Hi there, I’m Sam and I am the owner of Inner Strength Pilates and Barre in Adelaide. I trained with APMA and have been working in the Pilates industry since 2014 but realised the benefits and potential of this amazing practice when I was 16 years old, recovering from a dance injury.

Yes, I am one of those people in the Dancer category, I used Pilates for rehab and then to prevent further injuries throughout that part of my life. I had been dancing since the age of 3 and never realised how much someone could be so co-ordinated and body aware, yet still be using my muscles in an incredibly inefficient way. As a result, I find myself focusing on this with my clients to ensure everyone can get the most out of their Pilates session, whatever that may look like for each individual person. 

Pilates was always encouraged in the dance industry, it is known as the perfect way to increase strength, flexibility, balance, joint stability and assist in preventing injury. Knowing all this, it was still just a form of exercise that was “good for me” which I didn’t fully understand until working in the industry. 

I am incredibly passionate about giving as much information to my clients as I can possibly fit in. I believe it is so important to understand why we are doing this particular exercise in the very specific way that I have asked. I have found over the years of teaching, this then increases the clients’ motivation and drive to execute the movement pattern correctly, in order to achieve the results they are looking for as quickly as possible. 

This could be something as simple as being able to move their shoulder over head, in my experience if clients’ understand the why and most importantly how, they find they progress more quickly than those just completing the rehab/exercise cause they have been told to.

I also work on the basis that everyone has unique and different ways in which their body moves, what might work technically for one person, won’t work for others. To me, the sign of a ‘great’ Pilates instructor is someone who is able to find a position or a movement which each individual can do to actively feel the muscle groups which we are focusing on. 

Modifying and adapting all the Pilates basics is so incredibly important to be successful in getting my clients to understand the reasons and benefits behind each movement. 

Some things you might not know about me is that I have danced with artists like Delta Goodrem, Ricky Martin, Seal and the Madden Brothers, and; I’ve represented Australia playing a sport called Korfball (a mix between netball and basketball).

Connect with Sam here - Inner Strength Pilates & Barre