Living Social and handed me her card and pished me toward the door. I walked out with my two yr old son a little stunned.
I called Living Social and told them she would not honor the voucher and they gave me my $ 39 back in deal bucks. I will go to another Pilates studio because of the way I was treated and will tell everyone in my neighborhood about this.

I consider myself moderately fit. I jog about 3 days a week, take a crazy aerobic west african dance class weekly, and I’ve dabbled in pilates via video. But I’ll admit it, I was a bit intimiterrified of going to a Real pilates class on a reformer (a slight break from jogging only heightened my abs wincing in anticipation). At Reach, I had no need to worried. The instructors were wonderful– educated, aware of their clients’ abilities and their needs, flexible and helpful with scheduling… my abs (and things and posture and breathing…) are contentedly challenged. Now to get my hands on my own reformer!

Reach recently moved to a new address but has maintained the intimate vibe of the original location, which was initially a concern of mine. I’ve taken mat classes with Lindsey and now do a group reformer class with Stacy on Tuesday nights. She is a good, passionate instructor who takes the time to learn about your individual needs and limitations. One thing I like about her sessions is that there is a lot of stretching in between sets. If you’re looking for a hardcore, power pilates type workout that leaves you sweating, this might not be the studio for you (though other instructors with whom I have not worked may have a different style). But for someone like me who wants to feel the burn but at a more gentle pace, Reach is a perfect fit.

I’m pretty sure this is the place that moved to the corner of Roscoe and Seeley in Roscoe Village (just one block west of Damen). No one ever answers the phone. No one is ever there. No one returns emails! I don’t understand why move to a new neighborhood if you don’t plan on accepting new clients?!

I was going to give this place three stars, but my first lesson was completely free thanks to the generosity of the person at the desk. Reach Pilates is somewhat difficult to find — it’s located in a residential-​looking building, on the second floor. It consists of a wide open room, with elliptical trainers, mirrors, a sofa, and a bunch of equipment I lack the knowledge to describe, except I’m pretty sure they could be reappropriated by the US military to coerce and intimidate the enemy at a moment’s notice. The lesson I attended was definitely not intimidating. The instructor was very nice and personable, and gave a lot of one-​on-​one attention to each of the six people present. We used mats and foam logs to stretch and compress our core muscles over and over in ways that left me feeling virtuous and sore the next day. I’ve always been told, by coaches etc, that you should be careful while doing sit-​ups not to strain your neck muscles, because it keeps you from completely isolating your abs and could potentially lead to injury. The instructor here had us do several moves that strained our neck muscles, and acknowledged that it wasn’t good, but didn’t seem that concerned about it. I’m certainly not injured, but I’d rather not make a practice of straining things. The studio was cold due to AC, the class was small, the price was somewhat reasonable ($ 15/​per hour lesson, or $ 10/​per if you buy a 10-​class subscription). If I lived near here, and had $ 100 to spare, I’d probably give it a try.