If you’ve ever been in class thinking…
“Why am I squeezing this ring / holding a ball / using these tiny weights?” 😅
You’re not alone.
But here’s the truth, that “extra kit” isn’t random.
It’s what takes your workout from just movement to something that actually changes your body.
Because at Studio52, it’s not about doing more…
it’s about doing it better.
💥 Why we use small equipment at all
These tools are there to:
- Add challenge without losing control
- Improve alignment
- Wake up muscles that love to switch off
- Keep your body progressing
👉 Simple exercises suddenly feel very not simple 😅
And that’s the point.
⭕️ The Pilates Ring (the silent killer or ring of fire 🔥)
Looks easy… it’s not 😏
The ring isn’t about squeezing as hard as you can.
It’s about connection.
Used properly, it:
- Fires up inner thighs + glutes
- Connects you to your pelvic floor
- Improves shoulder stability
👉 It teaches your body to switch the right muscles on
🔵 The Soft Ball (the one that makes you shake)
This little thing? Brutal.
We use it to:
- Challenge your core
- Improve alignment
- Activate glutes + pelvic floor
- Add instability (which = more work 😅)
Put it under your back or between your knees and suddenly…
everything has to engage
👉 That shake? That’s your body working properly 👀
🏋️♀️ Small Hand Weights (let’s clear this up…)
Using weights on the reformer isn’t traditional Pilates.
And no, it’s not about building big muscles either.
So why do we use them?
👉 Because they add load in a way the reformer alone can’t always give you.
Let’s be honest, a reformer wasn’t designed to keep stacking load like a squat rack.
There’s only so far you can go with springs before:
- the exercise changes
- or it becomes unsafe
So instead of forcing more springs on…we sometimes add light weights.
Not every class.
Not all the time.
But intentionally.
💥 What the weights actually do
This isn’t gym-style strength training… but it is strength work.
They help:
- Build muscular endurance
- Increase time under tension
- Challenge stability and control
- Improve coordination
Because now your body is managing:
👉 load + movement
👉 on an unstable surface
Add weights into something simple like a lunge and suddenly… your glutes, core, balance, everything has to step up 🔥
✨ Why this matters (especially for you)
Using a mix of equipment:
- Keeps your body progressing
- Helps avoid plateaus
- Improves bone density (huge for women 40+)
- Builds real, functional strength
Because if you’re showing up week after week…your body needs a reason to adapt.
👀 The Studio52 approach
We don’t just throw equipment into a class for the sake of it.
Everything we use is:
- Intentional
- Thought through
- Designed to challenge you safely
Because at the end of the day, if it makes you stronger, more connected, and keeps you progressing…
👉 it has a place.
🔥 And this is just the beginning…
If you’ve been loving the mix of equipment in class…
Let’s just say…
we’re about to take things up a level at Studio52 👀🔥
