Is the matwork enough, or do I need to train on the equipment too?
Matwork is the Pilates method in its purest form. This is what Joe did, and trained other people in, before he invented the reformer, cadillac, and the other pieces of equipment. One school of thought is that the equipment exists to support the matwork. If you can do the matwork, you don’t need the equipment. That viewpoint is correct to a point, but only for some people. Seriously de-conditioned people and rehab patients require the assistance of the equipment springs to guide them through movements they could never do on their own. Conversely, highly conditioned people use the equipment for their resistive features to challenge their bodies beyond what is possible with matwork alone. If you are a reasonably fit individual, your focus should be to learn the matwork. But get some equipment training to supplement the matwork. It will add a great deal of interest to your training, and it will deepen your understanding of the work.
