Being an athlete and Stuntwoman I’m already used to extreme physical activity, grooling workouts and pushing through long high-energized days rehearsing or on set filming.
Lucy Cork
I started my training with Sam at the beginning of Mission Impossible 5, as I needed to keep strong and powerful, yet be lean in order to match the actress. Her Pilates based approach gave me the perfect balance.
From the very first session I had with Sam I knew I would be feeling sore the very next day.. And I was right!
Sam is amazing at pin pointing where your weak areas are, as well as your strong ones. From posture, to pain, Sam can see what's going on with your body, that you don’t even realize. She explains and corrects everything you're doing in a way that makes you understand what’s going on, which prevents further stress or possible instability and injury. With the nature of my job, I'm prone to getting injuries, but with the training and exercises Sam gave me I was able to maintain and even get myself stronger throughout the whole film whilst my body leaned out and toned up.
I was always that girl that normal women hated, I could eat whatever I wanted and not gain a pound. I never even had to work out, I would just do it because that's what you do.
Cat Martone
UNTIL, I reached my mid 30's and well, I looked in the mirror and realized that I was the fattest skinniest person I knew. I kinda of looked like Homer Simpson's boss if you could imagine him naked. YIKES. Yeah, not nice.
Well it wouldn't be a huge deal except I have spent most of my life on stage, in front of the camera or at a podium speaking to lots of people. And not to mention I felt my body getting weaker and weaker. I was popping and cracking and in pain and I wasn't even "old" yet! And I noticed I was auditioning for more "old lady" type commercial roles rather than 'healthy sophisticated woman" roles. It was time to do something.
I attempted to work out, joined a few gyms, tried zumba, yoga, weight training, TRX, p90x (lord help people who do that) and even things I enjoyed like swimming and going back to ballet and flamenco. The problem with taking on these activities and sports is that if you aren't conditioned to do them and they aren't a habit, it's nearly impossible to commit.
You literally need someone to push you, kind of like a Drill Sergeant with less "do 50 more push ups you maggot" attitude. More like a well mannered Drill Sergeant who understands your needs.
Enter the fabulous, life saving Sam Eastwood!
Not only is she an expert at the skill involved in doing Pilates correctly and protecting you from injury but she's a blast. Her "well mannered drill sergeant" attitude is just what you need to push through and keep coming back. She also knows exactly what it takes to always look good on camera.
I'm able to return to ballet, and even do cross fit as a supplement to Pilates when Sam is away training celebrities more famous than ME! ;-) I'm very proud of myself and so grateful to her skill and expertise.