Nailing your class plan
The Pilates Journal spoke with Pilates Instructor and Class planning guru Shahnae Cutajar on the tips and tools you can use to make your group reformer class planning a little easier!
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I get it. Class planning can be tricky. Especially if you’re a fairly new teacher. There are lot of things to consider and if you’re working in a group reformer environment say hello to all the injuries your clients will walk in with five minutes before class that they hadn’t yet mentioned. With years of experience in planning my classes, I’ve finally got myself to a place where I can confidently navigate the classes I teach with confidence. So let’s give you some tools on how you can do this…
Find your theme
When planning a session, I always kick off with the central part or the main flow – think of this like the key takeaway from the session. First I select an exercise or theme for your class, such as easy-going lunges or incorporating the Pilates ball. Once you've made this decision, it becomes much easier to enter the session with a clear purpose.
You can divide your session plan in a couple of ways; my preferred method of session planning is in one continuous flow. After the warm-up, kick off with one exercise, navigate around the reformer, and wrap up with the same exercise that commenced the class. This fosters a beautiful sense of flow in your class and can motivate clients to enter a 'flow state' as the movement feels ongoing and uninterrupted. I usually aim to cover the entire body in my session plans, but each plan could have a focus on a specific body part. Therefore, it would encompass upper body, lower body, and core movements but it could also feature a focus on the glutes alongside a Pilates ball theme.
It's also important to acknowledge that your clients have enrolled in a group class which means the class is designed for a group setting for those with minimal injuries or contraindications . While there might be one or two clients in your class who require specific modifications due to injury or being pre-natal, the overall structure of your class should generally remain consistent for everyone. Group fitness classes are designed to be inclusive, rather than clinical, catering to the collective needs of the participants. Knowing this, you can give your clients modifications for specific injuries or pre-natal requirements in your classes without changing your session plan for them completely. It takes practice but the more you do it, the easier it gets!
In classes, there will always be instances where one or two clients may be nursing an injury, making them unable to perform specific exercises. At times, the most practical approach is to think on your feet and modify that exercise for the entire group, rather than singling out and providing individual attention to those clients. Your plan should always be flexible to change, but it's crucial to ensure that when swapping out an exercise, you replace it with something similar that targets the same muscle group. For instance, if your session plan includes light lunges and a client can't perform them, you might switch to light side lying leg exercises to still target the glutes, but in a more supported manner. This ensures that you are still aiding the client in regaining strength.
Class planning under time pressure
Another great tip I have to steer clear of procrastination when crafting your session plan is to set a 10-minute timer. This will instil a sense of urgency in your writing process, adding a bit of pressure that leaves no room for procrastination.
These days, it's a rare occurrence for me to practice my session plan. I typically reserve this practice for instances when I'm teaching something new that I haven't instructed before, or if I want to gauge the feel of a transition before teaching it to ensure it flows seamlessly. My advice to new trainers is to attend as many classes as possible or rehearse your plans extensively until you feel confident and at ease! Eventually, you'll reach a stage where you truly grasp how the reformer operates, and you'll be able to discern what works and what doesn't simply by visualising the exercise.
Don’t get caught up having to teach something new!
I believe you don't necessarily have to teach something completely new or incorporate an extensive range of exercises in your session plans. Sometimes, the most straightforward classes turn out to be your clients' favourites! Just by offering something different each day, you can introduce enough variety.
While there might be some overlap in what you teach at different studios, your clients will always feel like they're engaging in something fresh or distinctive. This is because each trainer brings a different teaching and delivery style. As a result, the experience will always feel distinct from one trainer to another.
When I do find the time or have the inclination to introduce something fresh, I'll put together a brand-new session plan. With about 10 sessions a week, I end up using around three session plans, ensuring a different plan for each shift. Particularly for my Saturday clients in the advanced class, I prefer to design a brand-new session for them to keep things exciting and dynamic. As for the other two shifts, I sometimes recycle old session plans but modify the layers or progressions to maintain a sense of innovation.
Cycling your session plans is o.k.!
Back when I was teaching full-time and not running a studio, I rarely recycled session plans because I had a lot more time to create new ones. Nowadays, I find myself revisiting session plans quite often. I've accumulated over hundreds of session plans in my phone notes, and I typically return to the one I used the longest time ago, tweaking a few things and reusing it if time doesn't permit creating a new one.
So how might I mix up the Warm Up as an example…
Some of my go-to warmups that are different to your traditional warm up are:
— 4-point kneeling carriage kick aways on heavy springs: this is a FULL BODY movement which we LOVE. It warms up through the glutes pressing away from the foot-bar but requires stabilisation through your core and upper body to keep your body nice and still. You can also add in different props to this exercise to make it more challenging.
— Heavy or light side lying or side lounging legs: love this for a great single leg glute warm up! Side lying/ side lounging legs are the GOAT (greatest of all time).
— Lighter supine mid-back series adding in core work: I love adding different layers in to make it target the full body like adding in glute bridges each time your arms reach up to the ceiling. You can get super creative with it!
When class planning it’s all about establishing realistic goals and devising strategies to attain them. Try to instruct a diverse range of movements to familiarise yourself with various cues and setups for each exercise. Prioritise mastering the fundamentals initially. Select a theme, set a timer, and start your session planning!
Shahnae has a background in dance and worked professionally as a showgirl before becoming a Pilates Instructor. She has a Certificate 4 in mat work and reformer Pilates and Diploma in Clinical Pilates with Breathe Education. In Shahnae’s classes, expect to be challenged in a tough but nurturing way, while breaking a sweat and grooving to some funky tunes. Shahnae is dedicated to helping her clients and her fellow trainers meet their goals. You can find her here.