Pilates can be challenging, but with the right instructor, it can be a highly rewarding form of exercise. However, for instructor Emily Kuch (@emilykuchh), there is more to a successful Pilates class than meets the eye, wherein the onus of responsibility is also on the student to ensure the class runs smoothly.
In a TikTok, which has amassed 382,700 views, Kuch issued a PSA about this. She explained how her class had a first-time attendee who claimed to have been doing Pilates for 14 years. However, Kuch seemed to take issue with the fact that she hadn’t been to an intro class.
The instructor airs her grievance
“We have intro classes and studios that have policies in place for specific reasons,” she said. “One, if you come to the studio and they have a reformer that you’ve never been on before, it eats away at so much time.”
Kuch continued, “If you don’t know how to adjust your straps, now I got to adjust your straps […] if you don’t know how to move your foot bar. Now I gotta move your foot bar. If you don’t know how to put something on your reformer. I have to wait extra time for you to get there. Signing up for a group class is understanding that this is a group experience and this is not a private setting. So you need to be aware that the policies are in place to protect everybody’s group experience as a whole. “
She also claimed that if someone hasn’t been on the apparatus before, it’s a safety concern, and added that she often gets students who have done Lagree and Megaformer, which, she argues, is not the same as Pilates.
Why an intro class matters
“So when I’m telling you that we’re going to set up for Mermaid or we’re going to set up for Teaser, and you have no idea where to go because it’s an advanced level class, and you’ve actually been not doing Pilates for the last 14 years, it takes away from the group experience,” she repeated.
She emphasised that people are turned away from advanced pilates for their own safety, or to ensure that they don’t detract from the group experience.
“Because a lot of people my classes want to do a freaking handstand, they want to do a pistol squat, they want to do some crazy [expletive] on the reformer,” she said. “I want those advanced people to be able to do those but can’t do that if I had a brand new person who I don’t know if they’ve actually ever been taking Pilates, shows up and they’re like, ‘Hey, this is my first class ever at this gym.'”
Commenters were unimpressed
Commenters didn’t respond well to this PSA. The majority of comments criticized Kuch, noting that it was her actual job to help newcomers. “You’re a teacher,” one wrote. “You’re meant to TEACH.”
“Are you not the Pilates instructor?” a second asked. “I’m so confused.” Other commenters took issue with Kuch’s attitude in general. “Lol, so every retired mean girl became a nurse or a Pilates instructor?” a third asked. “Got it.”
“This makes me NOT ever take a Pilates class in my life,” a fourth admitted. “EVER.”
An alleged student reacts
Days later, a Pilates student posted her own TikTok about feeling singled out at a class, which ended up amassing 2.5 million views.
In the clip, which was posted under the handle @bratprincessxx, she claimed that she felt that the vibes were “off” and felt anxious during the class, but brushed it off as her overthinking.
However, this changed when she came across her instructor on her FYP, who was talking about a student who sounded “an awful lot” like her.
“So now all my fears that I thought were just my anxiety are confirmed, because my Pilates instructor was thinking all the things that I thought she was thinking in my head, but it was real,” she added. “And not only was it real, she announced it on social media, and she’s like an influencer, um, so I feel really uncomfortable, and I don’t know what to do.”
Then, in a follow-up video, @bratprincessxx shared how, during the class, she felt “judged” and “singled out,” claiming that the instructor asked her more questions than anyone else. She also noted how there was no suggestion of prerequisites when booking the class online, and alleged that she was using a broken reformer. The majority of her comments speculated that she was referring to Kuch, though @bratprincessxx did not confirm this.
The student didn’t immediately respond to The Mary Sue’s request for comment via TikTok comment and Instagram direct message.
@emilykuchh I always modify, accommodate and direct which springs to use in classes. My studio is part of a gym where members only are allowed to sign up and are required to acknowledge rules for coming to class when booking. If you’re coming from another video feel free to reference my statement I recently posted
♬ original sound – Emily Kuchh
The instructor issues a statement
Kuch also issued an additional statement about her initial video. In the clip, she insists that she spoke vaguely in the TikTok and gave zero indication of the gym or the individual. She also claims that this TikToker is ignoring her DMs and insists that she never puts students on broken reformers. Kuch maintained that she was not talking about the TikToker in particular, as @bratprincessxx said in her video she had been taking Pilates for 2 years, and the student Kuch was talking about had been practicing for 14. This didn’t stop the backlash, however. Many believed she was the instructor @bratprincessxx was talking about in her clip.
Additionally, Kuch said that she always checks in with new students, and hit out at netizens for purportedly bullying her and making derogatory comments about her appearance.
Kuch declined to comment.
Is it mandatory to take an introduction class for Pilates?
There is no suggestion online that it’s mandatory to take an introductory class for Pilates, but many websites cite its usefulness.
For instance, according to Premium Pilates, introductory classes are important for four main reasons: they promote safety, teach the fundamentals, introduce terminology, and help you discover your ability level.
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