I started working out in 1978 when I finished college and started my first real job. I started playing racquetball at a club with a large workout presence and I’ve been a ‘gym rat’ since my late 20s.
My starting point with Pilates was probably 20 years ago - I attended a session in Santa Monica. My lasting impression was "Pilates is really nerdy and uninvolving".
Dana Clark - another The Studio (MDR) member is my life partner. She pushed me to take my first class (for over 3 years she kept it up: "you need to try this". Dana has always looked great but the results of Pilates were undeniable. At this time, I was going to Gold's Venice or more likely Equinox in Beverly Hill - 5 minutes from my work. My workouts were frequently interrupted by phone calls from work and I really wasn't getting much out of my efforts.
Dana kept telling me: "You'll love Pilates," to which I would reply, "I tried it. It was nerdy and un-involving" besides, Equinox is just down the street from my work and The Studio (MDR) West is a 15-20 minute drive that is completely out of my loop.
About a year later, Dana mentioned that The Studio (MDR) had secured a space at Playa Vista. (This was probably a year and a half before The Studio (MDR) Playa Vista opened.) Dana kept hammering me to try it and finally, I looked at the Lagree Method website and The Studio (MDR) site and it did not look like the Pilates that I tried years before.
About this time, we attended the wedding of (MDR) devotees Bacchus Freedman and Mona Perez. Bacchus told me how Megaformer Pilates changed and kept his life energized. It became obvious to me that as soon as the Playa Vista studio opened I would have no more excuses. I continued to monitor news about the Playa Vista location and Dana kept asking Lisa.
Finally, on Saturday, April 2 2016, the new location opened - I had signed-up for my first class: The "Intro To" with Lindsay Hallam. In short, it was a challenge: So I bought a 1 Week Introductory Offer and took 3 Essentials Classes that week and with Dana's encouragement: "You're ready for Total Body - just jump in and do it!”
My first "Total Body" on 4/9/2016 with Erika Rae DeFrates convinced me that this was a workout plan for the rest of my life. One thing that I need is constant motivation - the instructors provide this. You cannot 'phone-in' a Megaformer Pilates workout - each workout is different so, it's hard to get bored.
The first changes I noticed were that I was really sore in places I never expected to be and that I walked like a cowboy fresh from a 5-day cattle run. By 3 months, I had dropped 10 lbs. After another couple of months I noticed that my posture had improved to the extent that I was standing at least half an inch taller and I just felt different when walking and standing. Shoulders back, stomach in.
My diet hasn't changed all that much - still an omnivore - lots of fish/shellfish, chicken and lean beef with the occasional pork thrown in. My diet wasn't bad but I am more conscious of sugar. I try to eat sugar only when I want something sweet so I avoid processed foods.
The pose I used to hate? Stationary Lunges - in fact any lunge. Now, I wouldn't say I love lunges but I don't hate them either. My favorite poses are King Cobra, Starfish, and anything with a push-up. Mountain climbers are my favorite according to Erika Rae DeFrates.
The physical improvements are obvious to everyone around me - the mental ones are not. At this point, if I can get through fifty minutes of (MDR), I can get through most anything. It is all in the mind.
My goals for the future include: keep making time for my 3-4 classes a week and pay more attention to transitions.
Enough about me - I'm very grateful for the constant 'encouragement' and feedback that I get from Erika Rae DeFrates and Lindsay Hallam. Thanks to Lisa for being a good judge of character and hiring such great people. The instructors at StudioMDR are a true team.