What is the difference between Classical and Contemporary Pilates?
Classical vs. Contemporary Pilates: What's the Difference?
Classical and Contemporary Pilates share a common origin in Joseph Pilates' original method - and diverge significantly from there in philosophy, apparatus, sequencing, and what they ask of instructor and student alike. Understanding the difference matters, because the Pilates landscape today is wider and less consistent than the name suggests.
Classical Pilates preserves the original method as Joseph Pilates designed it. Contemporary Pilates adapts and extends that method using modern biomechanics, rehabilitation science, and movement research. Both are grounded in the original work. The meaningful question for anyone choosing a practice or a certification is which approach - and which specific program - actually teaches what it claims to.
What Classical and Contemporary Pilates Have in Common
Both Classical and Contemporary Pilates descend from the same source: Joseph Pilates' original system of exercise, which he called Contrology, developed in New York City from the 1920s through to his death in 1967. Both use the apparatus he designed - the Reformer, Cadillac, Chair, and Barrels - as central teaching tools. Both share the foundational principles of breath, concentration, control, centering, precision, and flow. And both, at their best, produce instructors and practitioners who understand movement at a level most fitness disciplines do not reach.
The divergence is methodological, not cosmetic. It reflects a genuine difference in how each tradition answers the same question: is Joseph Pilates' original method complete as he designed it, or is it a foundation to develop further?
That question matters more today than it did thirty years ago, because the commercial fitness industry has attached the Pilates name to a much wider range of products - reformer-only group classes, hybrid formats, short-form certifications - that draw on the equipment and some of the vocabulary without teaching the method in any systematic way. The Classical vs. Contemporary distinction is a meaningful one between two serious traditions. It is worth keeping that distinction separate from the broader question of whether any given program is teaching Pilates at all.
The Classical position
Classical Pilates holds that Joseph Pilates created a finished system - one that does not need supplementation to produce its results. Every exercise, every sequence, every piece of apparatus was designed with a specific purpose within a larger architecture. The Classical instructor's role is to transmit that system faithfully, adapting its application to the individual without altering the system itself.
The Contemporary position
Contemporary Pilates holds that the original method provides a powerful framework, but one that benefits from integration with modern physical therapy, sports science, and movement research. Contemporary programs modify exercises, introduce new movements and props, and teach biomechanical principles that post-date Pilates' original work. Established Contemporary providers - STOTT (Merrithew), Balanced Body, BASI, Polestar - build serious certifications on this foundation.
Both are legitimate methodological traditions. The comparison below applies to both.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Area | Classical Pilates | Contemporary Pilates |
|---|---|---|
| Exercise order | Fixed, systematic sequence established by Joseph Pilates | Variable; instructor selects based on client needs and program design |
| Apparatus | Original Joseph Pilates designs only | Original apparatus plus modern variants and additions |
| Props | None - the original apparatus is sufficient | Resistance bands, foam rollers, small balls, Pilates ring common |
| Exercise modification | Each exercise has beginner to advanced expressions within the classical repertoire | Exercises are frequently modified or substituted based on client ability or therapeutic goal |
| Lineage | Documented, traceable back to Joseph Pilates through named instructors | Not required; programs develop independent curricula |
| Spinal principles | Articulation, flexion, and extension as Pilates designed | Informed by modern spinal biomechanics and physical therapy research |
| Philosophy of the method | Complete as designed - faithful transmission is the goal | Living framework - evolves with research and practice |
| Certification structure | Comprehensive, integrated program covering full repertoire | Often modular - components completed separately over time |
| Hours to full certification | 600 hours (mat and all apparatus) | Varies widely by program and modular path taken |
Apparatus: Original vs. Evolved
One of the most visible differences is how each approach treats the equipment.
Classical Pilates uses the apparatus Joseph Pilates designed and patented: the Reformer, Cadillac (Trapeze Table), Wunda Chair, High Chair, Ladder Barrel, Spine Corrector, Pedi-Pole, and Magic Circle, among others. Each piece was engineered to facilitate specific movements within the system. Classical instructors do not substitute other equipment for the original apparatus, because the apparatus and the exercises were designed together.
Contemporary programs use the same foundational apparatus but often supplement it with modern additions - foam rollers, resistance bands, small props, and in some cases purpose-built contemporary equipment. Contemporary apparatus manufacturers like Balanced Body and Merrithew have also developed their own variants of classical machines with updated spring systems, padding, and adjustability designed for studio and clinical environments.
For students, the practical difference is this: a Classical studio will have the full original apparatus, and sessions will use it systematically. A Contemporary studio may have a wider variety of equipment but use it more selectively.
Training and Certification: What the Difference Means for Teachers
The methodological differences between Classical and Contemporary Pilates have direct implications for how instructors are trained and what their certification covers.
Classical certification
A Classical Pilates certification trains the instructor in the complete original repertoire - mat work and all major apparatus - within a documented lineage. The curriculum is comprehensive by definition: because the method is treated as a complete system, the training covers the whole system. A 600-hour classical certification from a recognised program typically includes:
- The complete mat repertoire across all three levels
- All major apparatus: Reformer, Cadillac, Chair, Barrels
- Observation, self-practice, and apprenticeship hours with real clients
- Written and practical examinations at each level
- Lineage documentation - the instructor can identify who trained them and trace that lineage to Joseph Pilates
A classically trained instructor can teach the full repertoire anywhere in the world. Their training is legible to any classical studio owner because the curriculum is standardised by the method itself.
Contemporary certification
Contemporary programs are more varied in structure. Many are built on a modular system - mat, reformer, and apparatus certifications completed separately, sometimes across different providers. This gives instructors flexibility in how they build their qualifications, but it also means the depth and breadth of any individual's training depends on which modules they have completed.
A reformer-certified contemporary instructor, for example, may have excellent reformer skills but limited apparatus depth. A full comprehensive contemporary certification from an established provider like STOTT (Merrithew), Balanced Body, or BASI represents substantial training, but the curriculum will differ meaningfully from a classical program in philosophy, sequencing, and the treatment of the apparatus.
For prospective students choosing a training
The questions worth asking of any program - Classical or Contemporary - are straightforward: How many total hours does the complete certification require? What apparatus does it cover? Who trained the faculty, and what is their background? Is there a supervised apprenticeship component? The answers tell you more about training quality than the Classical/Contemporary label alone.
Which Approach Is Right for You?
The honest answer is that this depends on what you want from the practice or the teaching career - not on which approach is objectively better. Here is how to think through it.
Choose Classical if...
You want to teach or practice the original method as Pilates designed it. You value documented lineage and methodological consistency. You want a single comprehensive certification that covers the full repertoire. You are drawn to the discipline of a fixed system.
Choose Contemporary if...
You work in rehabilitation or clinical settings where modern biomechanics and physical therapy principles are central to your practice. You want flexibility to integrate Pilates with other movement modalities. You prefer a modular certification path. Your studio or employer uses a specific contemporary program.
For practitioners
Try both. A class with a trained Classical instructor and a session with a well-trained Contemporary instructor will feel different in ways a description cannot fully convey. Your body's response is useful information.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Classical Pilates harder than Contemporary?
Not inherently. Classical Pilates is more systematic - the fixed sequence and comprehensive apparatus work create a demanding full-body discipline - but the method is fully scalable to any level. The advanced Classical repertoire is physically challenging, but so is advanced Contemporary work.
The more meaningful difference is the style of challenge: Classical asks you to work within the logic of a fixed system; Contemporary gives the instructor more latitude to design sessions around your specific needs and goals.
Can a Classical studio use Contemporary techniques, or vice versa?
A Classical studio teaching the original method would not introduce Contemporary modifications - doing so would compromise the methodological integrity the lineage is built on. That said, a Classical instructor can understand Contemporary principles and discuss them with clients without teaching them.
Many Contemporary studios do incorporate Classical elements - particularly the exercise names, apparatus, and sequencing logic - while adapting the biomechanical approach. The line between the two is not always sharp in practice, which is one reason understanding the core differences matters.
Is one approach better for injury rehabilitation?
Contemporary Pilates has a strong presence in clinical and rehabilitation settings, in part because its integration of neutral spine and modern biomechanics aligns with physical therapy practice. Many physiotherapists and occupational therapists train in Contemporary programs for this reason.
Classical Pilates - particularly apparatus work - was itself developed in part as a rehabilitation tool, and many Classical instructors work effectively with injured or post-surgical clients. The apparatus, especially the Cadillac, allows precise, supported work in positions not available on the mat or reformer alone.
For anyone working with specific injuries or conditions, the instructor's experience with that population matters more than the Classical/Contemporary label.
Are Classical and Contemporary Pilates certifications interchangeable?
No. They are different qualifications covering different curricula. A Classical certification documents training in the original method within a lineage; a Contemporary certification documents training in a specific program's adapted curriculum. Studios hiring instructors know the difference and often have a preference based on their own methodology.
An instructor with a Classical certification wanting to work in a Contemporary studio - or vice versa - may be welcomed depending on the studio, but may also be expected to complete additional training in the studio's specific approach.
Which approach is more widely recognised globally?
Both approaches have strong global presence, but in different markets. Classical Pilates has a strong foothold in the United States, Italy, South Korea, Japan, and parts of South America - markets where the original method's lineage carries significant weight.
Contemporary programs - particularly STOTT (Merrithew), Balanced Body, and BASI - have large global networks and are well recognised in clinical, fitness, and studio environments worldwide.
A 600-hour Classical certification from a recognised lineage-based organisation is respected globally in Classical studios. A full Contemporary certification from an established provider is similarly recognised in its own network. The recognition question is really about which studios you want to work in.
Power Pilates - Est. 1995
Train in the Classical Method
Power Pilates has trained more than 20,000 instructors across 45+ countries in the complete original repertoire - mat and all apparatus, within a documented lineage traceable to Joseph Pilates himself.
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