Katherine & Kimberly Corp's business tip (#109) is featured in JJ Ramberg's new book, It’s Your Business: 183 Essential Tips that Will Transform Your Small Business out today!  

What's our tip? Well, it would be unfair if we told you!  Why not buy the book?!  Our tip is #109, which leaves 182 additonal tips for the small business owner.  We've been going through the book and enjoying it thoroughly.  JJ Ramberg (who is a fellow alumnus of ours from Duke University!) has assimilated an amazing array of business professionals across a wide range of industries and created a must have for the small business owner.  It's like a crash course for the aspiring entrepreneur!  Check out the video of our initial meeting at Pilates on Fifth with JJ!

One of our viewers recently wrote in, asking us if the principles of muscle confusion can be applied to Pilates.  Programs like P90X have soared in popularity due to the emphasis on Muscle Confusion, and their practitioners have seen amazing results. “Muscle Confusion”, most basically, is derived from two training principles:  the Specificity of Training Principle and the Overload Principle. Both of these principles can be applied to Pilates so that you will continue to reap all the benefits, including flat abs fast, lean legs and a lifted butt, and a stronger core.

The Specificity of Training Principle states that the body will adapt to the specific demand that is placed on it.  If you’re a Pilates beginner, it may take a while for your body to adapt to the new exercises you’ve given it, which is a good thing!  You won’t hit an exercise plateau as quickly as someone who is already fit.  However, once you’re able to do the Pilates exercises correctly in your class, while you will maintain your current level of fitness if you keep doing your Pilates workout in the same way, in the same order, etc., you will not necessarily get stronger and stronger.  This is where the Overload Principle comes into play.

The Overload Principle states that to continually adapt, the body must be placed under a stress that exceeds the body’s current capabilities.  In other words, with Pilates exercises, one must continually work at his/her own edge as opposed to work in the range that’s comfortable.  (That’s why your instructor is continually cueing you to pull in your abs more, to work more deeply, etc.)  This is also why certain exercises should always feel hard!  For example, once your body adapts to “The Hundreds” with your legs bent, you can then straighten the legs, and then proceed to lower them from there…. get it?  And with an exercise like “The Teaser“, the possibilities abound!  Most Pilates exercises can be made either more difficult or more intense relatively simply.

Upon researching more about Muscle Confusion online, we found two interesting articles, one for and one against the idea of muscle confusion.  Both have useful tips you can use (or not use!) in your teaching of Pilates.  One article (http://www.articlesbase.com/muscle-building-articles/how-the-muscle-confusion-principle-can-maximize-your-workouts-911684.html) LOVES the idea of muscle confusion, stating that even if your goal is NOT to build muscle, (and most Pilates enthusiasts are avoiding muscle bulk) you will achieve your goals much faster applying the muscle confusion principles.  On the other hand, the following article (http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Biggest-Muscle-Building-Fallacy-in-Bodybuilding&id=553415) scoffs at the over-emphasis on muscle confusion, pointing out (very convincingly) that if you do not allow your body time to give your brain valuable feedback, then you can’t really accomplish anything.  We agree!  You need to know where you are to really know where you want to go.  Be patient!

So, what’s the final answer?  YES! You absolutely can apply the principles of muscle confusion to Pilates workouts as well, of course dependent upon the type of Pilates that you are doing.  If you are going to a studio where the lesson is exactly the same every time, then, as you pointed out in your email, your body will adapt and eventually plateau to the extent that you stop seeing results.  However, if you are continually varying your Pilates workouts and routines, focusing on different muscle groups AND increasing the difficulty level appropriately, then you have effectively introduced the principle of muscle confusion and thus made it impossible for your body to adapt!  But remember, whether doing Pilates online or in a studio, you don’t want to change things up too quickly!!  Give your body enough time to give you valuable feedback.

For those of you who are utilizing our website for Pilates online, www.ultimatepilatesworkouts.com, we recommend balancing your workouts between total body workouts and targeted workouts, such that are found in the Strong, Svelte & Savvy Series.  If you were to do one of the longer total body workouts on one day, and one of the targeted workouts for arms, legs, butt, back, etc., on alternate days, and then throw in some cardio 2-3 times a week, your muscles would be confused, but balanced and happy as well!  Keep the same Pilates training routine for 2-3 weeks, then increase the difficulty.

Incorporating props is another way to keep your muscles COMPLETELY confused!  The stability ball, foam roller and BOSU(R) will introduce new challenges with both core stability and strength, while the Pilates Ring and Stretch Band can be used to intensify the workload of certain muscle groups and simulate the Pilates equipment, respectively.  It’s all about how you put everything together!!

The bottom line is, even if you find a Pilates video or Pilates DVD that you love, don’t do the same one all the time!!  Our site has over 25 free mat workouts, so we encourage people to try different ones so that different muscle groups are continually being worked and challenged, and new exercises are continually being introduced.  Our new Pilates iphone app (debuting soon!!) will have workout plans included, so follow one of those for great success!

During this tough economic climate, Pilates instructors find themselves with a smaller client base than they did two, even three years ago.  For instance, at our New York studio, Pilates on Fifth, our numbers are still down about 30% from what they were two years ago.  Ouch!!  But we are not alone.  We are fortunate to know Pilates studio, Yoga studio, and even spa owners around the country, and most are experiencing a similar situation.

So then, the big question is “how do we Pilates instructors retain our clients and thus maximize our revenue?”

Let’s start with what NOT to do!

1)  Take your discouragement with your personal financial situation with you to the studio, the home of your clients, the gym, etc.  After all, it’s PERSONAL training, and your personality is a large part of what helped you retain the client in the first place!  So remember, it’s your personality that could lose them as well.

2)  Talk about yourself and your personal life.  Now is the time to make sure that you are focused entirely on your client or the students in your class in their hour.  Phoning it in will not gain you clients or help you retain them either!!

3)  Raise prices unnecessarily in your attempt to make up for the decrease in clients.  While it might be necessary to raise prices due to increased costs you might be incurring, make sure you know exactly why you are raising the prices, and if you do, make sure that the service you are delivering eclipses the percentage increase tenfold!

That being said, let’s talk about the more positive side of what you SHOULD do!!

1)  Be completely invested in your clients’ progress in results.  If you don’t invest in them, how can you expect them to invest in you?  Take a moment to ask yourself if you’ve seen them make progress in the past two months.  If the answer is no, then think of what you can do to program more effectively.

2)  Mutually re-evaluate your clients’ goals.  Let them know that you want them to reach their goals, whatever they may be.  Additionally, by setting goals together, you can motivate your clients to make their appointments and show up both in body and mind to each and every lesson.  After all, we don’t want our clients phoning it in either!  Goal setting also allows you, the instructor, to create benchmarks which you can then use to chart your clients’ progress.  Once they see their own records of improvement, they’re more likely to keep at it.

3)  Bring your A++ game to the table every lesson or class, every time.  No excuses!  We recently had a conversation with our top instructors at Pilates on Fifth, and across the board, we noticed that regardless of teaching style, our best instructors are the ones who are excited about the hour, keep the energy up, and keep their clients moving.  Ironically, in doing so (and we all agreed on this!) the hour FLIES by… and that’s never a bad thing, right?

4)  Make it ENJOYABLE!!!  Exercise is one of the BEST forms of stress relief, so keep that in mind!

All in all, we’ve noticed that our best instructors have not only retained, but GAINED clients, even with this crazy economic climate.  Hopefully these tips we’ve provided will help others gain and retain lots of clients, both for group mat classes and for private lessons!!!

Pilates on Fifth is proud to be hosting our first MELT Method workshop at our New York Pilates Studio on Monday, March 22 at 11am!  The MELT Method was created by Sue Hitzmann, and she and the MELT Method were just featured on LIVE with Regis & Kelly with resounding success.  View the clip of the presentation here (www.meltmethod.com).  The class will be held in our spacious, sunlit, penthouse Pilates studio from 11am-12:15pm.

Now you can experience  this amazing method for yourself!  Discover the benefits of MELT Your Body:

• Prevent pain
• Heal injury
• Erase the negative effects of aging
• Improve efficiency and performance
• Reduce stress

Register in advance and save!!  Only $15 if you register in advance, $19 on the day of the workshop.  Purchase your spot in the workshop online here (link to http://shop.pilatesonfifth.com/category_s/36.htm) email us at workshops@pilatesonfifth.com or call 212-687-8610.  Space is limited, so register soon to reserve your spot.

Join advanced MELT instructor Karen Wells from Karen Wells Fitness.  Karen teaches at Georgia State University and has taught MELT to the Alvin Ailey Dance Company, the American Dance Festival, and Atlanta’s Several Dancers Core, just to name a few!  To learn more about MELT, go to www.meltmethod.com or check out www.facebook.com/karewellsfitness.

I woke up this morning with a tingling tenderness striping my ribs as I curled up to muzzle my alarm. It had been awhile; a fair amount of time since I found myself greeted by evidence of effectively engaging my pectorals and the encompassing serratus anterior. This is partially due to my negligence of exercising the upper body, and consequently, the significant stabilizing muscles that support the shoulder periphery. Why? To be frank: I simply don’t like to. I admit that as a dancer I tend to train the lower body with a dueling interest and inclination for flow. I enjoy exercising with luscious continuity that leaves me feeling longer and leaner.

In between yesterday’s afternoon clients, Katherine and Kimberly Corp invited me to partake in a demo lesson on the studio’s newest contraption, Balanced Body’s CoreAlign. Pilates on Fifth was selected as the New York City headquarters for CoreAlign instructor training, as well as private sessions and group classes for the public. Katherine and Kimberly guided me through a series of gentle but exigent exercises that instantly stimulated the core abdominal and back muscle groups. With muscular firing patterns initiating at the gluteals and hamstrings, CoreAlign triggered an immediate and increased awareness of my backline. This neuromuscular strategy delivered a direct recovery of my alignment from head-to-toe. Moreover, CoreAlign paired postural maintenance with graceful and sinuous circular movements of the arms and legs that satisfied my appetite for fluidity and fun! It was a mere 30-minute taste of a holistic workout residual in the way I am walking and working throughout today.

Feeling tighter and taller, CoreAlign is an excellent fitness companion to clientele of all ages, levels, and lifestyles. Not only is CoreAlign is safely accessible to professional dancers and athletes, but also senior citizens, weekend warrior, post-operative rehabilitation and the usual Pilates devotee.

In an effort to create inexpensive Pilates for those who love the Pilates method but have found that the economy has them choosing necessities over Pilates group classes and private lessons, internationally acclaimed Pilates instructor trainers Katherine and Kimberly Corp have devised an effective solution. Their modus is the internet and their intentions are in your best interest. Launching the first-ever Pilates workout website, Ultimate Pilates Workouts.com makes the high quality and expert Pilates instruction available to the clientele at the Corps’ premier NYC-Pilates studio available to everyone and anyone, with two major causes in mind: time and affordability. They’ve taken their Pilates on Fifth repertoire to the internet! And, all you need is a computer connected to the worldwide web.

There is no need to forego your favorite Pilates workouts either at home or at your Pilates studio. Katherine and Kimberly Corp have created a comprehensive, perfect for all levels, workout library online for the convenience of our Pilates-at-home clientele! The website, entitled “Ultimate Pilates Workouts” (www.ultimatepilatesworkouts.com) features both full-length workout videos and classic training exercises. Ultimate Pilates Workouts is free to join, and by selecting the membership category that best accommodates your personal needs and interests opens up access to full-length mat, small equipment, and specialty workouts! Each month the website features four unique workout videos to its members… free! This month stars the following 60-minute mat workouts:

My First Pilates Workout
Bride to Be
Morning Low Back Care
The “I don’t have to workout” Workout

The innovative site also offers a unique exercise catalogue for the reformer, cadillac, chair, and barrel equipment. Brand-new, target-area, and thoroughly instructed workouts are added each month to spice up variety for each of our member’s workout regime. The first website of its kind, Ultimate Pilates Workouts aims to offer Pilates workouts tailored to individuals with lower back pain, pregnancy, athletes, dancers, seniors, and the everyday Pilates enthusiast alike! The broad range of videos available to both view and download make Pilates accessible to anyone, anywhere at anytime!

Do you want to improve your golf swing? Ultimate Pilates Workouts.com can make it happen. Do you want to be able to lift your grandchild without lower back pain? Katherine and Kimberly will help you achieve your goal. Do you want to develop long, strong muscles, improve your posture, or increase your flexibility? Tell them, and they’ll help you achieve them.

Don’t wait any longer! Visit www.ultimatepilatesworkouts.com! And, don’t hesitate to forward any questions or concerns to their courteous and knowledgeable staff by email to info@ultimatepilatesworkouts.com.

Identical twins and former Radio City Rockettes Katherine and Kimberly Corp opened Pilates on Fifth in New York City with the dream of helping current and former Rockettes stay fit and fabulous! Rockettes, like all dancers, are athletes in their own right and need the proper balance of strength and flexibility training to succeed on the stage.

At Pilates on Fifth, we are both firmly rooted in Pilates' admirable past and actively taking part in developing its future. It may come as a surprise to our clients who have only recently heard of Pilates, but this exercise technique is nearly 100 years old. Pilates was developed in England during WWI by a German national named Joseph Pilates. In the many decades since its creation, Pilates has been used by professional dancers, like Martha Graham and George Balanchine, as well as professional athletes of every stripe. Pilates is also very popular with fitness-savvy people looking for an extraordinary workout.