Gramercy Pilates
39 East 20th Street, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10003
212-727-7896

Not too long ago, on what must have been the hottest day of the summer, I ventured down to Gramercy to meet with Ernie Fossa and Tommy Reichling, owners of Gramercy Pilates NYC. As one would expect when I arrived there was a small group session taking place with a young woman instructing the class on a row of reformers. Certainly this was nothing out of the ordinary for a Pilates studio. However, after being warmly greeted, Ernie, Tommy and I began to chat and I started to realize that there is a lot more going out at Gramercy than one would expect from a straightforward Pilates studio.

The first thing that struck me as unique about this studio was when I met Ernie and Tommy themselves. Ernie initially opened the studio with a focus on Pilates and soon after brought in Tommy who has a strong background in personal training and kickboxing.  The combination of these two approaches has added a new dimension to the studio’s philosophy. The result is a hybrid approach to training that combines Pilates, kickboxing and traditional personal training techniques. Once we walked through the rows of reformers we arrived at a space at the rear of the studio that houses boxing body bags, free weights and cardio equipment. Their signature class involves an hour long session split into one part kickboxing class where their clients get a combined cardio and overall toning workout followed by a Pilates session where they work on an intense focus on specific muscle groups. The approach provides a terrific overall workout and is unique in combing these two types of exercise into one class. It also allows for a greater diversity of their cliental as the personal training and kickboxing attract clients, often young men that might not otherwise consider a Pilates studio.

However, despite the uniqueness of their hybrid training techniques, Gramercy stills keeps it’s credentials as one of the city’s top Pilates studios. They have recently begun offering a comprehensive teacher training program that includes a 44 hour mat certification, a 68 hour equipment certification and 345 in studio hours. Offered four times a year with a flexible schedule the program integrates anatomy, biomechanics and movement as a forward thinking approach to Pilates instruction.

Private Pilates teachers and personal trainers are welcome to bring their clients to Gramercy for a reasonable fee. Changing and rest rooms are provided in addition to lockers and a full kitchen area.

As with any fitness studio the success of the clients rests on the knowledge, dedication and passion of the instructors. After meeting Tommy and Ernie and hearing about the unique approaches and techniques they’ve worked to develop it’s clear that anyone training at Gramercy Pilates NYC will benefit from their fun and effective program. I look forward to following their future success and even getting there to take a class or two.