I’ve tried Pilates in the past—way in the past, in my London days. It was so long ago, in fact, that everyone was still pronouncing it “Pie-lates”! After a decade in Los Angeles, I was keen to give it another shot, and curious to try WundaBar, the “Pilates, Reinvented” phenom that now has nine locations in SoCal and New York City.
Already convinced it would be too difficult, too fast-paced or both, I nonetheless pitched up at our local Studio City outpost on a recent rainy Sunday morning for a class taken by founder Amy Jordan herself. Luckily for us, it turns out it’s her local outpost too, although she doesn’t teach every class here.
With just 10 patented reformers (“WundaFormers”), the small studio doesn’t feel crowded. Sessions last 45 minutes, which is right around the time I typically start to get tired and cranky. Did I mention that I normally detest any kind of organized exercise and love finding excuses not to go back? But not here: I even found myself—dare I say it?—enjoying this mash-up of Pilates, ballet, stretching and lifting. Regular attendees and devotees have no reason to get bored, either, because no two classes are ever the same.
Amy Jordan at the WundaFormer.At the ready to correct alignment and posture when needed, Jordan is full of encouragement but not preachy in the slightest. (We later discovered that this woman with the body to die for is partial to a glass or two of Veuve Clicquot. Maybe there’s hope for us, after all!) And this former marketing exec knows what she’s talking about—not only does she have the killer abs to prove that her classes get results, but her credentials include certification in Marie-José Blom’s Beyond the Core of Anatomy and Master Evolution Series, Fusion Pilates for Pre/Post Natal and as an ACE Group Fitness Instructor.
Despite my prediction that I’d be in a wheelchair the next day, apparently only one thigh remembered it had taken a class. No more excuses: I’ll be returning.!
Below, I caught up with Jordan for more insight into her successful business.
What was your main goal in launching WundaBar?
As I was wrapping up a difficult divorce, I started taking Pilates in 2006. I found that one hour to be incredibly healing and head-clearing every time. So, getting bitten by the ‘Pilates Bug’ is exactly how I got my start in this rewarding and dynamic work. Not being one to wallow, I felt a passionate desire to open a studio in order to pay it forward and share Pilates with my home town (Montrose, California). One studio with reformers wasn’t achieving exactly what I wanted to share so I literally sketched our WundaFormer on a napkin while on an airplane. Within one year had our first WundaBar Pilates studio open for business. It’s been a wild and crazy (and sometimes bumpy!) road, especially as that year coincided with the pregnancy and birth of my son(!), but it’s an intrinsic and fulfilling choice I made to create my own path sharing positivity and health with as many people as I possibly can!
What do you say to those who think you can’t get a full workout in 45 minutes?
In a word: Poppycock! If my clients aren’t shaking and sweating in under two minutes, something is wrong! [Ed. note: Trust me, there was a whole lotta wobblin’ going on!] We work so efficiently from head to toe and inside out at WundaBar, 45 minutes is all you need to feel (and look) amazing! We combine strength training, core conditioning, low-impact cardio and flexibility into every move with no down time—and the results speak for themselves! Our WundaBodies constantly rave about finding their waistlines, lifted booty, flat abs, sculpted arms faster than they ever have before. The secret is that we work from the bones out, finding every single muscle along the way—even those you didn’t know you have!
On the website it recommends taking WundaBar three to five times a week… With just two weekly classes would you start to see some changes?
You’ll see changes at twice a week, but if you ramp up to four times a week the results get dramatic. To really dive in try #2W2W (2 Weeks 2 Wunda!) for 14 days straight and you won’t believe what you can achieve. Strength, length and literally getting your body closer to your bones—search #2W2W hashtag and get ready to be blown away!
What’s the one thing you see people doing wrong in terms of exercise and eating?
For exercise, it’s heavy weights. We frequently work with clients who are injured from over-lifting and working from inappropriate angles or excessive loads—and we love healing and toning them faster and without injury with lighter weights. It sounds counter-intuitive but it works. Heavy weights skip your ‘local’ muscles (for example, transverse abdominis, glut med, multifidus) that promote not only long lean aesthetics but also support joints for long term health and injury prevention!
For eating: SUGAR! It sneaks in so many ways, but if you struggle with a tire around the middle of your body sugar is very likely the culprit. Think twice about flavored coffee drinks, sweet cocktails and (gasp!) even cold-pressed juices. Most are loaded with empty sugars that add up quick without you even feeling full or realizing you’re dumping those extra calories in.
What’s next for you personally and in terms of locations?
Jordan: WundaBar is definitely looking to grow East and West! Expect to see new studios popping up on both coasts and you’ll be able to catch me as an expert for at home fitness programs streaming at Grokker.com and Wundabar.com in early 2017!—Lesley McCave
