Pilates with Glen

(Hi Mandy!)

He doesn't know and he probably doesn't care, but I have a love/hate relationship with my pilates instructor, Glen. (Now before you guys start thinking things, he's gay.) I love the classes because they do feel like a good workout - my gut gets really sore during the classes which is a good thing. And there's his teaching style, which is incredibly effective. He takes the time to check out everyone's technique and correct it...but it never fails to make me feel outraged after class.

I started attending classes last year with Mandy because she was extolling the virtues of this great pilates instructor and she always felt sore after a workout - that's how great the classes were, so I started attending along with her. So, imagine my shock when I discovered that to make sure you do the exercises properly, he's the kind of feet-on kinda guy.

Yes, you read that right.

To make sure that you've got your shoulders off the ground during a pilates sit-up, Glen will kick your shoulders up. To make sure you don't move your hips during tabletop, he will step on your hips. You're not tilting your pelvis properly? He'll grab your arms and push back your hips with his foot! He's a complete nazi when it comes to technique and he's not shy in yelling out things you don't want said out loud. He'll just yell out comments about your technique for all to hear. And you know, I'm not one to just sit there and take the abuse like all the others so every class usually features at least one argument. This was today's:

*Tense that TA (transverse abdominus)!!!*
*I (grunt) AM (puff) tensing it!!!*
*Then why is that stomach hanging out?!*
*It's cos I'm fat*
*YOU'RE NOT FAT, TENSE IT!*
*I AM FAT! Why do you think I'm in this class?!*
*Don't talk back! Tense that TA!!!* (Proceed to step on my stomach)

Ah yes, a true example of our interchanges. I think the classes may be working (my gut does feel harder when I do manage to tense it), although he did advise that if I want him to stop stepping on me, I'll have to do the exercises EVERYDAY. Man, I'm torn between doing what he says to stop him from stepping on me, but then... he's a nazi in class, I can't let myself be ruled outside of it!