Pilates Elephants

A lot of us are feeling burnout - but what is it and what can we do about it?If you’ve struggled with burnout and discovered that rest didn’t help - listen in for some constructive ways to move past burnout and get back your passion, energy and enthusiasm.Resources mentioned in the episode: Connect with Natalie on IG here World Health Organization's classification of burnout is an "occupational phenomenon" hereEmily Nagoski & Amelia Nagoski's book about burnout hereWendy Suzuki's book about dealing with anxiety hereHow to measure burnout accurately and ethically by Christina Maslach hereConnect with me on Instagram: @the_raphaelbenderDownload a free course guide:Pilates CertificationVisualized AnatomyBecome a Breathe Education Mentor Affiliate: Program infoMentioned in this episode:Get 1:1 coaching with me to grow your studioGet 1:1 coaching with me to grow your studioThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: AdBarker - https://adbarker.com/privacy

This episode could be worth literally millions of dollars to you.Josh is an accountant and financial advisor to over 40 Pilates studios and has a unique insider’s view of the financial drivers that make some studios 10x more profitable than others.In this episode, Josh and Raph break down step by step exactly what the best, most profitable studios have in common that enables them to clear $250-$300,000 per year in net profit.Resources mentioned in the episode: Josh's Financial Model: Growth IQ Pilates Studio Feasibility CalculatorFind Growth iQ Instagram hereConnect with Josh on Linkedin here or email him at jrichardson@growthiq.com.auConnect with me on Instagram: @the_raphaelbenderDownload a free course guide:Pilates CertificationVisualized AnatomyBecome a Breathe Education Mentor Affiliate: Program infoThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: AdBarker - https://adbarker.com/privacy

Do we excessively limit our clients from progressing because we hold them to some arbitrary standard like you must do 6 beginner classes before you can come to an intermediate class?Listen in to find out. This is a nuanced discussion of the drawbacks AND benefits of gatekeeping in Pilates.Connect with me on Instagram: @the_raphaelbenderDownload a free course guide:Pilates CertificationVisualized AnatomyBecome a Breathe Education Mentor Affiliate: Program infoMentioned in this episode:Get 1:1 coaching with me to grow your studioGet 1:1 coaching with me to grow your studioThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: AdBarker - https://adbarker.com/privacy

Phoebe bootstrapped her Pilates business from absolutely zero cash to 7 years later selling it for enough to enable her to buy a house.This is her story, and what she learned along the way.Connect with me on Instagram: @the_raphaelbenderDownload a free course guide:Pilates CertificationVisualized AnatomyBecome a Breathe Education Mentor Affiliate: Program infoMentioned in this episode:Get 1:1 coaching with me to grow your studioGet 1:1 coaching with me to grow your studioThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: AdBarker - https://adbarker.com/privacy

In this wide-ranging conversation, Olivia Bioni, host of the Pilates Teachers Manual and Pilates Students Manual podcasts, talks with Raphael about podcasting, teaching, learning, personal growth, book writing, letting go of shoulds, setting boundaries, reducing perfectionism and more.Resources mentioned in the episode:Find Olivia online herePilates Teachers Manual podcast herePilates Students Manual podcast hereOlivia’s Masterclass series OG Matwork with Roller hereOlivia’s Buy Me A Coffee hereConnect with me on Instagram: @the_raphaelbenderDownload a free course guide:Pilates CertificationVisualized AnatomyBecome a Breathe Education Mentor Affiliate: Program infoMentioned in this episode:Get 1:1 coaching with me to grow your studioGet 1:1 coaching with me to grow your studioThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: AdBarker - https://adbarker.com/privacy

Nathan started an odyssey around Australia where he has so far visited, attended class, and taught at 88 Pilates studios and counting. He shares his observations and views on what makes great instructors and a great class.Resources mentioned in the episode: Nathan Ross Rees Instagram here and website hereNathan’s Reformer Workshop hereKefi Studio in Sydney Australia website here and Insta hereConnect with me on Instagram: @the_raphaelbenderDownload a free course guide:Pilates CertificationVisualized AnatomyBecome a Breathe Education Mentor Affiliate: Program infoMentioned in this episode:Get 1:1 coaching with me to grow your studioGet 1:1 coaching with me to grow your studioThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: AdBarker - https://adbarker.com/privacy

Do we focus too much on gentle movement in Pilates? Could our clients benefit from more vigorous exercises and more progression over time?Maybe the answer is different for different countries. Resources mentioned in the episode: Liftmor trial hereNonagenarians get ripped with high-intensity strength training hereInjuries in fitness facilities are mostly caused by people dropping shit on themselves and falling off stuff - not by “incorrect” technique hereA lot of the disability from low back pain is caused by well-meaning health and fitness professionals scaring the shit out of their clients herePersistence hunting is a likely explanation of how humans fed ourselves for several hundred thousand years even though we’re weaker, slower and less ferocious than almost everything we hunt hereConnect with me on Instagram: @the_raphaelbenderDownload a free course guide:Pilates CertificationVisualized AnatomyBecome a Breathe Education Mentor Affiliate: Program infoMentioned in this episode:Get 1:1 coaching with me to grow your studioGet 1:1 coaching with me to grow your studioThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: AdBarker - https://adbarker.com/privacy

Right now, there is an unprecedented proliferation of exciting and creative ways for Pilates professionals to make a great living, and one of them is building your own on-demand platform.Ruth Bruno has done that, and in this conversation, she shares the good, the bad and the numbers of exactly how to build your own online, on-demand Pilates business.Resources mentioned in the episode:Connect with Ruth Bruno on IG hereAshley DeLeon's IG herePilates by Amanda's IG here Find Arketa platform here (not a sponsored link)Connect with me on Instagram: @the_raphaelbenderDownload a free course guide:Pilates CertificationVisualized AnatomyBecome a Breathe Education Mentor Affiliate: Program infoMentioned in this episode:Get 1:1 coaching with me to grow your studioGet 1:1 coaching with me to grow your studioThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: AdBarker - https://adbarker.com/privacy

If you struggle with selling this is for you!This is a nitty gritty how-to guide to having effective sales conversations, that end in the client buying something that will solve their problem, and you making a profit.Resources mentioned in the episode: Access the Google sheet here. Connect with me on Instagram: @the_raphaelbenderDownload a free course guide:Pilates CertificationVisualized AnatomyBecome a Breathe Education Mentor Affiliate: Program infoMentioned in this episode:Get 1:1 coaching with me to grow your studioGet 1:1 coaching with me to grow your studioThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: AdBarker - https://adbarker.com/privacy

Many, possibly most of the things we think of as “dysfunctions” in Pilates are in fact just normal variations. Things like:Anterior pelvic tiltRounded shouldersAsymmetrical range of motionare highly prevalent in pain-free people and do not predict injury. In fact, 80% of pain-free people have anterior pelvic tilt; so is it really a “tilt” or is it just the shape of the human pelvis?Even hypermobility & scoliosis are arguably not the cause of pain, or increased pain, and don’t need to be (nor can they be) “corrected” or “protected” by exercise.Raph and Natalie talk through:What is the evidence that these things are not pathologies?Why do we pathologize normal?What should we do instead?Resources mentioned in the episode:80% of pain-free people have anterior pelvic tilt hereAnterior pelvic tilt is not related to hip muscle tightness or strength hereSurgery is not more effective than exercise for hip impingement and labral tears hereSubacromial decompression for shoulder impingement is 100% placebo hereIn fact ALL surgeries for musculoskeletal pain are not better than placebo hereEarly MRI causes harm here and the value of MRI for musculoskeletal pain results in more harm than benefit hereStabilization exercise works better if you THINK your back is unstable hereThere is very weak correlation between scoliosis curve magnitude and back pain here and herePain in hypermobile people is not related to joint angle here but is more likely a result of higher pain sensitivity of the central nervous system hereCurrent ACSM guidelines hereConnect with me on Instagram: @the_raphaelbenderDownload a free course guide:Pilates CertificationVisualized AnatomyBecome a Breathe Education Mentor Affiliate: Program infoMentioned in this episode:Get 1:1 coaching with me to grow your studioGet 1:1 coaching with me to grow your studioThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: AdBarker - https://adbarker.com/privacy