Club Pilates — Attraction in Palo Alto

*Update—things are getting much better here! I have changed the review from one to three stars. They have hired better teachers, and things are seemingly going in the right direction. However, they are still short on instructors, and sometimes classes get canceled. I'm hoping that with the improvements, there will be more instructors.

-I recently joined this studio and do NOT love it. From the overheard chatter while waiting for classes- this is common right now with some instructors suddenly leaving. Things are not good at this studio. It is apparent the wheels are falling off the bus.

1-Last week classes were cancelled because they couldn't get instructors and they only sent one email the night before at 6. Mine went to spam. Many of us showed up to find a cancelled classes.

2- THE AC IS OUT! It is 95-100 degrees this week and there was no communication. People walked out of class yesterday because there were only 2 small fans located on one side of the room! Today a temporary set up was in place but it only works on half the studio and there are no fans for the other side. Still no communication. None. Zero. Nothing.

3- I came from a studio that had a very involved owner that communicated regularly, so this is quite a change for the worse.

4- Classes are not traditional Club Pilates or levels. You may not do footwork the entire class. This is just a very different approach to CP that takes adjustment when coming from other, more rigorous, studios.

5-This is a great studio for people over 65! There is a large cohort here and they really enjoy each other and the instructors.

Before signing up for this studio- check other local studios to make sure this is a good fit. Also- be warned- there is NO communication from the studio about important things! I wish I had looked at the CPs in the next door cities to find...

This Cal Ave CP franchise has a toxic, all-take no-give relationship with customers. All take: If you’re 5 minutes late, you can’t join the class. No give: CP has canceled 1 of my classes each month for 6 months, with only 20 hours' notice, without apology. This results in my trying to reschedule when the available classes are at worse times. My sense is that the franchise underpays instructors (who have long commutes) to ensure that the franchise makes as much money as possible, resulting in high turnover and canceled classes. Due to the limitations of pilates reformer workouts, the Lagree Megaformer was invented to provide a better workout in the same amount of time. Alas, the one PA Megaformer studio never recovered from COVID-19. With CP you don’t work all the muscle groups you need to work. I go to a gym for a better workout. I use CP for my lightest day of the week before my hardest (mountain bike) workout the next day. CP instructor training does not include how to accommodate 6’4 200-pound basketball players (sometimes need heavier springs). One thing that is terrific is CP Sculpt classes - easy-on-the-joints horizontal...

I’m extremely frustrated with their approach to membership. After being a loyal customer for several years, I injured my neck during a session due to the instructor’s lack of attention to proper form. Just one day after my membership renewed, I reached out to request a cancellation, as my injury would prevent me from attending classes. Instead of showing any flexibility or concern, they refused to cancel, stating that if I didn’t use my credits within a month, I would lose them. On top of that, they expected me to pay $25 per month just to freeze my membership.

The instructors often seem disengaged, merely counting reps without ensuring participants perform movements correctly.

Scheduling classes has been another major issue; sessions are consistently overbooked, making it extremely difficult to find available spots. Consequently, I’ve lost numerous credits because I couldn’t secure a place in the full classes. Despite these challenges, the facility offers no flexibility or consideration for loyal members facing difficulties. I wouldn’t recommend this pilates...