BIOGRAPHY
Chrissy is the owner and educational director of the PHI Pilates Studio of Pittsburgh. She comes to the studio with 29 years of experience as a Physical Therapist and Certified Athletic Trainer, 29 years as a personal trainer and fitness instructor, 20 years as the founder and president of PHI Pilates an organization that trains Pilates instructors in the United States, Asia, South America and Europe, and 17 years of experience as a college professor in the areas of Physical Therapy and wellness.
A licensed direct access Physical Therapist, Chrissy holds a double BS in Exercise Science and Natural Science, a MS in Physical Therapy and a doctorate in education. She is a Full Professor in the department of Exercise Science at California University of PA and a part time instructor in the department of Physical Therapy at Slippery Rock University. She holds certifications in Pilates from NPCP, TRX, the Graston Technique, and is a certified athletic trainer.
A renowned professional in the field of Pilates, she has developed Pilates programs for large fitness companies such as Town Sports International and Club Corp and was the first Pilates training organization to streamline the education by bringing it into the facility environment in scientific learning modules that are safe for group exercise of the general population. She has used her skills in Physical Therapy to embrace the principles of Pilates while maintaining a safe environment where individuals can progress with less risk of injury, no matter what their fitness level or disability.
Chrissy has created 14 Pilates DVDs, 5 Pilates books and a full curriculum of education for Pilates that has been taught internationally to both fitness and rehabilitation professionals for the past 11 years. Her clients range from NFL and other professional athletes to young ballerinas to seniors.
All instructors at the Phi Pilates Studio of Pittsburgh are trained through the Phi Pilates curriculum as well as other Pilates educators. This curriculum is based on the scientific foundation of Physical Therapy while still being true to the Pilates six principles.
The Gluteals are the keystone to healthy movement. Their strength and mobility is challenged by our culture, our posture and aging so they must be conditioned in our workouts. In this course you will learn the most beneficial techniques according to the research and we will apply them to the Pilates repertoire on the mat and reformer
Thoracic rotation is key for rotational sports such as baseball, golf and tennis. Pilates has many unique ways to improve rotation but going directly to rotation is not the answer. In this course you will learn unique Pilates exercises that incorporate the researched methods for improving thoracic rotation
There is a misconception that heavy weights are needed to have sculpted arms. In this workshop you learn that technique is more important than weight or repetitions in building a sculpted upper body. Leave with choreography that you can use immediately.
The core has 4 sides not just a front and a back. All sides must be incorporated into the client’s program for success. In this course we learn how to include not just the abdomen, but the diaphragm, the pelvic floor, the serratus anterior and many other important muscles into your core stabilizing programs using the Pilates reformer, mat and trapeze table.
Power is what makes the difference between a good athlete and a professional athlete. In this workshop you will understand what defines power in the explosive athlete such as a soccer player, track athlete, or basketball player. We will learn exercises to enhance power on the reformer, trap table, and the mat
There are extreme motions of the spine in many Pilates exercises and it is important that proper form and alignment is used when teaching these exercises. In this workshop learn how to teach spinal movement effectively and avoid injury to the spine.