Pilates ProWorks

Pilates ProWorks is incredible. I signed up for an unlimited month through their new student special and went about 20 times over the course of 30 days and loved every single class. As someone who loves reformers I was very impressed with the machines and the consistency of the workouts. I saw huge changes in my body that I’ve never seen through consistent cardio alone and love the combination of flexibility and strength that I was able to gain. Each instructor is quite different but all a great job mixing up the structure of the class so that they don’t get boring. Unfortunately my month is coming to a close and I can’t afford to continue at their regular rates, but for anyone that can, I highly recommend it!!! Pilates ProWorks, I’ll miss you!

I highly recommend Pilates Pro Works. The instructors are all amazing and each have their own style. I have been attending classes for over a year now and have felt and seen big changes in my body. I still find the classes challenging in new and interesting ways.
…
This is my therapy.
I never regret taking a class.
Best studio around and truly talented instructors!!!
LOOK AND FEEL BETTER ;)

I bought a 5 session pass from living social. Not realizing my treatment for an autoimmune disease would have me mostly on bed rest for so long — I realized I wouldn’t be able to use the pass within the window. I called and spoke to the manager who was very understanding and allowed me to extend it.
Fast forward to this week when I felt recovered enough to exercise again.
Louisa was the instructor and she was engaging and helpful– constantly walking around to make sure we were using the equipment appropriately and our movements were correct. I look forward to using my other passes. I don’t know if it will be my new gym– but that is more about how far this is from my house and not a reflection of the gym itself. (Why aren’t there great places like this in Castro Valley???)
Parking across the street was easy– could also be that I did a class late morning.
Random details that might be important to others — they have lockers and showers.

I completed my 2^nd Pilates Classic class on the reformer today and I think this place is fantastic. I was nervous to get started, as I have never done work on the reformer before, but Mandy, who answered the phone, was very helpful and guided me through the process. My first instructor was KaRon, who was amazing– she talked the small group class through each position and made corrections to individual student’s poses as needed– and she hand wrote a thank you note for coming to the studio for the first time! Mandy taught today’s class, and while it was completely different, it was also excellent. I’m excited to go to class number 3! I
Pros: Excellent guidance throughout the class and love that the instructors educate you on what you’re doing/​what muscles you’re working as you’re doing the poses. I love the reformer– easy to use/​adjust! Each member of the team I’ve met has been friendly and helpful. The space is very clean and tidy and I like that they have filtered water to refill your water bottles. The lockers are quite spacious and I love that I don’t have to drag a lock around with me.
Cons: The only con for me is that the latest class begins at 630 on weekdays (otherwise, I would have happily given 5 stars!) and they are not open terribly late on the weekends. I work a lot and can’t get back to OAK by 630 PM during the week.

I love Pilates Pro Works. I hadn’t taken pilates in a studio setting in years, and it was super easy to get back into it. My instructor was really nice and gave me helpful feedback, and the gym has a beautiful, open, clean look to it. It’s in a great location too, on Lakeshore. The class I took gave me a full body workout, and I haven’t had a workout that in great in recent memory. Go try it out! :)

The experience at this studio was awful. I had a fee dispute during my last week as a member with Perry, the owner, to the point that I offered a settlement (paying the fee I disputed) so I did not have to go back to this studio my last month (June). Perry decided to «up» me on my terms by terminating my membership two days earlier on May 29 instead and I missed the last two registered classes of my membership (which increased my net loss from $ 25 to $ 85 just to spite me, so I wrote this nice review).
Also, check to make sure your reformer has even straps and all the screws are in place on the foot bar. Some were missing or loose on the reformers I used while I attended classes. We’re in the most litigious state, so I suppose you can intentionally ignore that if you see it.
1 class $ 30
Unlimited $ 225/​mo
No show fee $ 25
Late cancel fee (less than 12hrs) $ 15

i’ve taken the pilates sculpt class and the trx class, and both are good. i like the sculpt class a lot more and reminds me of my megaformer classes.

If you haven’t had the pleasure of laying on the carriage of a reformer, start with the Pilates Classic class. The instructor will walk you through it for a few minutes before class starts (I highly recommend Mandy — she’s absolutely wonderful and explains everything so well). Don’t be intimidated by all the straps, it’s seriously so much fun. It’s like being on the flying trapeze but on your back. Kind of. I’ve also taken the ³⁰⁄₃₀ class and I was sore for 3 days. I really felt so much stronger and leaner.
I snagged my golden ticket here via Living Social — five classes for $ 55 which was an absolute steal. Otherwise, a single class is about $ 30 each, and they offer a bunch of other options like 10 a month or unlimited membership. While a bit more on the expensive side, compared to other Pilates studios, this place actually offers the most bang for your buck. However, it’s unfortunately beyond my budget. Also, they really don’t offer many classes in the late evening, the class sizes are small (I think 10?) and you can’t sign up for a class more than a week advance.
Proworks has super clean studios, wonderful instructors, and will give you one heck of a workout! They also have a water filter for your water bottle, and lockers where you can set the combination. Parking in the area can be competitive, so make sure you allow yourself enough time. There’s plenty of parking in the lot under 580.

I tried a pilates class at Pilates ProWorks on a whim. They are a part of Class Pass and I’ve heard so many good things about pilates. Mind you, this is not mat pilates: you use a Reformer machine, which makes it so darn hard to cheat (but oh so good for your core! Feel the burn!).
My first class was with Megan, and her technique and enthusiasm kept me coming back (and even investing in a few more classes, not via Class Pass). She worked with me individually on my form. I’ve gone to many exercise classes, and she was the very first to help me understand exactly WHAT engagement of your core feels like. My posture felt so good coming out of there that I just had to come back… heck, I’ll invest in classes if instructors take the time to make sure my form is correct.
Since then, I’ve taken more classes with other instructors: not all of the instructors are so great on form, but I’ve found a few instructors that I enjoy. Emily’s class is also definitely worth a visit (she is extremely patient, down to earth, and corrects for posture).
My only gripe is their ‘no show’ policy (and hence why they are not five stars for me). I get it: if I don’t show up, I should lose the class credit. But that’s NOT how it works here. You keep your class credit, and they charge you $ 25. It feels intrusive. Just take my class credit away, don’t charge me more.
Oh, and the schedule fills up quickly, so be sure to sign up a week in advance.

I just tried to sign up for my first class. Since I’ve spent the money already, I’m going to tell you about the experience.
First, I HATE this website. Ugh. It’s ugly, but that’s a matter if opinion. More importantly, there’s no «contact us»…or it’s too hidden.
Second, when I tried to view the schedule via Mind Body, I was blocked from viewing the schedule until I gave them my credit card info. Tacky! Since I was already totally mentally committed to taking one particular class, which is not sold out according to their calendar, I entered my card info. (Also one of my besties LOVES this place, so it didn’t feel like a huge risk.)
Third, –get this – now I find out that you can only sign up ONE WEEK in advance. Are you kidding me? I plan my workout calendar a month out at all times. One week is ludicrous. I’m supposed to hold class time period clear in my calendar *just in case* I get in???
The only reason this isn’t one star? I got an impressive lightening-​quick response on Unilocal’s «message the business» feature. Though the answer was «call the studio.» if I’d wanted to call the studio, I would have.
This just makes me love my regular studio that much more. Lesson learned!
I’ll try to get into the one class that fits my schedule, which is two weeks out. But if I can’t, you better BELIEVE I’ll be asking for a refund. :(
Update: it’s now one week before the class, and I’m having trouble getting registered via Mind Body for the class I need. Called the phone number on their website and Unilocal: was hung up on twice. Sounded residential. Emailed the studio through their website, and messages the business via Unilocal.We’ll see what happens.
Update: they worked it out, and I’m now finally signed up for the class I want. Good heavens. So curious what the actual experience will be like, after all this!
Update: has the class today. The studio is bracingly sterile. Women do not make eye contact here. Luckily the instructor, Mandy, was informative and helpful. As expected, because I’m new to pilates, many of the moves felt weird, so it was tricky knowing if I was doing good-​form-​weird or bad-​form-​weird. Mandy was terrific with totally non-​condescending corrections. I didn’t get a workout, but maybe it’s one of those delayed-​pain things? Only about 6 minutes of a one-​hour class actually seemed like a workout. (My normal workout is easily five times tougher… and with fun girls and Beyonce!) Upgraded my review to four stars based solely on Mandy. Everything non-​Mandy was pretty awful.
Still can’t get over the inability to schedule a month out. It must work for them, but it definitely doesn’t work for me.

I don’t usually take the time to leave bad reviews, but…
As someone who has been to many reformer classes over the years, I can tell you there are so many better studios in the area and Pilates Pro works has been my least favorite studio. I highly recommend Rise Bodyworks, Stable Core, Pilates to the People, and Core Cat Pilates. All of these studios leave you feeling amazing: stretched and toned at the same time.
Pilates pro works strikes me as more of a boot camp type place… if I want to do squats and lunges I can do those at home. If I’m paying for a reformer class, I want to do the exercises that can only be done on a reformer. Their Pilates pro class leaves your body feeling beat up in a bad way and I was concerned about getting injured.
Pilates Pro Works charges you $ 25 late fees (yes, that’s on top of the classes you’ve paid for) instead of just using up your class spot when you can’t make it. Wouldn’t be a big deal, except it’s already very hard to get the classes you want-​you can only reserve 7 days in advance, so if you want a good Sunday class you pretty much have to set a reminder to go book that class first thing the Sunday prior. If you buy a package of classes, it’s very difficult to fit in all the classes before the expiration date…
I like their classes so little, I’m probably not even going to use the rest of the package I purchased :/

I was in the neighborhood and decided to drop by for some information on classes, prices, scheduling etc. I walked in and there was a short haired woman behind the small counter to the right of the door, she was speaking with another woman about personal stuff (not gym related or business related). I checked around to find that there was literally no information to take and look over so I stood in clear sight and waited for a break in the conversations…4 minutes later I’m still standing there and the tard behind the counter is prattling on about her personal life. really? I interrupt her and ask if I can ask a BUSINESS related question, she is expressionless, I continue and ask about class schedule, timing and .she cuts me off and says I can go online and get that information. Seriously? I’m standing here, you ignore me and then you tell me to basically leave and go to my computer to get information on this business when I’m standing right here in front of you…
Well I guess they don’t need my hard earned dollars. Thanks for nothing and I have already told everyone I know that your business is a joke. If the owner reads this (hopefully she was not the rude lady behind the counter??) please contact me I’d love to hear what you have to say.

Erika’s prenatal and postnatal Pilates class is fantastic. Not only is it making my pregnancy much more comfortable, but she is full of tips for ways to be more comfortable before and after baby comes, as well as pregnancy-​safe modifications for regular Pilates classes. I’m so glad that I decided to try the pre/​post natal classes out when I hit the stage of my pregnancy where my abs disappeared. I really do notice immediate improvement after going to class. Thanks Erika! I also love that we work on the machines, as I’ve never been a fan of purely mat-​based Pilates. Also worth noting, the studio makes it super easy to schedule and pay for classes with their iPhone app.
Edited to add: I’m now almost 39 weeks pregnant and still feeling good! People keep commenting that they can’t believe how well I get around (and look!) this far into my pregnancy. I give most of the credit to Erika and Pilates ProWorks. Thanks all!

Great gym if you are looking for a variety of premium classes. I am addicted to Lagree pilates and had a hard time finding a similar workout in the East Bay (I was out here for the summer). I came across Pilates ProWorks and loved that they offered a variety of classes and plenty of classes throughout the day.
The pilates classes are not as intense as the SPX classes that I am used to taking in Southern CA, but the pilatespro and the cardio-​sculpt-​pilates gave me my pilates fix (I just went more often). What I loved about this gym is that they not only offer pilates, but they also offer barre and TRX (both exercises that I love as well). To get this variety, I would have to visit 3 different studios, with ProWorks it was all in one.
Unfortunately, I was traveling all the way from Alameda so with my month trial I never had the chance to try TRX or Barre — I stuck to my pilates, if I were in town longer, I def would try. I never had a hard time booking my classes. Early morning and evening classes book quick and late morning/​afternoon and weekend classes were always available.
The gym is clean and offers a changing room, water station, showers and EVEN BABYSITTING! Babysitting 2 kids was $ 16 for the hour I was in class. Babysitting needs to be booked 24 hours in advance. Staff is super friendly, esp the owner who was so accommodating and cheerful every time I came in. She remembered my name and all of the details of conversations that I had with her! SO AMAZING! The teachers were all pretty good and offered different variations of movement depending on whether or not you want more of a challenge.
The classes are pricey! $ 30 a pop! First class is discounted to $ 20 and for new clients, they offer a month trial which is a great deal at $ 135 for unlimited classes, the only restriction was 1 class per day. Will def be back over the holidays when I am in town and will probably opt for a package of classes which offers a little bit of a discount per class.
Definitely worth a try!

I fell in love with reformers when I tried Lagree fitness in NYC (they also use Lagree/​the megaformer machine at Core40 and bodyrok in the city) so I was excited to try this out even with a different type of reformer machine despite my hesitance it could come close to a Megaformer. To my surprise, it did come close, pretty good workout. however, the poor instruction is just something I can’t get over.
I went to a 10am weekday Pilates Pro class and the instructor didn’t introduce herself-​in fact she seemed to just be unhappily awaiting class in the corner so I went over to meet her. She spent about 30 secs unenthusiastically showing me the machine and being somewhat rude when I explained to her I was used to a Megaformer to which she said «well these are custom made». This 30 sec overview is the only instruction I got from her the entire class. Not once did she check in with me or correct my form. I’m used to instructors who are very hands on which I think is essential to preventing injury. I understand touch-​y ness isn’t for everyone but at least correct me when I obviously wasn’t getting it. There was even a point where I lost the strap, she could clearly tell I did since the class was NOT FULL and she didn’t help. I don’t know whether she’s just a calm/​hands off type but I found her standoffish and not welcoming. I was so disappointed with this being my first experience I’m unlikely to come back to try another instructor given the cost. Decent work out but instructors are deal breakers. Sorry ProWorks.

This studio is clean, has great customer care and I really love the diversity of Pilates, trx and barre classes. I’ve been actively taking the classic Pilates class and leave my 6 month old in child care with yoddit who is WoNDERFUL with children especially babies! it makes me so happy that I can take time for fitness during the week worry free.
They have different levels of pilate classes and also offer the ³⁰⁄₃₀ which is half Pilates on the reformer and half barre.
Erika is my favorite/​best instructor… I really wish she taught more during the week for classic classes. She also teaches mommy and me on Thursdays and actually holds my son if he starts crying so I can get my full work out.
I do wish the clients were more friendly during class and sometimes the old ladies get territorial about «their» reformer lol. I’ve taken Mandy’s class many times but find that she always manages to make movements confusing and then seems snotty if everyone doesn’t understand what she’s trying to say. Wish she would practice being more step by step friendly for us new folk. even showing how these poses are done on a machine since it’s very important to have the positions accurate would be helpful.
I really love this place so far!

I’ve been attending 3 – 5 classes a week over the last month and am loving it! First and foremost, I always feel welcome, am impressed by the number of staff and instructors who’ve learned my name, and enjoy a clean, peaceful studio experience.
The workouts are challenging, fun, and made for just about every fitness level. Although intimidated by the Fitformer at first, the instructors helped to ease my anxiety and make learning fun (Essentials and Classics classes). I’m starting to see very positive changes in my body and have been free of chronic back pain since I started (the result of two bulging discs in my lower back).
The most important aspect for me has been classes that range from early morning (6am) to evening (latest class 6:30 — 6:45 start), classes offered every day, and the VARIETY. They offer several different pilates classes, TRX, and barre, as well as several mixed classes, like pilates with cardio and half barre/​half pilates. I was able to purchase a class package that was in my price range and helping to meet my short-​term goals. This gives me the freedom to continue in 3-​months or change my package, no initiation, registration, extra fees! The one-​month for $ 125 was an excellent deal and I really took advantage of getting to know the studio and the instructors. Since starting a 3-​month package a few weeks ago, I definitely feel that I’ve gotten the hang of the classes and found instructors with whom I connect.
I can’t wait to see to see how I feel and look in 3 months!

Reason for visit: working on my fitness
Visit date: Summer 2013
First time? Yes.
I love reformer classes! I had attended a few classes at a San Francisco location and so when the East Bay location opened up, I had to try them out. The instructors I tried out are great! If it’s your first time to that type of class, or to their class, they will introduce themselves and get your name, and try to get to know your skill level so they can adjust the class as necessary. I like that they will come around and correct your posture so that you do not overexert yourself, and that they give you modifications to make a move easier or harder. Instructors are also good at answering questions before, during, or after classes, too. And if you think you’ll need extra attention, the Beginner Level is truly a beginner course and they take things extra slow.
On top of reformer classes, I was able to try TRX for the first time. LOVED IT! Luckily, my first TRX class was spent with other first timers so they class immediately became an intro-​to-​TRX course. I was challenged and motivated, and I had a lot of fun.
The class schedule was convenient to my work schedule, too. The only reason why I didn’t continue was because of the price, but the prices are comparable to other pilates studios.
Do note: My friend who continued classes here for a few more months recently told me that all the instructors I enjoyed while I was a student here are no longer there, and that she’s not as pleased with the newer instructors. Meh.

I have been driving over to this Pilates studio from SF on saturdays because I love the classes and the feel so much.
I have a regular gym membership that I use during the workweek at lunch and I really need the stretching and pushing I get from the Pilates classes.
I have taken TRX and a few other Pilates classes on the reformers and have found the instruction to be super motivating and helpful. I havent had a lot of Pilates experience, but I am now officially hooked.
Check out the Farmer’s Market on Lakeshore after Pilates! It makes for a a great Saturday!

Have you ever gone to an exercise class and skated your way through it? I’m guilty of that. Sometimes a class is so big you get lost in the crowd or you blend in (obfuscate if you’re into RPG). That does not happen here! The classes max out at around 10 people enabling the instructors to see, help and get to know everyone.
Have you noticed the boom in small gyms along Lakeshore & Grand recently? I wondered how all these gyms could keep their doors open being so tightly concentrated. Often, these facilities appear to focus on just one type of exercise. PilatesPro has a surprising (to me) amount of variety.
Pilates Classic
Cardio Pilates
TRX
They also have bar classes but I have not yet tried one. I tried the aforementioned. My classmates are diverse in gender, age and atetic levels! Each one of us works!
What about the facility? It is clean and bigger than it looks! It has two levels for different types of classes. There are showers and lockers and daycare! Oh, my!
Rules, pricing and cancellation policies are clearly displayed. You can read for yourself on the signs, website & application about the 12 hour cancellation policy. Fortunately, the ap will generate your class to your calendar. if you try to cancel or reschedule at 11 hours 59 minutes before class it will tell you what ‘s up. I find that encouraging. Seriously, how can you argue with your phone about flaking? You can’t so you go to class!
They have introductory packages, memberships and a la carte pricing. Go check it out!