Pilates for Men: How Your Studio Wins This Audience

Look at your class schedule and you probably see mostly women on the reformers. At the same time, your members’ partners, brothers and colleagues keep asking: “Is this for me too?” In many Pilates studios, men are an underrated audience – not because they don’t want to come, but because the offer, the language and the imagery often don’t speak to them. In this guide you’ll learn what really holds men back, how to build an entry offer that works, and how to keep male members for the long run.

Why men are worth a look for your Pilates studio

Pilates has masculine roots. Joseph Pilates was born in Germany in 1883 and trained as an acrobat and gymnast, as Entrepreneur notes in a feature on the Pilates boom. In an interview with MEL Magazine, Pilates teacher John Howard Steel describes the early practice as a spartan, rather “masculine” gym program – and says Pilates has nothing to do with gender. The image of Pilates as a women-only workout is more of a marketing problem than a fact.

The industry also has tailwind: according to the 2025 ClassPass look-back, as reported by Men’s Journal, Pilates was the most-booked workout worldwide for the third year in a row, with bookings up 66 percent (January 1 to October 10, 2025). Those figures aren’t broken down by gender – they only show that overall demand is growing.

We couldn’t find reliable numbers on the share of men in Pilates studios. That’s why your own data is worth a look: how many of your members are men, how long do they stay, which classes do they book? Even a simple analysis shows whether potential is going untapped. How to turn that into retention measures is covered in our solution for Pilates studios.

What keeps men away from your Pilates studio

The image: “Pilates is only for women”

If your website and Instagram show only women in leggings, a man concludes: “I don’t belong here.” That isn’t ill will, just habit. Men don’t need their own studio – they need a signal that they’re welcome. That can be a photo of a male member, a male instructor on the team, or a line like “For every body, every level” on the class page.

The fear of not being able to do it

Many men notice early that they’re stiff – and that is exactly why they avoid the group. Nobody wants to be the only one who can’t touch their toes. In the MEL interview, Steel also says men often come to Pilates through partners or daughters. Your lever: remove the shame before it appears. Explain during sign-up that nobody needs prior experience and that flexibility is the result of training, not a requirement.

An atmosphere that feels foreign

Incense, whispered cues, vases of flowers: for some it’s a feel-good world, for others it’s off-putting. You don’t have to rebuild your studio. But you can decide consciously how the intro class sounds – matter-of-fact, with clear explanations of muscles and benefits, instead of only images of mindfulness. Both can coexist.

The entry offer men actually book

A clear foundation format

Offer a reformer beginner course of four to six sessions with few participants that explains the basics step by step: breathing, pelvis, core, control. A fixed start and a clear end lower the barrier because nobody stumbles into a class already in progress. Call it “Reformer Foundation” or “Pilates Basics” rather than “Gentle Mobilization” – the result counts, not the label.

Pilates as a complement to sport

Many men don’t come for “Pilates”, they come for a goal: less back pain after the office, more stability when running, golfing or cycling, better posture. Speak to exactly those goals. Offer “Pilates for runners” or “Back reset for desk workers” as a workshop or a course series. Important: don’t make health claims. Describe what you work on, not what you medically heal.

Starting together

A duet with a partner, a friends slot or a “bring a friend” trial class takes away the pressure of showing up alone. A small group where beginners meet at eye level helps too. If your studio has male instructors or members who act as ambassadors, that is often the strongest argument of all.

Communication: how to speak to men

Instagram is often the first touchpoint. Show real members in action, not just stock photos: men and women, younger and older, with their consent. If you lack the time for regular stories, a social media autopilot can help you stay visible without building every story yourself.

Watch your language too: concrete benefits (“stable core, free back”) work better than buzzwords like “wellness” or “flow”. And state clearly in your class description that beginners are welcome. A sentence like “You don’t have to be flexible – that comes with time” removes the biggest hurdle.

Your 30-day plan to get started

Week one: look at your member list and note how many men are on it and how long they stay. Week two: adjust your website and Instagram visuals so men can see themselves in them, and announce the beginner course. Week three: approach members whose partners, brothers or colleagues are athletic and offer a “bring a friend” trial class. Week four: ask participants after their first class what worked and what was missing, and invite them concretely to the next session. This small cycle costs little and quickly shows whether a permanent format is worth it.

Keeping men in the studio long term

Make progress visible

Many men respond well to measurable goals: ten classes in four weeks, three visits a week, a personal milestone. A digital stamp card in the wallet makes that progress visible and rewards consistency with a free class or a duet. It’s not a trick, it’s a framework that supports habits.

Community instead of going it alone

People who feel they belong stay. How to build that day to day is covered in our post building community in your Pilates studio. An example from practice: Formé Studio gained more than 250 community members within two weeks with Gainback, with over 1,500 interactions. For male members, shared challenges, post-class meetups or a small group chat work especially well because they create commitment.

Common mistakes when it comes to men in your Pilates studio

First: launching a men’s class without checking whether there is demand – start with a workshop instead. Second: leaning on stereotypes instead of speaking to goals. Third: selling Pilates as the “opposite of strength training” when it builds strength. Fourth: leaving beginners alone after the trial class – they especially need a concrete follow-up invitation. And fifth: focusing only on winning new members and forgetting retention. You’ll find more in our post on customer retention for Pilates studios.

Conclusion: being welcome is the strongest offer

Men don’t need a different Pilates – they need a studio that makes it easy to start and shows them they belong. Check your numbers first, then test a foundation format and measure how many participants stay. Want to retain new members, men and women alike, with a stamp card and community features? Book your free Gainback demo now.