Comprehensive Pilates course: train on mat and every apparatus

A comprehensive Pilates course trains you to teach on the mat and on every major piece of Pilates apparatus in a single programme: the reformer, the Cadillac or tower, the Wunda chair and the ladder and arc barrels. At Pilates Dynamics in Johannesburg, the Comprehensive course is 315 hours of lectures and practical work, accredited with REPSSA, SASP and BASA, and it is the most complete qualification we offer. If you want the freedom to teach any class a studio runs, this is the course built for that.

What “comprehensive” means in Pilates training

Joseph Pilates designed his method as one integrated system. The mat work and the apparatus were meant to support each other: the springs of the reformer or tower can assist a movement a client cannot yet do on the mat, or add resistance to challenge someone who finds it easy. A comprehensive qualification teaches you to use the whole system, so you can choose the right tool for each client rather than being limited to one.

Many instructors build up to this one course at a time, starting with mat, adding reformer and later the remaining equipment. That route works, but it often stretches over several years and several enrolments. Studying comprehensively means you learn how everything connects from the start.

What the comprehensive Pilates course covers

The programme combines two parts that can also be taken separately.

Mat and small equipment

• Mat repertoire from basic to advanced levels
• Small equipment such as balls, TRX, ballet barre, Bosu, magic ring, resistance bands, free weights and weighted balls
• Applied anatomy, muscle focus and the goal of each exercise
• Faulty posture patterns, injuries and pathologies, with contraindications and recommendations
• Exercise variations, props and assists, and guidelines for pregnancy
• Programme flow and planning a class

Large equipment

• Reformer, Cadillac and towers, Wunda chair, ladder barrel and arc barrels, from basic to advanced levels
• Muscle imbalances and exercise objectives
• Adaptations and modifications for different bodies
• Additional injuries and pathologies not covered in the mat programme, including auto-immune conditions, and pregnancy on the apparatus
• Teaching and cueing skills, programme flow and example programmes

Every student receives course manuals and access to an online video library of the exercises, and you can use the studio for your practice and observation hours.

Why train comprehensively

You can teach any class

Studios that run reformer, tower and chair classes need instructors who can cover all of them. Being able to step into any timetable slot makes you more useful to an employer and gives you more ways to fill your own diary if you work for yourself.

You understand the method as a whole

Learning the mat and apparatus together helps you see how an exercise on one translates to another. That understanding is what lets you adapt a session for a client with a sore back, a new mother or an athlete in the same week.

Your qualification travels

Studios abroad typically ask you to teach a sample session before hiring you. A broad, in-depth qualification gives you the knowledge to handle whatever equipment and client they put in front of you.

One programme, one plan

Rather than booking separate courses over several years, you work through a single structured programme, with lectures, practical hours and exams planned together.

How the course is structured

• Lectures: in small groups of 4 to 10, or privately at times that suit you. Online tuition for lectures is possible.
• Practical hours: self-practice, observation and practice teaching, much of which you can do in your own time.
• Exams: held three times a year, in March, July and October, with a pass mark of 70%.
• Payment: payment plans are available. See the info pack for current fees.

The course runs at our Randburg studio in Johannesburg, and in Cape Town on request. Wondering how this compares with other routes? Our guide to Pilates certification in South Africa explains how the courses and accreditations fit together, and our post on what a Pilates instructor course costs explains what goes into the fee.

Frequently asked questions

I already have a mat qualification. Do I need the full course?

No. The 230-hour Comprehensive Conversion course covers only the large equipment section and is designed for qualified mat teachers.

What if I only want to teach reformer?

The 70-hour Intensive Reformer course covers the reformer alone. A mat qualification is a prerequisite.

Who is the comprehensive course suited to?

Physiotherapists, biokineticists, personal trainers, dancers and career changers who want to teach Pilates fully, whether in a studio, a practice or their own business.

Explore the Comprehensive course

Read the full outline of the Comprehensive course or the Comprehensive Conversion course, and download the info pack for current dates and fees. Ready to start? Register online, or email info@pilatesdynamics.co.za with any questions.