The Three-Bucket Method: Finding the Proper Strategy for Every Client That Brings the Best Results

When I started teaching Pilates, I followed the “rules.” Beginner. Intermediate. Advanced.

It gave me structure and a clear progression path for my clients—or so I thought. But over time, I noticed something was off. I was starting to teach “levels,” not people. I was teaching what I had planned, rather than what the person in front of me actually needed.

And my clients could feel it.

Some stopped showing up. Others seemed disconnected or frustrated. I knew in my gut something had to change. So I began listening more closely—to how they moved, how they felt, and what their bodies were asking for that day.

What I found changed everything.

Real people don’t live in categories. They show up tired, stressed, motivated, hopeful… sometimes all in the same week. And they need more than a pre-written program—they need support that responds to where they are now.

That’s when the Three-Bucket Method was born. Not based on levels. But based on real, in-the-moment needs.

Meeting Clients Where They Are

Some days, a client walks into the studio with energy to spare, ready to be challenged.
Other days, they seem weighed down—by fatigue, stress, or tension in their body that wasn’t there last week.

And then there are the days in between, where they move well but something still feels off—a lack of control, a disconnect in their posture, or a sense that they’re pushing through movement rather than really partnering with their body.

As teachers, we see this shift all the time.
Some clients need to slow down, others need structure, and some are ready to push their limits.

But the truth is, most people need a mix at any given time—not a one-size-fits-all routine.

That’s where the Three Buckets approach comes in.
It offers a simple, adaptable way to structure movement—not by level or ability, but by what the body actually needs.

‍Understanding the Three Buckets

The Life Care, Life Balance, and Life Performance Buckets work together like a well-balanced training portfolio. The goal isn’t to place someone into just one, but to find the right balance between them to get the best results for your client from his practice with you.

You will transform from a pilates teacher into a problem solving strategist for your clients having a formula that always adjusts to what your clients body need!

A client recovering from injury might spend 70% of their effort on Life Care, 25% on Life Balance, and 5% on Performance—keeping movement restorative while gradually rebuilding alignment and strength. Another, already strong and fit client that is only struggling with alignment issues, might benefit from a near-even split between Care and Balance of no more than 40-50%, with a higher focus on Performance of 50-60% to maintain their body’s resilience and capacity.

No two clients will have the same ratios, and those needs will shift over time. The role of the teacher isn’t just to lead exercises—it’s to observe, listen, and adjust the mix accordingly.

Life Care: Restoration and Healing

This is the foundation—the work that keeps movement safe, fluid, and sustainable.

Some clients spend more time here due to injury or chronic pain, but even the strongest bodies need care. Stress, poor sleep, or long hours spent at a desk can leave the body tight and uncooperative, and when that happens, movement must slow down to allow recovery.

How to Recognize When a Client Needs More Life Care Work:

• They struggle to recover from stress—physically or mentally.
• They experience chronic stiffness, joint discomfort, or lack of mobility.
• They feel fatigued and drained rather than energized by movement.
• They show hesitation or discomfort in exercises that were previously easy.
• They suffer from pain weakens or immune system feeling weak.

How to Teach in the Life Care Bucket

Life Care work is small, gentle, slow and deliberate. It focuses on letting go of tension rather than adding more, on mobility rather than strength, on ease rather than effort. When this bucket is full, clients move freely, without pain or restriction—an essential foundation that supports everything else.

• Use slow, kind, controlled movements that encourage the nervous system to relax.
• Introduce breath-work, mobilisation, and light awakening work to release built-up tension.
• Encourage clients to listen to the whispers of their bodies rather than pushing through discomfort being tough.

Life Balance: Alignment and Connection

This is where movement becomes more structured and intentional.

While Life Care focuses on releasing tension, Balance is about organizing the body, improving posture, and moving efficiently with our inner forces (our intention and emotions for exemple) and outer force (like gravity and leverage for exemple). They learn to partner and work with these forces instead of fighting against them.

Many clients spend the bulk of their time in this bucket, learning how to distribute weight, how to stabilize before moving, and how to engage muscles in a way that feels both effortless and strong. It’s not about pushing harder—it’s about moving smarter.

How to Recognize When a Client Needs More Life Balance Work:

• They frequently experience some kind of discomfort after long days in their body, poor posture, or a general feeling of misalignment.
• They seem physically capable but struggle with control, endurance, or consistency.
• They rush through movements or rely on momentum instead of control.
• They compensate in certain exercises, showing instability or lack of integration.

How to Teach in the Life Balance Bucket

Balance work helps clients fine-tune how they interact with gravity, creating a body that is both strong and adaptable.

• Focus on postural awareness and alignment-based exercises.
• Introduce balance and stability drills that reinforce control in movement.
• Help them feel how to use gravity as support, rather than working against it.

When this bucket is full, clients feel more connected, stable, and in control of their movements, no longer compensating or relying on force to get through an exercise.

‍Life Performance: Strength and Empowerment

This is where movement becomes dynamic, powerful, and challenging. The work in this bucket builds strength, endurance, and resilience, allowing clients to test their limits and see what they’re capable of.

But here’s the key: Performance isn’t just about training hard. It only works when the other two buckets are full supporting your capabilities of going beyond your comfort zones. A client with tight hips from sitting all day might struggle with strength exercises—not because they’re weak, but because their movement is restricted. Another, with poor postural awareness, might add force to an exercise without truly controlling it, leading to strain instead of strength.

How to Recognize When a Client Needs More Life Performance Work:

• They feel strong and capable but are eager for more challenge.
• They crave intensity and progressions—they want to push past their limits.
• They have good control and mobility and can increase intensity safely.
• They want to train for endurance, power, or a specific performance goal.

How to Teach in the Life Performance Bucket

Performance training is where clients gain confidence in their abilities and develop the mental, emotional, energetic and physical resilience to take on new challenges.

• Introduce higher resistance, more leverage, and greater complexity in movement.
• Encourage progressive overload—adding intensity gradually while maintaining control.
• Include coordination drills and full-body movement patterns to refine efficiency.

When taught at the right time and in the right proportion, Performance training is where clients move beyond "functional" into thriving becoming the best version of themselves!

How Teachers Can Use This Model in Their Sessions

Every client needs a mix of these three elements. The challenge is knowing how to adjust the ratio in a way that keeps them progressing without pushing too far or holding them back.

This starts with observation. How are they moving today? What does their posture tell you? Do they seem mentally drained or ready for a challenge? Sometimes, clients think they need intensity when what they really need is balance. Others may hesitate when they’re actually ready to push a little further.

Asking the right questions helps fine-tune the mix. How did they feel after their last session? Where do they notice tension or fatigue? By listening, adjusting, and staying adaptable, you create a practice that supports them, rather than just leading them through exercises. Make sure you ask your clients how they feel and what they think their body might need when coming to class.

Bringing It All Together: Teaching with Adaptability

When we shift our approach from "What should I teach today?" to "What does this client need today?", we move from pre-structured rigid programming that is based on sequences and order of movements to responsive, intuitive teaching.

The Life Care, Life Balance, and Life Performance Buckets offer a simple yet powerful way to guide movement, ensuring clients get exactly what they need—not just in a single session, but over time.

But this isn’t just about your clients—it’s about you as a teacher, too. The way you move, recover, and challenge yourself directly impacts how you show up in your teaching. If you’re curious about how this concept applies to your own body, start by taking a short quiz designed to help you identify which buckets need more attention in your own movement practice.

Because just like our clients, we all need the right balance of restoration, alignment, and strength to keep evolving.

Want to explore it for yourself? Take the quiz here.