Pilates Instructor of the month: Allan Menezes
Where do you teach?
Sydney, Australia
My teaching tips
Focus on the breathing! I have a saying: "No breath, No Core!" and its true
every time. Also think of the biomechanics. Look at the body as a system of
levers, fulcrums, weight and pulleys and it will change the way you teach.
You will realise the stresses you didn't think existed.
Favourite Exercise and reason why
Side lifts on the box. Because - done correctly - it really targets the
obliques which are essential for Core Control. You can also do great
rotational work on this as well as 'dips and dives' that I have created to
work the body at strange angles. Very Challenging!
In a nutshell, tell us a little bit about yourself and your experience in the industry
I love my work as I've been doing for over 28 years now - how the time has
flown!! I will never get sick of it as I use my clients (without them
knowing it) to be creative and invent new movements. At one stage I ran
three studio and two franchises including one in New Zealand. I have written
a bestselling Pilates book and produced 13 DVD titles. There is never a dull
moment. The one thing I regret is that I am now more desk bound and need to
correct that. The industry has been good to me and the people I have met
have been great - Ron Fletcher, Mary Bowen, Eve Gentry, Alan Herdman (who
tutored me way back when) and others. I have had the opportunity to teach
many famous people both in the UK and Australia.
Having swung away from regular Pilates has made me more specific with my
biomechanics - I have to prove everything I say! Consequently the creation
of Menezes Method has created questioning within the industry, and results
for our clients: The women's Gold medallist at the Beijing Olympics trained
in Menezes Method and we currently have the number 2 female fencer in the
Commonwealth as a client - With the Menezes Method, we will get her into the
top ten in the world within 9 months!!
Do you have a motto or mission statement?
Don't waste your talent. We all have it - it just needs to be expressed.
Movement is a great start!
Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now?
Spending time in Europe and Australia, still teaching and being creative,
still writing books and training elite athletes. Still passionate about what
I do.
