I live in a Pilates dense area of LA, which has one of the highest rates of Pilates studios per square mile. So I’m spoiled for choice, and I do have a preference when it comes to workout styles and fitness Studios. I like feminine style fitness, low intensity, high impact workouts that flow and feel good, preferably in a posh boutique studio or loft. In my review, I will go over how well the studio aligned with my preferences, the flow of the class, the musicality & cues of the instructor, the overall workout, and who I’d recommend for it. I’m not too picky, but I don’t like working out in commercial gyms with big clanky machinery. I prefer more feminine, small to medium sized studio classes, or solo sessions at home with YouTube or an app.
With that being said, let’s talk about Private Figure Pilates, nestled in the hills of Studio City!.
STUDIO : Location, Atmosphere, Amenities, Space
It’s just a few blocks away from Universal Studios and Universal Theme Park, and it’s in a cute shopping strip facing a neighborhood on the hills. There’s two rows of reformers, mirror wall, sparkling water filter, lit for privacy and vibes, and plenty photo ops. I was in the back row, away from the mirror (for once). Sometimes I close my eyes for deeper focus, and it’s less awkward if I’m not front and center :).
INSTRUCTOR : Cues, Musicality, Style, Flow
The founder, Stella Khachatryan, has taught Pilates for over a decade now and I could tell. The Full Body Reformer class I attended on New Year’s Eve was the perfect end-of-year burn I wanted. I think it was a signature class routine for her, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I wasn’t sure what to expect because I read at least one or two reviews where people were saying that the class was too hard, or that they had issues with the instruction, but I truly had no signs of that. Her timing was impeccable, she was very motivating throughout each cue. She demonstrated a lot, sometimes on the reformer, and she was very attentive, often coming around to correct form or to offer support. I didn’t feel rushed at all, and I felt like every move, followed the next quite smoothly. It was a nice balance of breath, control, and flow.
CLASS : Difficulty, Impact, Equipment
You don’t always have to break a sweat in a Pilates class because your effort is really up to you. I like to get a little burn, I like a little pain, so I typically do have a little bit to wipe off at the end. I would say this class is beginner friendly, and can be intermediate based on your effort and the progressions you take. We worked our full body; at the start of class, she let us know we would be working our core to start it off, and then we would go to arms and legs, and work on flexibility throughout, and we did a nice mini cardio pump near the end that really helped us bring in the new year. We worked on and beside the reformer, utilizing the box, the ball, and the loops. I think it was a great, semi-challenging flow that also fed my deep stretch addiction.
Overall : Love or Not, Who’s it for, Satisfaction
Being a lifelong gymnast, a former cheerleader, and dancer, you would think I would have been in Pilates studios for years now, but very recently I started my reformer studio tour and I’ve completely fallen in love. Pilates is my favorite workout ever, it barely feels like I’m working out. I loved the flow of this class, I loved the burn, I loved how my body felt during and afterwards. If you’re a super beginner, never been in a reformer class or on a reformer, I would say start with a FUNDAMENTALS class first at a local studio, at least one. Once you understand how a class flows, what the cues mean, and start the relationship between you and the reformer, this would be a great second or third or fiftieth class. It aligns with my style of class, and I’ll definitely be returning because the workout and instruction was so good.
Update: We’re 3 weeks into the new year and I’ve been back there at least twice. I absolutely love this studio, and not that it totally matters, but I also like that all the instructors are like top model hot. No complaints.
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