Private 1:1 or Group Reformer Pilates: Which Is Right for You?
Choose private 1:1 reformer sessions if you want to sharpen your technique and become an all-around better reformer practitioner, if you are brand new, working around an injury, or chasing a specific goal. You get a full hour of individual coaching and a plan built for your body. Choose group classes if you want consistency, community, and the best price per session. At Sink in Aarhus Ø, a first private session with assessment is 700 DKK, while a group trial class is 80 DKK and our new client intro offer is 360 DKK for 4 classes plus a pair of grip socks. Most of our members end up combining both. This guide compares the two formats honestly, so you can pick the right starting point for you.
Key takeaways
Private 1:1 reformer Pilates is the fastest way to improve your technique and form and become genuinely better on the machine, whether you are starting out, training around an injury, or breaking a plateau. First session with assessment 700 DKK, with 5 and 10 session packs that bring the per-session price down.
Group reformer classes are the most affordable and social way to train consistently. Trial class 80 DKK, new client intro offer 360 DKK for 4 classes plus grip socks, single class 150 DKK, 10-pack from 1,025 DKK, memberships from 396 DKK per month.
Beginners are not required to start privately, but three to five 1:1 sessions build a foundation that makes every group class afterwards more effective.
A path a number of our clients choose: a few private sessions first, then group classes for momentum, with an occasional 1:1 to progress.
Both formats are taught in English and Danish at Bernhardt Jensens Boulevard 71, 8000 Aarhus. Book at www.sinkreformer.com or email us info@sinkreformer.com
What is the difference between private and group reformer Pilates?
In a private session, one instructor coaches one client for the full hour. Every exercise, spring setting, and tempo is chosen for your body on that day. At Sink, private sessions are taught by the founder, Julie, so the person planning your progress is the same person coaching you every week.
In a group class, one instructor teaches a set sequence to the whole room. You still get corrections, and our classes are small enough that nobody hides at the back. But the class has a shared structure and a shared pace.
One honest note about group reformer in general. At some studios the instructor teaches the whole class from their own reformer and rarely leaves it, so corrections are thin. We run it differently. Our teachers are intentional and supportive, on the floor and watching, so your form is maintained for the full session, not just demonstrated at the front. Our group formats are Signature, Classic, Ass & Abs, Jump & Strength, and Stretch & Flow, plus Sink Mama for mothers with babies.
Private 1:1 versus group reformer: the honest comparison
| Consideration | Private 1:1 | Group class |
|---|---|---|
| Attention | One instructor, one client, full hour | Shared across a small class |
| Programming | Built around your body and goals, progressed weekly | Set sequence, adapted with options |
| Learning curve | Fastest. Technique corrected in real time | Slower. You learn by repetition |
| Injuries and pregnancy | Fully adapted to you | Possible with modifications, less individual |
| Price at Sink | 700 DKK first session with assessment, 5-pack 3,500 DKK, 10-pack 6,500 DKK (650 DKK per session) | 80 DKK trial, intro offer 360 DKK for 4 classes plus grip socks, 150 DKK single, 10-pack from 1,025 DKK, memberships from 396 DKK/month |
| Social side | Quiet and focused | Energetic and social, coffee upstairs after |
| Scheduling | Fixed with your instructor by agreement | 7 days a week on the class schedule |
| Best for | Technique and form, beginnings, comebacks, plateaus, specific goals | Consistency, community, long-term habit |
Prices marked "from" are the under-30 rate without VAT. Over-30s pay Danish VAT on top. A 10 class pack is valid for 12 months and is non-transferable.
Who should choose private 1:1 sessions?
Private training is the right call in five situations. You want to master the reformer itself: cleaner technique, better form, more control, and a deeper practice than a group class can build. You are completely new and want to learn the machine properly from day one. You are managing something specific, such as back pain, a knee issue, pregnancy, or a return after injury, and need every exercise adapted. You have trained for a while and hit a plateau that group pacing will not fix. Or you have a concrete goal with a deadline, such as a return to running or a strength target.
The first one is the reason most people overlook. Plenty of our 1:1 clients are experienced group members with no injury and no deadline. They book private sessions because an hour of undivided coaching does for reformer what a golf pro does for a swing. Faults you cannot feel yourself get named, corrected, and rebuilt. Every group class afterwards works harder for you.
There is decent evidence behind this. A 2017 review in Sports Medicine found that supervised training programs produce larger strength and balance improvements than unsupervised ones, largely because technique and load are managed session by session (Lacroix et al., Sports Medicine, 2017). That is exactly what a 1:1 hour buys you.
Who should choose group classes?
Group classes win on two things that matter more than most people admit: cost and consistency. With a 10-pack from 1,025 DKK, a group class costs from about 103 DKK, a fraction of a private session. And training you actually show up for beats perfect training you skip. Research on group exercise shows that training in a cohesive group measurably improves adherence compared with exercising alone (Burke et al., Sport & Exercise Psychology Review, 2006). Members who know the 07:00 Tuesday crowd keep coming back. That is not a small thing. It is the main thing.
If you are generally healthy, comfortable learning by watching and repeating, and want reformer to become a habit rather than a project, start with the 80 DKK trial class. If you already know you want more than one taste, the new client intro offer is better value: 4 classes plus a pair of grip socks for 360 DKK.
Can you combine both? A path more of our clients are choosing
Yes. A number of our clients train this way, and it is the path we most often recommend. The pattern looks like this. Three to five private sessions to learn footwork, carriage control, and your own common faults. Then a group membership or 10-pack for weekly consistency. Then a single 1:1 every month or two to fix what has crept in and progress the work. You get the technique of private coaching at a fraction of the ongoing cost.
Is one format better for results?
For pure skill acquisition, private wins. For long-term results, the format you sustain wins. Reviews of Pilates research report improvements in core strength, flexibility, and function with consistent practice over weeks and months, regardless of format (Yamato et al., Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2015). We coach honestly: the reformer can support strength, mobility, and everyday comfort. It is not a medical treatment, and no format changes that.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to start with private sessions as a beginner?
No. Beginners are welcome in group classes. The 80 DKK trial is the cheapest way to try the reformer, and the new client intro offer gives you 4 classes plus grip socks for 360 DKK. Private sessions are simply the faster way to build correct technique if you want it from day one.
How much cheaper are group classes than private sessions at Sink?
A group 10-pack works out from about 103 DKK per class. Memberships bring it lower: 1x a week is from 396 DKK per month (about 99 DKK per class), 2x a week is from 716 DKK (about 89.5 DKK per class), and the All In unlimited membership is from 895 DKK, where the more you come, the cheaper each class gets. Private sessions are from 650 DKK per session on a 10-pack, with a single session at 750 DKK. You pay more per hour for private, and you get the full hour of individual coaching for it.
I have back pain. Which format should I pick?
Start privately. Your instructor adapts every exercise to you and builds from an assessment. Many people then move into group classes once they know their modifications. If you have a diagnosed condition, check with your clinician first.
How many private sessions do I need before joining group classes?
Most people are group-ready after three to five sessions. Some just take one or two to learn the machine. Your instructor will tell you honestly when you no longer need them weekly.
Are private and group sessions both available in English?
Yes. Julie teach in English and/or Danish, in both formats.
I already do group classes. Why would I book a 1:1?
To get better. A private session gives you a full hour of technique and form coaching that a group format cannot, so faults get fixed and your practice deepens. Even one or two sessions sharpen every group class you take afterwards.
How do I book each format?
Group classes are booked through the schedule on sinkreformer.com. Private sessions are booked by emailing info@sinkreformer.com
Written by Julie Rasmussen (500hr YTT, contemporary reformer Pilates, Classical Reformer Pilates), found of Sink Reformer, Bernhardt Jensens Boulevard 71, 8000 Aarhus. Published 16 July 2026. Updated 13 July 2026.
Sources
Lacroix A, Hortobágyi T, Beurskens R, Granacher U. Effects of supervised vs. unsupervised training programs on balance and muscle strength in older adults. Sports Medicine, 2017.
Burke SM, Carron AV, Eys MA, Ntoumanis N, Estabrooks PA. Group versus individual approach? A meta-analysis of the effectiveness of interventions to promote physical activity. Sport & Exercise Psychology Review, 2006.
Yamato TP et al. Pilates for low back pain. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2015.