When Lisa Priebe decided to begin offering Pilates classes just for men, she wanted to take the exercise back to its roots.
Her method is based more on an approach used by its founder, Joseph Pilates, in the early 20th century.
I’m trying to bring that class to its original form,” said Priebe, 46, owner of Lisa P. Pilates Studio. “Joe Pilates was very masculine in histeaching.”
Priebe said old footage of Pilates shows him teaching in a “really rough and rigorous” manner.
“It (Pilates) has gotten feminized over the years, and I wanted to bring that back for the guys,” Priebe said.
She teaches in a controlled and linear fashion without any dance-type movements or movements that would require a lot of coordination.
Priebe finds her approach helps her students stay focused.
Over the last couple of years Priebe realized she was starting to gain a handful of male clients for Pilates, which some might think of as an exercise discipline more geared towomen.
“I have several men I work with who have come to me for various reasons,” she said. “Several of them have back issues, one has a degenerative knee issue, and they have done really well with their private instruction.”
At her fully equipped Wyomissing studio, her male clients were receiving one-on-one training exclusively until she had a realization.
“They were working with me once a week, but it’s not enough for them to really benefit from Pilates,” Priebe said.
She thought a group class for them would give them an opportunity to delve into Pilates more deeply.
When she initially proposed the idea, the men were concerned about taking a class that would also be open to women and might become too “frou-frou” for their taste, according to Priebe.
“I thought, ‘How about I do a special class for the guys?’ and they were all over it,” she said.
Classes for men started being offered last month and are held on Saturdays. Her studio is also open to women.
Priebe focuses the class on issues most likely to affect men, such as tight lower back, tight hamstrings and weak abdominals.
There are also other benefits Priebe has found to having an all-male class.
“It enables you to have the camaraderie of other men that have similar issues,” she said. While the age of men in her class ranges from 50 to 60, all ages are welcome.
Since most in the class are experienced to some extent in Pilates, Priebe is going to be offering introductory sessions for those new to Pilates.
Priebe also devised a different teaching approach to the class than if she were catering to both men and women.
With a degree in exercise physiology, Priebe was initially drawn to Pilates by its rehabilitative nature. She described how the movement and technique relate to movement therapy.
She noted that the particular style she teaches was developed by Ron Fletcher, one of Pilates’ original students. Priebe received a certification from the Fletcher Co.
“It’s different than anything you see,” she said of Fletcher Pilates, which isn’t typically offered in most Pilates classes.
As a result, she has found she attracts many clients who are seeking rehabilitation from specific physical ailments.
“One is a physical therapist and has tried all methods to no avail and has found incredible relief in the work I’ve been doing with him,” Priebe said.
“She has helped me in many ways with my recovery (from back surgery) and is helping me maintain a healthy spine by keeping a strong core and as flexible as possible,” said Phil Malloy, the physical therapist. “Being a doctor of physical therapy, it has been enlightening working in Pilates and to see the benefits of this approach toexercise.”
Priebe started practicing Pilates in 2000 after sustaining injuries from running and competing in triathlons.
“Pilates was really the only thing that could rehabilitate my body,” she said, because of its ability to bring the body back into alignment and therefore rehabilitate it.
She got her certification and began teaching in 2002.
In 2009 she opened her first studio, Lisa P. Studios, which led to her more recently opening a second, called Every Body Pilates, in Downingtown, Chester County.
She also offers a corporate fitness and wellness program through another business called Health Options.
By Courtney H. Diener-Stokes
Reading Eagle correspondent