Raisa if I could give her 6 stars I would. Excellent instruction, super knowledgeable and professional. I have gone to Pilates before and thought it would be hard to replace my previous instructor, but I love Raisa and her method of teaching. read more

Peak Performance Pilates - Gyms Near Me - San Francisco, California

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For the past 18 months, my husband and I have scheduled private sessions with Raisa and Rachel every week. My spouse had MS and wanted to focus on balance concerns, whereas I had just turned 50 and had the upperbody strength of a newborn kitten. It's a really nonjudgmental environment with clients of different shapes and ages. I was hesitant at first to do pilates because I hadn't worked out in a decade, so performing a plank was impossible. Raisa and Rachel seemed to intuitively recognize our skills and motivated us with realistic movements. This was our first experience scheduling private sessions of any kind, but it has proven to be ideal for us because Raisa and Rachel personalize each session to whatever discomfort or pain we are experiencing that week. We are also the only ones in the studio during our session, making it genuinely private. If you have a stiff shoulder in the middle of a session, they have the depth and breadth of understanding to identify the muscle in question and immediately shift you to an optimum exercise. Hubs and I were both in physical therapy for different reasons, and Raisa and Rachel had no trouble adapting and changing movements as needed. I had no idea how much core strength I had gained until I started crossfit a year after starting PIlates and was able to execute (and excel) at every core exercise with my CF trainer. read more

I'm currently taking classes at Peak with Erika Linton and it's certainly been the best Pilates experience I've had in San Francisco. The studio is cozy and well stocked with equipment. Everyone is crazy friendly, and since its a collective the instructors really get to know their clients. I followed Erika over from Dharmaspace. Not that I had any problems over there, I just enjoyed Erika's knowledge and approach. It's also a bit less expensive which never hurts. You don't get the fancy changing area, soft music and candles, but who cares, you're there to get in shape or recover from injury (I'm recovering from a lumbar injury using Pilates). Well done Peak! read more

I take once-weekly private Pilates lessons at Peak Performance Pilates. My instructor is Beth Clarke, a really lovely person and very effective Pilates instructor. After years of abuse-via-ballet, my body is starting to protest in the form of nagging aches and pains. And a few months ago, I suffered a pretty serious neck injury. Beth (who is very sweet and so very kind) has been working patiently to address my concerns and she's come up with some great exercises that are really helping me feel better. I usually walk in the door with a number of questions or complaints and walk out the door with exercises to do on my own time, at home, specifically assigned to address my needs. Beth also introduced me to The Franklin Method, something I surprisingly had never even heard about, but is a great supplement to Ballet and Pilates. I'm even studying The Method on my own, informally ,and incorporating its theories (in addition to Pilates exercises) into the syllabi I am creating for my own ballet classes. I recommend Peak Performance Pilates and especially Beth Clarke without hesitation nor any reservations, especially if you're a dancer or "mover". If you've been wanting to try Pilates, give PPP a call and consider scheduling Beth as your instructor. read more

Faith O'Neal is my instructor at Peak Performance Pilates. She is a great instructor who helped me rehab after neck surgery. All of the instructors at this studio are knowledgeable and great with working with people who have injuries, but Faith is the best for me. She is kind, caring and assisted me to get back up and moving again. I would recommend this studio to anyone who wants a great workout or who needs to recover from any injury. read more

I've been taking classes with Diane for the past 2 months, going once a week, and have already started noticing the difference in my posture and core. As she helpfully pointed out, I tend to hold tension in my shoulders, neck, and upper arms -- Pilates has helped me become more aware of my tension points and consciously relax them, improving both my posture and my sense of wellbeing. Although the pace is quite slow and the reformer machines are super comfortable, I find myself working up a sweat during the 1 hour sessions and feeling delightfully sore over the next couple of days. Diane is really good at identifying imbalances or weak muscle groups and then directing us to do exercises that specifically target those areas. I look forward to my class every week and highly recommend you give this studio a try! read more

This is a review specific to the talented Patti Reed but also acknowledges the quality of the equipment, environment and friendliness of the space. Patti is the best pilates instructor I have encountered. I am a "two left feet" kind of person, but her instruction allows me to visualize what I am supposed to be doing and how to do it. I have made huge strides in developing my strength and form. Patti's instruction is individualized and she has guided me to higher skill acquisition, at a pace right for me. I take both reformer and mat classes from Patti and am impressed at her ability to work with the spectrum of beginner to expert. As a disclaimer, I just got home from Patti's mat class and my abs are friendly warm, my arms and my legs are awake, and my toes are free! The studio is clean and bright and quiet. The other instructors and clients I have encountered in the studio are friendly and welcoming. Take home is: take a class from Patti. She'll work you out and you'll feel it in a good way! read more

I have been taking one private and one group Pilates class with Hye-Yeon Park for the past 8 months and she is the best Pilates teacher I've ever had. She is extremely knowledgeable and has an incredible attention to the correct form. Since working with Hye-Yeon my posture, flexibility and strength has improved a great deal. I always look forward to our classes and every time I leave Peak Performance Pilates I feel taller and stronger. On top of everything Hye-Yeon is a very warm and lovely person. We always have very interesting conversations and laughs. She knows not only a lot about Pilates but also about all sorts of alternative therapies and medicines. I always learn something new and useful from her. I highly recommend Hye-Yeon Park. Try a class with her and you will never look back! read more

Noa and Pilates have truly helped me feel better! I work downtown in one of the "veal fattening pens", as Coupland so aptly refers to the cube. Being tethered to the computer was causing a lot of pain in my neck and shoulder area. Typically, I would get a massage and/or chiropractic adjustment and then I would feel better. But recently, my pain had reached a new level and wasn't going away. My chiropractor told me I needed to stretch and strengthen. I tried on my own, but I needed help. That is when I sought out Noa S. I didn't really know what to expect from Pilates, but from the very first few minutes I began working with Noa I could feel all the tight areas opening up! Noa is super smart and really knows her stuff. My hips are a tiny bit off, something that took me 35 years to discover. Noa noticed this subtlety during our second session! It is clear that she has a real understanding of the body and how all the muscles and such work together. If you are thinking about Pilates, go to Noa. She is: smart, intuitive, trustworthy, professional, nice and fun to work with - great! read more

Love this place, especially Diane Walton and Erika Linton Groff, the two trainers I've worked with and adore. Everyone at the studio is down to earth, fun to be around, and so clearly connects with the clients. They try to make pilates available to everyone, which is a great thing. And they totally know their stuff. I've been going once or twice a week for a couple of years and love it! read more

Pilates with Jennifer Stacey at Peak has literally been the ONLY thing that has worked on a horrible ankle injury. I was at the point of choosing a risky, invasive surgery, then I met Jennifer. The combination of her Pilates expertise and an exercise physiology background have proven unbeatable for rehab. Beyond my ankle, I now see the power of pilates for overall fitness. I've gone from no experience with Pilates to a true believer in a matter of weeks! The other instructors seem excellent as well and all visitors I've spoken with in the studio, whether doing private sessions or participating in classes, always give rave reviews. read more

This review is specifically for Patti Reed, who teaches private lessons and group Reformer/Mat classes out of the Peak Performance Pilates space, and from whom I have been studying Pilates with for 5 years now. Here is a link to her personal website for more info: http://www.pilateswithpatti.com/ Let me start out by saying that I've taken a lot of Pilates classes since falling in love with the practice 8 years ago. I've tried a myriad of different studios and have therefore encountered an almost inhuman number of instructors. Patti is hands-down the absolute BEST Pilates instructor I've ever had the fortune to come across. I've followed her between (count 'em!) 3 different studios and don't think at this point I could entrust anyone else with my practice or my body. Patti teaches Classical Pilates the way it was meant to be taught: with laser-sharp precision, painstaking attention to detail and correct form, and a deep understanding of the practice at its core. The result in her students is in turn a deeper understanding of the work and our bodies. It sounds cheesy, but it truly delves beyond just a flavor-of-the-month workout to be a real mind-body connector and physical and spiritual opener, too. Maybe that's just because I tend to get really intense about whatever it is I'm doing, but I've never had an instructor help me align with my practice quite like Patti has. She is also a gem to work with, which I find to be really important when someone is working with you on your body and is responsible for ensuring you're strengthening without potentially hurting yourself. She customizes her instruction to your body so you can be sure you're in good hands. For anyone looking for a group Mat class (which can be hard to come by, it seems!) downtown, or an amazing private lesson, I couldn't recommend Patti more. Suffice it to say, I love Patti! Go sign up with her now. I mean it. Quality is hard to come by in this world, but my girl Patti is the realest deal. read more

I was fortunate to know Jennifer today while she was at the Moraga Country Club. During our casual conversation she taught me a few moves of her aquatic pilates, I can feel the difference immediately! She is super friendly, very good at teaching. I can't wait to start classes with her some day! read more

Peak was my 2nd pilates studio in the city. I like that when I come in I can see posters of broadway plays ( I think they have worked with the casts/ dancers). I like the fact that Peak is simple, no frou frou... it's straightforward pilates. IF you're a down to earth person such as myself, you'll like it. The staff is very friendly and with my observations, they know their stuff, so you can't go wrong picking a pilates teacher. I have been working with Erika Linton since January 2007. Like Sasha, I followed Erika from another studio, simply because I love her teaching style and she's an awesome, patient teacher. How awesome? Here's a story for you. I initially came to pilates for weightloss, but after a while while working with Erika and telling her about my occasional knee pains (which I thought were normal after working 12 hour shifts), we did exercises to strengthen my feet, improve my core stability. When my pain didn't go away (the usual pain, nothing big, i thought), she recommended that I see the doctor. She told me that my knee might be hurting because my right arch is flatter so when I walked, my right knee tends to pull in. Ok, fine. So, there I was the obedient student (although, I thought it was a waste of my time-- knee pains are normal right?). Wrong. the orthopedic md did some xrays, made me walk and diagnosed me with tendonitis and said that it could be because my right arch was flatter so it drags my knees inward. Wait, didn't I hear that already??? This just proves that Erika knows her stuff and she's not just a pilates teacher working you through exercises. She genuinely cares for your well-being. I appreciate what Erika does and now I have an "Erika-voice" in my head that corrects my posture when I'm standing: "Stick your butt out like crazy" :) If you're doing pilates because of injury or weight loss or whatever reason you may have, come check them out at peak. They are very knowledgeable and skilled pilates practitioners. read more

Noa Slemrod is an amazing pilates teacher. I love taking classes with her. She makes me laugh while she's got me sweating like a beast -- what could make for a better workout? She's kind, thoughtful, and a core-strengthening-slave-driver all at once. I needed to get myself into shape -- quickly -- in time to bike from SF to LA on the AIDS Lifecycle. Noa saved me from a week of biking torture by whipping me into prime cycling form. She immediately saw what years of biking has done to my posture and she guided me to correct it. She also gave me terrific tips to fix other bad habits I fall into on the bike. LOVE her. She rocks. read more

My osteopath recommended that I start doing Pilates for hip pain and she specifically told me to look up Peak Performance. After just a few sessions with Beth Clarke my hip pain was gone and I was hooked. I've been working with Beth for over 2 years now and love every session. This year Beth worked with me through my pregnancy and figured out how to tailor our classes so that I could continue doing Pilates until my 39th week. I can't wait to get back to the studio soon. I couldn't recommend Beth and Peak Performance more. read more

Best Pilates studio in San Francisco. Jennifer Stacey, owner and director of Peak Performance and the Teacher's at the Collective provide the best training whether it is a Pilates workout or injury rehab. Great one to one or duet classes. Great equipment, excellent location. Start your New Year with the gift of health and head to Peak Performance. read more

This is a great space and I loved my instructor, Noa Slemrod. I worked with Noa for about 6 months before my wedding, not necessarily to get into wedding shape but to improve recurring back pain from having weak core muscles. Noa is fantastic to work with, a pleasure to be around, and the hour would fly by. And, my core did get strong, i got muscles on my sides which normally are so hard to strengthen. Noa was flexible with working with my schedule, and she's a fantastic instructor. read more

Hye-Yeon Park has been teaching me here once a week for the last 18 months. I previously had never done Pilates and was hesitate because I didn't know what to expect. I'm glad I tried it and stuck with it because I have not only become much stronger, more flexible, and reduced muscular tension but also gained a greater awareness of my body. The facilities are clean and well mantained. The people there are charming, nice and foster a sense of community. I have only been instructed by Hye-Yeon who I highly recommend. read more

I absolutely love doing Pilates with Jennifer. I have been doing various forms of yoga and Pilates since high school but Jennifer's approach is unique. She integrates various methods into each class to get maximum output from her students and she knows the body!! read more