Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced Pilates - Why Levels Make Little Sense (and How to Teach Differently)

Most Pilates instructors are familiar with the traditional classification of classes into beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. While common, this approach can sometimes limit both the instructor and the client. Strictly following these classifications may impede the personalization of your instruction and slow a client's progress.

In this article, I want to explore an alternative to the conventional level-based framework and explore more thoughtful ways to tailor your Pilates teaching. By broadening our perspective, we can create a more inclusive and adaptive practice that truly caters to each individual's unique journey in Pilates.

The Traditional Level-Based Approach: A Closer Look

As you likely know, the traditional approach to teaching Pilates categorizes classes into beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. This method groups clients by perceived skill and experience, aiming to provide a structured journey through Pilates. There are usually three distinct levels:

• Beginner Classes: These classes focus on fundamental movements, basic exercises, and foundational principles. Ideal for those new to Pilates or looking to build a strong base for their Pilates education.
• Intermediate Classes: At this stage, you’ll introduce more complex movements and greater challenges. Suitable for clients who have a solid grasp of the basics and are ready to expand their skills beyond standard Pilates teacher training.
• Advanced Classes: The highest level is suited for seasoned practitioners, these sessions often include intricate techniques and require a higher level of strength, flexibility, and control.

While this structure is clear and straightforward, it often overlooks individual differences in needs, physical abilities, and personal goals. This can limit the potential for personalized embodiment and inhibit progress. In fact, I feel there are many limitations and weaknesses to the level-based approach that must be explored.

The Weaknesses and Misconceptions of the Level-Based Approach

In my opinion, the level-based approach to Pilates carries several misconceptions that can hinder the practice's full potential. First, it assumes that skills increase linearly, overlooking the unique pace at which each client progresses. The belief that "advanced" equates to harder or fancier exercises undermines the core essence of Pilates, which values precision above complexity and quality over quantity.

Additionally, this approach contradicts the holistic nature of Pilates, which honors the integration of body, mind, and spirit as one. By reducing the practice to a sequence of levels, or building blocks, we risk losing sight of the interconnected, transformative experience that Pilates offers. This can lead to a fragmented rather than a unified approach. That’s why I believe in a different approach—one that focuses on layering, not progression by levels.

Embracing a New Perspective: Layering Instead of Levels

Instead of relying on rigid levels, we can incorporate "layering" in Pilates. Layering through an approach like the IVA Layering Approach can enrich your practice by adding depth and nuance to exercises rather than merely increasing their difficulty. For example, any exercise can be deepened, intensified, or eased by changing its focus and intend through breath, leverage, or muscular engagement, making it suitable for all stages of learning.

This approach fosters continuous progression without confining clients to categories like beginner, intermediate, or advanced. Through layering, your clients can expand their abilities, increase their awareness of body connections, and achieve comprehensive body integration. This method also honors the holistic philosophy of Pilates, ensuring a more personalized and inclusive experience for everyone. Let’s take a closer look at how it works.

How the IVA Layering Approach Works

The IVA Layering Approach in Pilates embraces a journey of holistic progression and development, whether you’re a new teacher with freshly completed Pilates teacher training or completing additional Pilates certifications. Here’s a glimpse into how it works and how we layer as we progress in our Pilates practice:

1. Restore: Begin by addressing any mobility restrictions through essential practices that guide you toward a tension-free body. Restoring mobility and flow of energy lays the groundwork to facilitate healing in people’s body.
2. Revive: Engage with foundational exercises that improve alignment and full body connections to establish solid foundations. This phase is all about honing correct positioning and posture to build from.
3. Empower: Strengthen and build stamina from within through distinct exercises. True empowerment is rooted in developing strong muscles that support you in everything you do sustaining any bearing forces.
4. Expand: Explore expansion exercises that evolve your body’s capabilities and scope beyond average. Here, extended leverage, range of motion and speed become your focal growing points.
5. Perform: Safely test your limits with athletic exercises. This phase is about pushing boundaries in a secure and supportive way being challenged.
6. Embody: Embrace Contrology to fully embody Joseph Pilates’ original visionary approach. Control, precision, and the mind-body-spirit connection are at the heart of this transformational step doing his work as it was intended.

The Importance of Intent and Progression and Pilates

With the IVA Layering Approach, intent and progression are key, and we like to follow Joseph Pilates's philosophy. Joseph emphasized that every exercise should serve a specific purpose. To him, progression isn't about merely tackling more challenging moves but about nurturing your body’s ability to heal, align, and perform.

An advanced practice of Pilates allows you to focus on tuning into your body's needs, ensuring that each movement is carried out with mindful intent and alignment to serve your outcome. With the IVA framework, this is the goal, but we also focus on three areas I like to call the energy buckets.

The Energy Buckets of the IVA Framework

The IVA Framework includes the concept of three body allocation buckets, offering a holistic way to assess and guide clients. Let’s take a look at each of them and their focal points:

• Life Care Bucket (Healing & Restoration): This bucket focuses on healing and recovery, addressing any physical limitations to restore well-being.
• Life Balance Bucket (Alignment and Connection): Here, the focus is on achieving balance and structural alignment, fostering a harmonious connection between the body and mind pulling the body together.
• Life Performance Bucket (Strength and Power): This bucket enhances strength, athleticism, and performance, encouraging clients to reach new personal milestones.

These body allocation buckets provide an inclusive approach that caters to individual needs and expected outcomes rather than categorizing clients by levels. After all, Pilates is about achieving meaningful goals, not just advancing to a higher level!

With the IVA framework, we emphasize the purpose of each exercise, ensuring that every movement serves a significant function in the client’s journey.

Practical Tips to Teach Pilates Differently

Teaching differently means tailoring Pilates education to meet clients' current needs—whether they are focused on restoration, balance, or performance. I believe that the IVA approach expands people’s movement capabilities, not confining them to predefined levels. However, above all else, effective communication is essential: observe, listen, and ask questions, to support or to challenge clients accordingly when necessary.

Truthfully, the key is to focus on the results your clients genuinely need, not just their progression in performing exercises or completing Pilates certifications. That way, you can ensure your clients receive personalized guidance that addresses their specific goals, leading to meaningful and impactful outcomes on their Pilates journey.

I don’t believe that it is enough to just teach Pilates being a Pilates Teacher. To truly serve our client’s needs we need to become excellent Problem Solvers, Optimizers and Amplifiers in our client’s lives using Pilates as our main tool but not as a rule. We need to see the bigger picture behind each of the pieces of the puzzle that Joseph & Clara left behind to be of help to people’s happiness doing Pilates. Clients come to Pilates because of the result we provide them, and not to become an intermediate or an advanced practitioner of the work.

Embrace a New Approach to Pilates with IVA Pilates

At IVA Pilates, we believe that the true potential of Pilates lies in deepening and expanding the body’s capabilities through layering and intention rather than simply leveling up. Our aim is to inspire curiosity and invite teachers to explore a more integrated and holistic teaching method, no matter if they are at the start of their Pilates teacher training or completing additional Pilates education courses.

IVA Pilates is a hub where teachers can collaborate and innovate, fostering a community dedicated to this enriched approach and the continuation of their Pilates education. If you’re intrigued and wish to find out more about this transformative journey, join our Inner Circle by booking a call with Iva here. Let’s redefine what Pilates can be together.

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