As we've recently moved and expanded our studio footprint, literally tripling our square footage in a new space, my brain has been on overdrive, filled with creative ideas and possibilities. There's something uniquely special about the process of moving into a new studio, building out, designing, and laying out, all with lessons learned from past experience and all the wants, wishes, and what-ifs.
I wanted to maximize our options for small group training, as we now had this tremendous amount of space and all the potential to grow into it. I wanted to "get it right," or at least as best possible from the get-go. My studio's high priority is to make practicing Classical Pilates accessible to a more diverse range of clientele (not just all this private training that happens nowadays), which means making small group training a superstar offering of our services.
The timing could not have been better. Right as we were settling into the new studio, the brand new Contrology Wall Tower was hitting the market, and I knew this piece of apparatus was going to make it possible to bulk up our ability to serve more bodies and allow the teachers in our space to have more flexibility with their teaching and program design.
It's always like Christmas when a new apparatus comes. Five crates arrived, and I couldn't hide my smile or my anticipation of giving these Wall Towers out with a test drive. Within the week, my trusty contractor installed our five Contrology Wall Towers seamlessly. You better know that as soon as he left the building, I was busy at work on a "first date" full of sweat, the musicality & rhythms of the springs at play, and that same smile I had when these meticulously designed and built pieces arrived.
In addition to all of the small group training we currently offer, the bulk of which is Semi-Private teaching (semi-independent small groups), adding in Wall Towers has made it possible to not only provide a range of other small group training options (hello Tower classes!) But also to have the ability to run multiple small group services simultaneously, which is especially useful during those prime time hours in the studio.
Let's talk about the things I love about the Contrology Wall Tower (which, to be honest, is just about everything).
So, the Contrology High Mat that pairs with the Wall Tower is gorge. I love the wooden sides; they appeal strongly to my sense of aesthetics and love of good design. Of course, the high-density foam is standard across all Contrology apparatus, but especially with the mat, it gives just enough support and even more feedback into the body and proprioception.
The Wall Tower itself does the job beautifully. It has everything we need as teachers and practitioners of classical work and nothing we don't. It is pure, simple, and elegant.
I'm a self-admitted spring snob, and there's something magical about the bottleneck design of the springs (Leg Springs, Arm Springs, and Roll Back Springs) that gives you the feeling of two springs in one with an immediate and sustained connection throughout the exercises. I also appreciate the addition of a few extra eyebolt settings on the Wall Tower, which ensures that we can cater and customize the work to every client who walks into the door.
Naturally, as a Pilates person, I'm a little OCD. The wood mounting plate connecting to the wall has eyebolts for storage, so everything has a place. This not only helps to create a cleaner look, but it's also a safety consideration.
I couldn't be happier with our choice to add the Contrology Wall Tower to our studio or have this piece available to the industry.
Trey Fry
Owner, KineticMKE
Trey began practicing Pilates in the late '90s and has taught since 2003. He holds multiple classical certifications and is a Level III Franklin Method® educator. Informed by somatics, anatomy, and biomechanics, he honors each unique body, aiming to meet individual needs and restore health in body, mind, and spirit through the Pilates Method.
