Reform Pilates Studio

Love this place! I am by far not a fan of indoor work outs, but this place is so clean and airy, the staff is so knowledgeable and I love all the different classes they offer! My new favorite place!!!

Just wanted to write an update — I’ve been going weekly since my last post. I feel great after every session and can see a difference in my overall strength and tone. So happy I discovered this little gem :).

This place is amazing! I got started at reform Pilates studio a few weeks ago with a private session on the reformer with Bridgette. She was informative, encouraging and patient with me. I highly recommend getting a private lesson before trying any group classes. You don’t want to be slowing everyone down and they only charge $ 40 for your first private lesson so go for it!
They have a «happy hour» group class on the reformer for only $ 15 too.
Give it a try you won’t regret it :)

Reform Pilates Studio is AWESOME! Class sizes are not too big & not too small… their just right! Great mixture of ladies… different shapes, sizes & nationalities… very easy to get along with, great group of gals & a pinch of gentlemen. Great location… I often take a walk on the beach after class, either at Strands Beach or Dana Point Harbor. I love the instructors each has their own unique style & humor. The classes are ALL fun and provide a GREAT workout. I like to stay toned and need lots of core work… so I LOVE the reformer, but the barre class is great too. I try to take 3 – 4 reformer classes & 1 barre class a week. That’s a GREAT workout for me. If you’re just beginning I recommend Dana’s class, she’s very patient, will explain pilates and likes to make sure you understand the different breathing techniques as well as the correct posture/​poses for pilates. She can be tough when she hasn’t had her morning coffee :) Her Saturday classes are great! Denise is fun, great energy… has an old school hip hop attitude and gives a good workout. Bridgette… Miss B, is no joke. I LOVE her classes. If you want to be challenge, she will challenge you, if you want to sweat, just let her know, she’ll make you sweat, if you want a kick-​ass workout, sign up for her classes. She has a 8:30 am Thursday barre class that I dare you to take :) That class will let you know what your weakness are and what you really need to work on. All the instructors are GREAT you really can’t go wrong with any class you take. They even offer Zoomba if that’s your thing :) Hope to see you there!

I am probably a little biased since I have been going here for close to a decade! However, I have to say that the reason I keep coming back is the instructors. I have taken Pilates classes at other studios, and although Reform may be a little more «no frills» than some of the others, it doesn’t have to be anything more. I have taken classes with Denise, Dana and Brigitte — all are awesome! I regularly take classes with Brigitte. I think she dreams up new and torturous ways to work us out, and her classes are different EVERY time. She takes it very seriously. If you have been thinking about joining the Pilates craze or are looking for a studio with great people, this is the PLACE.

I love Reform Studio. I love the teachers, the ease of the location, the equipment is quality and energy of the people who attend class here is fun. I would recommend Reform to anyone looking for good teachers and decent prices.
Brigitte, Reesie and Dana are all terrific. They modify exercises to individual needs while still leading a large class. Brigitte and Ressie are also doing a teacher training program offering a unique but practical style of teaching the work based on Joseph Pilates.

The team of instructors are intuitive and encouraging. The owner Denise is fantastic in finding solutions that target what you want accomplish. Bridget and Dana are an inspiration for me to perfect the practice of pilates.

Let me start with a few comments:
— I am a guy.
— Before mid-​2009 (when I started coming to Reform), I’ve always thought pilates and yoga was a waste of time and too feminine for me.
— Originally, I only did it to entertain my wife (she’ll probably be angry when she reads this, haha).
— With the above said, I signed up for Unilocal to get online and write a positive review for Reform Pilates.
More background: I had gone to a few yoga and pilates classes with my wife off and on throughout the years, starting in college and infrequently after that. I was always more concerned with strength training and cardio; I had a very set workout routine. I was an active soccer player, ran frequently… but my passion was surfing.
I was training for my first marathon in 2008 when I broke my foot (fifth metatarsal) and I was laid up for 3 months in a cast/​boot. I didn’t change my diet and I discontinued all exercise… so I put on a few pounds. I eventually got back into running, soccer and surfing in early 2009.
Mid 2009: re-​training for my first marathon (never ran it in 2008) and I broke my foot again. Apparently it never healed correctly. I was devastated, my life revolved around physical activity and I had worked hard to shed a few of the pounds I added in 2008.
This time around in the cast/​boot, I vowed to figure out a way to be active and keep the lbs off. Pilates. My wife had still been going to several places, but she consistently went to Reform. So I went with her on my crutches.
Yes, I had to alter some of the poses and moves to accomodate my injury, but the focus was on the core and strengthening it. The instructors there (for me, it was mostly B and Reesie… forgive me on the spelling) have a complete knowledge of the body and pilates range of formations, it was not at all difficult for them to work with me in different poses from the rest of the class, nor I with them.
At first, yeah, I felt a little awkward being the only guy sometimes. But then I realized that you are there for a workout, and a workout only. Believe me, I got it. And I saw and felt results very quickly. I became interested in a lot of the stretches the instructors taught as well and I would do them at home by myself before bed.
I healed over the course of a few months and continued to attend the regular pilates class at night at Reform, and I felt a notable difference in myself and the way I view a ‘healthy lifestyle.’ I feel now that the core is the key to performing well at most physical activities. Combine that with an increased flexibility, I feel more confident and athletic now that I felt when I worked out 2 hours a day in high school for the soccer team (10 years ago). Most importantly (for me), I don’t think I’ve ever surfed as well as I am now… because I’m leaner, more flexible, and have a stronger core… all thanks to the ladies at Reform.
This is lot of information that most readers probably won’t care to read, but I saw the negative comment from someone else and I felt as though this may serve as a response to the snobby/​ignorant woman who wrote it, haha.
Honestly though, I really wanted to get the message across to guys who doubt pilates/​yoga and are skeptical/​embarrassed to come to a class. These workouts are superior to most that I’ve seen in a gym or what I see most people doing on a regular basis in a gym (meaning that I feel that the difficulty is greater and the results are better than those from my regular gym workouts)…if anything, they will be a great supplement to your regular routine. I can confidently say that going to Reform regularly will enhance your sporting activities or regular workouts. I haven’t seen results occur this quickly before, nor have I felt as good as I do now, fitness-​wise. The first few classes will be hard… but they’re supposed to be. Also, the instructors are incredibly helpful and conscious of your physical capabilities, they’ll help to make sure you get a great workout. I was in the same boat you were, I thought it was lame/girly/etc…but that’s not the case. Reform will make you feel at home and give you great training techniques that you can take home and do yourself.
Don’t be shy, just go. I highly recommend Reform Pilates to guys and girls, to the novice and to the experienced… you can always learn from the instructors at Reform.

Nice location, equipment and setting… but I am not crazy about this place and would NOT recommend it to anyone. I went there for almost a year and saw no change and felt that they were most concerned with keeping me as a client for their own benefit, as opposed to actually caring about improving our lives and getting me in the best shape possible. The trainers that I experienced were not very «experienced» or at least they didn’t feel the need to show off their skill set very often. They use Stott equipment instead of Balanced Body which I don’t personally like as much but that is just my own personal preference. I eventualy left because my trainer was so rude an unenthusiastic that when I would enter the studio and she was with another client she would actually completely ignore me, roll her eyes and continue talking to her «client» (a friend of hers) until it was already 5 – 10 minutes into my session… never an apology, never an energetic «hello» — and then once my session was over, not 1 second would we go overtime to make up for the time I lost. At over $ 60/​hour that is not professional and this girl was FAR from professional… in fact she had so many emotional issues that we spent most of the time talking about that instead of me and what I want out of pilates.
I do NOT recommend reform pilates especially when there are tons of awesome pilates studios everywhere to go. It stinks because Denise the owner is actually a nice lady who seems to be the most energetic of all… but she doesn’t teach that much and is more concerned with getting her own work out during your private session which she does along with the client the ENTIRE TIME rather than watching your form and giving you her full undivided attention. Again, for over $ 60/​hour NOT PROFESSIONAL — so wait, I’m paying $ 1/​minute for my instructors ass to get smaller??? I don’t think SO!
I would hate to see what happened to me happen to someone else. I was so turned off from Pilates after this experience that I almost gave it up completely — thank god I decided to give it one more go and tried Pure Pilates in Laguna Niguel where I still go to this day. I reviewed it on here so check it out.
Just an example, but when I was at reform I did the same amount of pilates I do now and lost 0 pounds… since switching studios and continuing my same routine I have lost over 50 pounds. a little more bang for your buck don’t you think???