Ambassador’s Corner: STRONG Pilates

Hello Austin Fit Fam! Nikki Zahka (@Fitwithnikk_) back again for this September Ambassador Corner and excited to share about a brand new,  Pilates-Cardio Fusion studio that just made its way to Austin from Australia, STRONG Pilates! STRONG is Reformer Pilates meets cardio, resistance, and strength training for a unique low-impact, high intensity workout. With their custom-built Rowformer and Ride machines, their mission is to push your limits without punishing your body.

STRONG Pilates originated in Australia in 2019 from co-founders Michael Ramsey and Mark Armstrong, who noticed a gap in the fitness market for a low-impact, high-intensity workout. After experiencing over studio’s high-impact models, Ramsey broke his ankle and found relief and fitness in reformer pilates, but he was missing the high-intensity thrill of HIIT that gets us addicted to those workouts. This led them to the Rowformer machine, a hybrid of a rower and Pilates reformer, developing the STRONG Pilates concept to blend Pilates’ benefits with high-calorie burning, high-intensity interval training.

Before getting how STRONG came to Austin, I am happy to dedicate this Ambassador’s corner to I Live Here I Give here. Supporting 750+ local nonprofit organizations, I Live Here I Give Here has produced year-round programs and activities that actively engage and empower individuals, companies, nonprofits, and foundations to be more generous and contribute to a more equitable community for all.

Nikki’s chosen nonprofit: I live here I Give Here

Every contribution can make a big difference for our community! Donate Here.

Kendra and Shannon met serendipitously and became instant friends. They worked a catering event together and talked for 14 hours straight, quickly realizing how aligned they were in values, vision, and energy. With their shared backgrounds in hospitality management, they felt a pull to build something bigger and more meaningful here in Austin. Something that brought people together, made them feel empowered, and gave them a sense of belonging.

Shannon planned an extended trip to Australia, but before she went, she badly sprained her ankle. As an avid runner and fan of high-intensity workouts, this was a tough setback. For the first time, she turned to reformer pilates. She loved it, but I was still craving something more (sound familiar?). She walked into her first STRONG Pilates class in Byron Bay, and was hooked. It was the perfect combination: high-intensity yet low-impact, ideal for recovery but still delivering a killer workout. While in Australia, she had the opportunity to grab coffee with STRONG’s Co-Founder, Michael Ramsey, and was deeply inspired by his story and vision. He shared that STRONG was about to begin its US expansion, starting with five states,  including Texas.

Shannon and Kendra have poured everything they had into bringing STRONG to life in Central Austin, and now that the studio officially opened in late August, they get to see their vision come to life! Their hope is simple – that every person who steps into their studio feels welcomed, inspired, and empowered to get STRONG-er every day. From experience, you can feel that energy when you enter the studio that is on 6th street right downtown Austin. These 45-minute classes give you a great mix of cardio and strength, combining the slow, intentional movements of reformer Pilates that get your muscles shaking with spurts of high-intensity intervals on either a rower or bike erg.

Their various class types give options for everyone and allow you to continuously take them without getting bored!STRONG Loaded includes dumbbells and additional strength training, Pilates only classes for a lower intensity option, STRONG sweat will level up your cardio game, and classes that focus on various muscle groups. What every class has in common is a high-energy instructor and a challenging way to get stronger and feel good in your skin.

I have now tried two signature STRONG Body classes and even though they are the same class type, the only thing that was similar was the class structure. We focused on different movements, muscle groups, and I got to test out both the rower and bike. I am looking forward to going back to test out the other types of classes and challenging myself in new ways. What really stands out to me about these classes is the opportunity to get better at two very unique ways of training.

You are working both fast-twitch muscle fibers and slow-twitch fibers in each class. During the spurts of cardio you work the fast-twitch muscle fibers which help you get better at power, speed, and quick reactions or reflexes. While reformer pilates primarily works the slow-twitch muscle fibers that are responsible for endurance, lean muscle mass and postural muscles with slow, controlled movements, isometric and high-rep contractions.

STRONG Central Austin Grand Opening JUST happened Saturday, August 30th, but Shannon and Kendra have a strong belief in creating community – so even if you missed the launch event, there will be more coming this Fall! Check out https://strongpilates.co/location/central-austin/ or on their instagram, www.instagram.com/strong_centralaustin/ to keep up to date with all the latest happenings, chances for free classes, and community events. For a limited time, they are offering VIP Memberships with reduced pricing as a founding member. $269/month for Unlimited classes ($50 off regular pricing) or $179 for 8 classes/month ($60 off regular pricing).

Austin fitness community – they are also hiring! Training Academy for STRONG instructors begins the week of September 21st and is online for self-paced learning, followed by two weekends of in-person training. The best part for all of us is October 6th-10th will be community classes to finish up training!

If you are ready to take on a new challenge and feel STRONG, go check out the studio and let them know we sent you!