The Pilates Games, launching across the brand\u2019s 130-plus studios worldwide, is centered on a 100-minute reformer workout that prioritizes endurance, control and precision over traditional markers like speed or output.<\/p>\n
The concept marks a departure from the brand\u2019s standard 40-minute classes, extending both duration and intensity while layering in a structured scoring system. <\/p>\n
Participants move through a sequence of exercises and are evaluated on execution, with points awarded on a six-point scale based on technique, range of motion and control under fatigue. Higher spring resistance can yield more points, reinforcing a focus on quality of movement rather than pace.<\/p>\n
For CEO and co-founder Jade Winter, the idea was rooted in a gap he observed within Pilates: that the discipline has historically lacked a standardized framework for benchmarking.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe inspiration came from recognizing that Pilates has always required a high level of athleticism, strength, endurance, control and focus, but there\u2019s never been a formal way to measure or showcase that,\u201d Winter told Athletech News. \u201cIn most sports, there\u2019s a clear structure for competition and progression, and we saw an opportunity to bring that same framework into Pilates.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Jade](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Jade-Winter-SPI-1-2-788x1181.webp.webp\")
Jade Winter (credit: Studio Pilates)<\/p>\n
Winter\u2019s own background as an Olympic swimmer informed the structure, particularly the emphasis on consistency over time. Rather than rewarding output alone, the scoring system is designed to reflect how well participants maintain form across the full session.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnlike many fitness competitions that reward speed or output, Pilates is about how well you move, not how fast,\u201d he said. \u201cWe developed a six-point scale for each exercise, with clear criteria around form, range of motion and control under fatigue. It\u2019s simple on the surface, but quite rigorous in practice, and that\u2019s intentional.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Pilates Games<\/a> also connects directly to the company\u2019s existing programming, particularly its Amplify 6 Week Challenge, which acts as a training pathway leading into the event. Participants can use the challenge to build strength and track progress before applying those gains in the competitive setting.<\/p>\n \u201cOur hope is that The Pilates Games creates a new benchmark for the industry,\u201d Winter said. \u201cPilates has traditionally been seen as a personal or studio-based practice, but there hasn\u2019t been a structured way to measure progress at a higher level or engage with it competitively. This gives people a clear, repeatable way to test themselves, whether they\u2019re competitive or simply want to track improvement over time.\u201d<\/p>\n Founded in 2002 by Jade and Tanya Winter, Studio Pilates International has scaled into a global franchise network spanning<\/a> more than 130 locations, including many in the U.S.<\/a><\/p>\n The inaugural Pilates Games will roll out across the brand\u2019s studios following the upcoming six-week challenge, with the first iteration expected to conclude in late June.<\/p>\n The push toward competition comes as structured, event-driven fitness continues to gain traction across the industry. Formats like Hyrox<\/a> and ATHX Games<\/a> have scaled globally, while operators including F45 Training<\/a> and CR Fitness Holdings<\/a> have introduced their own competition-style programming to drive engagement and retention.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Amid the global rise of fitness competitions, a new 100-minute, scored format aims to position Pilates as a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":424399,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[44619,499,159881,103,61,60,44092],"class_list":["post-424398","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-boutique-fitness","tag-fitness","tag-fitness-competition","tag-health","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-pilates"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/424398","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=424398"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/424398\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/424399"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=424398"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=424398"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=424398"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}