Fitness competitions like Hyrox fill the exhibition halls with their timed courses, while Pilates apps are a hit on the wellness side. Between these two worlds, a format was missing for those who love it
Pilates reformerbut want to measure themselves, progress and compare their performances over time. Except that Pilates has never really had common rules or classification.
It is this niche that wants to occupy International Pilates Studio with the
Pilates Gamesa new reformer workout competition launched in more than 130 studios around the world. The brand, founded in 2002 by Jade Winter and Tanya Winter, is moving from its usual 40-minute courses to a 100-minute format, graded and structured, designed as a “benchmark” for the discipline. Enough to shake up the very gentle image of Pilates and take it into the realm of measured performance.
A 100-minute format on reformer, with a score to boot
The heart of the Pilates Games is a unique 100-minute reformer session, more than double the size of a standard Studio Pilates International class. Participants perform a series of exercises and are rated on each movement on a scale of up to six points. Technique, amplitude and control when fatigue increases guide the score, and higher spring resistance can earn more points if the quality remains impeccable.
To design this format, general manager Jade Winter started from frustration. “The inspiration came from the realization that Pilates has always required a high level of athleticism, strength, endurance, control and concentration, but there has never been a formal way to measure or emphasize this. In most sports there is a clear structure for competition and progression, and we saw the opportunity to bring that same framework to Pilates” he explained to Athletech News.
A competition that focuses on quality, not speed
Unlike Hyrox or the ATHX Games, which rely on timing and volume of work, the Pilates Games focus on how the body moves under pressure. “Unlike many fitness competitions that reward speed or output, Pilates is about the quality of your movements, not how fast they are. We developed a six-point scale for each exercise, with clear criteria around form, range of motion and control under fatigue. It’s simple in appearance, but very rigorous in practice, and that’s intentional.“, detailed Jade Winter.
This approach echoes the trend in event fitness while remaining true to the DNA of Pilates, centered on body placement and protection. Where F45 Training or CR Fitness Holdings focus on explosive WODs (workouts of the day), Studio Pilates International transforms its reformer into a precision “laboratory”. We are almost close to an artistic sport where the technical score counts as much as the effort.
What the Pilates Games change for practitioners
The Pilates Games are a continuation of theAmplify 6 Week Challengethe six-week in-house program that serves as a launching pad to competition. Students build strength and control, monitor their progress, then test all of this in real conditions during the 100-minute session, the first wave of which must conclude at the end of June.
For French people who are already fans of premium Pilates, via physical studios or apps like Rituel Studio or The Pilates Class, this format opens a new door: always practicing relatively gently for the joints, but with a quantified objective, reproducible from one edition to another. It remains to be seen which French studios will take up this idea to organize their own “Games” on reformer tomorrow.