The Long Road to Reformer Mastery
When Nathan Ross Rees decided in 2018 that he no longer wanted to work for money alone, it marked the beginning of a journey that would take him across Australia and around the globe—all in pursuit of purpose, passion, and the perfect Reformer workout.
After trying his hand in construction and sales, Nathan realised his definition of wealth wasn’t monetary—it was time. More specifically, owning his time and spending it doing something he loved. That clarity led him to the fitness industry, and while studying for his Certificate III & IV, he initially imagined a career in personal training. But it was teaching group classes at Hobart’s PCYC in Tasmania, Australia that lit the spark.
“I found that even though every group of clients were in different stages of life, one thing that united them all was their passion for fitness and enjoyment of social interaction,” says Nathan. From senior fitball to classes for Alzheimer’s patients, the magic of community through movement stayed with him.
That passion carried into an unexpected opportunity: a role at a brand new reformer Pilates franchise in Tasmania. Until then, he had never even seen a reformer. “I had a moment where I realised I’d found my purpose,” he reflects. “I wanted to know everything about this machine.”
With no local mentors, Nathan took his education into his own hands—literally flying interstate every weekend to immerse himself in classes and observe instructors at work. “I flew to Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney—anywhere I could find great instructors. I was doing up to eight classes a weekend, sometimes just sitting on a box in the corner watching.
“As my confidence grew, I began to ask instructors and owners if I could teach for free on weekends in their studios interstate to test out my ideas. I believed if I could be universally successful in any studio, in any state, with any instructor that the knowledge I had gained was valuable,” he said.
As his skill and confidence grew, so did his curiosity. He began asking instructors not just how they did things, but why. The answers were often contradictory—but it was in those contradictions that Nathan began forming the foundation of his own teaching method.
Between 2019 and 2021, Rees visited over 50 studios and trained with more than 80 instructors. What he found wasn’t a single correct method, but patterns—principles that underpinned effective reformer workouts regardless of style or location. He began testing these “first principles” by challenging himself to teach in studios across the country, aiming to succeed with any client group, in any state.
In 2021, he took a leap, moving from Hobart to Melbourne during a lockdown. “It didn’t make logical sense,” he admits. “But I had a gut feeling and I wanted to prove my methods worked.”
And they did. According to Nathan, he was teaching 40+ classes a week, and helping studios double their revenue and that’s when he began receiving invitations to run workshops. By February 2022, he took another leap—leaving employment behind and launching Reformer Academy, an education platform for instructors and studio owners.
His dream of travelling and training was finally becoming a reality. From live workshops across Australia to Zoom sessions from his car, he hustled to build a new life. In July 2022, he completed 17 workshops along the east coast of Australia alone.
By the time he reached Perth, the Reformer Academy was financially sustaining his tour. Then came his international break—a workshop invitation in Dubai. He sold his car and boarded the plane.
From there, the journey expanded exponentially. He met up with his partner Laura Saggers in Bali, then taught in Dubai, followed by travels through Egypt, Turkey and Greece.
“When our trip was coming to end, I grew restless, as my dream had continued to evolve and expand. Touring the USA was the next big vision. I felt compelled to do it but it was also a big risk considering the funds were low from travelling. After weighting up the options it became clear that If I didn't do it now while I had the momentum, I might never do it. After some inspiring words from Laura I booked the flights to America,” said Nathan.
By the end of 2022, he had landed in the U.S. with no bookings—just belief. Within two weeks, he secured 35 workshops.
Liverpool to Los Vegas, Nathan has built a global community around purposeful reformer instruction. He and Laura now run RISE Pilates in North Melbourne, Australia, their own studio born out of years on the road.
Through it all, Nathan’s mission remains clear: “We want to empower instructors to deliver classes that are simple, effective, and transformational,” he says. At the heart of his teaching philosophy is a commitment to building strength and confidence in clients through intelligent programming, grounded in outcome-based movement.
And what’s Nathan’s advice to new teachers wanting to create their own empire?
“Consider who you are becoming. Look at the people you work with or the people you work for and ask yourself—in five to ten years, do I want to be like these people? If the answer is no, then put yourself in different environments, around people who are doing what you want to do or have done what you want to do. Seeking great mentors was the fastest way I improved my situation.
Abundance mindset is everything: share great ideas and provide as much value as possible for free on social media to build trust. And stay consistent—create habits that guarantee the results you want.”
So what’s next for Nathan?
“There is a growing demand for an official Reformer Academy Instructor Certification across Australia and the global Pilates community. A program that allows studios to confidently onboard new team members with all the teaching systems, skills, and confidence taught in my Reformer Workshop way - something may be happening in this space soon.
Today, Reformer Academy has delivered over 139 workshops in 15 countries and is available online. You can find out more here.