THE PEOPLE WHO KNOW THE MOST STILL WORK FOR IT

Hi, it’s Maria!

I think people have a funny idea of what being an instructor looks like. Somewhere along the way, we've decided that if you teach movement, you should be able to glide through every class without shaking, struggling, getting challenged, or breaking a sweat.

But honestly, that's never been my expectation of a good instructor.

For some reason, people tend to think expertise and ease go hand in hand. We assume that if someone is good at something, it must no longer be difficult for them. That once you've done something long enough, you'll eventually reach a point where it stops challenging you.

But I actually think the opposite is often true.

The longer you do something, the more you understand how it's supposed to

feel.

When I take class, it's still hard. I still shake. I still have moments where I'm

counting down the seconds until a plank to pike is over. There are still exercises I

love and exercises I'd happily skip if given the opportunity.

Not because I don't know what I'm doing.

Because I do.

And I think that's an important distinction.

People often confuse proper form with making something look easy. But proper

form and effortless are not the same thing.

If anything, proper form usually removes all the shortcuts.

You can't rush through the movement. You can't rely on momentum. You can't

shift the work somewhere else. You have to stay connected to exactly what

you're doing, and sometimes that's what makes an exercise feel harder, not

easier.

When I watch someone with experience take class, I'm not looking to see

whether they're shaking or struggling. I'm looking at how they move. Are they

controlling the movement? Are they maintaining alignment when things get

difficult? Do they understand where the work is supposed to be coming from?

That's what experience looks like.

Not avoiding the challenge.

Understanding it.

And honestly, I think this applies to more than fitness.

The best leaders I know still have difficult conversations. The best business

owners I know still face challenges. The best relationships still require effort.

The people who are truly good at something aren't usually the ones acting like

it's easy.

They're the ones who respect it enough to keep practicing it.

That's one of the reasons we require our instructors to take class at BARE.

Not because I expect them to be the strongest person in the room.

Not because I expect them to never struggle.

And definitely not because I expect them to be perfect.

I expect them to stay connected to the experience they're coaching.

Taking class reminds instructors what clients are feeling. It reminds them which

transitions feel rushed, which cues are helpful, where people tend to lose form,

and where encouragement matters most. It keeps them learning. It keeps them

humble. It keeps them connected to the work.

Because the best instructors are usually still students.

They're still curious, refining, and practicing.

And I think clients deserve that.

So if you ever see one of our instructors shaking during class, taking a breath

during a hold, or getting challenged by a sequence, that's not a sign they're doing

something wrong.

It's usually a sign they're doing exactly what they're supposed to be doing.

Because the goal isn't for instructors to be above the workout.The goal is for them to respect it enough to keep showing up for it.

And honestly, I think there's something in that for clients too.

So many people walk into class and immediately start judging themselves based

on how hard it feels. They assume shaking means they're weak. They assume

struggling means they're behind. They assume needing a break means they're

not good at it yet.

But difficulty isn't always a sign that something is wrong.

Sometimes it's a sign that you're exactly where you're supposed to be.

Maybe that's the misconception.

People think the goal is to get to a point where something no longer feels hard.

But most things worth doing don't work like that.

The goal isn't to eliminate the challenge.

It's to develop the skill to meet it.🖤

From my core to yours,

Maria Stege

Founder & CEO, BARE Pilates Studio

…and that’s The Naked Truth.