Due to surgery, to remove the middle lobe of my right lung at a very young age, aerobic endurance has been a challenge for me.  As a boy and a young man I had to "prove" to my coaches that I belonged on the court or the field.  When I joined the military it was a struggle to keep up with only one strong lung.  I am here to say that there is one training method that has made the differnce for me, that is Kettlebells.  After knee surgery and a harsh winter I just recently started biking and running again.  I was amazed at how much my cardio strength increased over the winter due to my Kettlebell workouts.  No matter what you may be training for I strongly encourage anyone who is serious about endurance sports to check out Core Design Pilates Kettlebell classes.  Incorporate Kettlebell workouts into your training routine and I promise you will be amazed at your results.

                                                                                                                              Tony McKinney   

    I have been involved in martial arts and triathlons for twenty years.  I have competed in both disciplines throughout the southeast for most of those years.  So, I thought I had the fitness and training game pretty much figured out.  I was very successful in both sports and assumed that my training routines were the very best.  Then I received a gift certificate to do an apparatus session at Core Design Pilates.  I could not believe how I felt after the first session.  For years I had good endurance and good overall strength, but I never realized the two areas had to be "hooked together" to achieve maximum fitness and performance.  After a year of Pilates training I am now able to do the other sports at a much higher level of performance with less time spent on cross-training.  It is as if Pilates put the whole package together.  My flexibility increased even beyond what I had developed in the martial arts.  There is something about "core" fitness that makes all physical activity easier. 

    Just for "fun" I tried a Kettlebell class with Carla several months ago.  I couldn't believe the results of that training either.  It is the hardest thing I have ever done standing still.  Kettlebell training allows you to get anaerobic without pounding the pavement or being in a bicycle race.  The Kettlebell training is also "core" specific but includes intense leg and upper body workouts as well.  Kettlebell workouts are far more rewarding than cranking on equipment at the gym and the aerobic and anaerobic results are phenomenal.  By putting Pilates and Kettlebell workouts in your sport training or fitness program you can become a lean and mean performance machine.

                                                                                                                                                                                                 Jim Hogue, M.D.

                                                                                                                                                                                                 Amateur Athlete

    I have been taking Pilates apparatus instruction for about 15 months and have experienced some amazing results.  I have had back problems for over 35 years and was having trouble getting out of bed in the mornings because of stiffness.  Soon after beginning Pilates I began getting better and now can jump right out of bed without having to slowly push myself up.  I also had begun to shrink, but from my August 2008 physical exam to my exam in 2009, I was actually 1 1/4 inches taller.  Of course, I did not grow but gained the inches back that I had lost.  I was so excited about these results that I took the Power Pilates Beginner Mat Certification and now I teach Beginner Mat classes at Core Design Pilates.

                                                                                                                                      Sheila Dunckel