Frequently Asked Questions
THE WORKOUT
-
Reformer Pilates takes the traditional movements and principles of regular Pilates and combines them with a reformer machine, a piece of Pilates equipment that allows for a more dynamic, resistance based workout.
Our classes at Carve might be a little different in some ways to the run-of-the-mill reformer Pilates studio or chain you’ve experienced before. At Carve we take a strength and resistance training approach to our reformer classes, also incorporating cardiovascular elements and full body conditioning. Our classes are high-intensity while still delivering all the benefits of more traditional Pilates - so you’ll get that Pilates burn you love, while hitting your goals and seeing results, as we prioritise exercise science and evidence based thinking. -
Reformer and strength training is beneficial for everybody - from exercise avoider to pro athlete. If you have no experience on the reformer make sure to start in our ‘All Levels’ class. 'Level Up' classes are NOT beginner friendly.
If you are just starting to come back to exercise from an injury, surgery, having a baby or are generally nervous about jumping into group fitness we strongly recommend booking in a private session prior to joining group classes. Please contact us to discuss your options. -
Please arrive 10 minutes before your first class (even if this is not your first ever reformer class). Your trainer will show you around the studio and introduce you to our reformers and how they work (if required). Late entry will not be permitted, it is not possible for our instructors to stop the class to induct you to the studio.
Make sure to wear comfortable activewear and bring along a drink bottle (no glass bottles please, we have concrete floors). Sweat towels are not compulsory but please bring one along if you would like to.
For safety and hygiene reasons, grip socks are compulsory at our studio. If you don’t have any, we have these to purchase in-studio.
-
Absolutely! Our pre and post natal clients are welcome to attend our ‘All Levels’ classes. Level Up classes are NOT suitable for prenatal or recently postnatal clients. If you haven’t done Reformer before a 1:1 private session with one of our trainers is recommended so that we can take you through any modifications specific for you. Upon purchasing your pass you’ll be asked if you are prenatal - please make sure to let us know if this is the case and your due date/how many weeks along you are.
Generally we welcome back our postnatal clients from 6-8 weeks post birth (or from 12 weeks post caesarean birth). We ask that prior to booking with us you are cleared by your doctor, lead maternity carer or a women’s health physio to attend strength based / athletic style reformer pilates sessions (please note our classes are not physio or rehabilitation style classes).
-
This will depend on what your injury is and how it impacts your movement. Just a little niggle, or have reformer experience and know how to modify? Come along!
Something a little more intense or have an injury and no reformer experience? Drop us an email first to check if our classes will work for you.We operate with a ‘modifications not substitutions’ approach in group classes - meaning we can give modifications to our exercises but if you need to do a completely different exercise to the rest of the class (substitution) this means you’ll need to attend private sessions (or physio based/rehab Pilates - hit us up for recommendations!) until we can get you comfy with modifications.
-
We have 11 people per class, maximum. This means we are able to provide assistance and feedback to all attendees throughout the class. We also offer private and semi-private sessions - if this suits you better please email us at hello@carvestudio.co.nz to discuss our current availability prior to purchase.
-
You must be 16 years old or older to attend classes at Carve. Over 16 but under 18? You’ll need a parent or guardian to sign any contracts or waivers before you can attend a class with us.
-
For safety reasons and out of consideration to our trainers and other Carvers we cannot allow children to wait for you in reception while you attend a class, even the best behaved ones! No exceptions.
BOOKINGS, WAITLISTS & CANCELLATIONS
-
Intro passes are for new clients only who have not attended a class at Carve before.
-
The intro pass is valid for 4 classes over a two week period (14 days). This period cannot be extended. Your two week period begins from the date of your first booked class (not the purchase date). Make sure to book all four of your classes in advance as our classes are busy and fill up fast and we cannot extend passes because you have missed out on your preferred times.
-
The best way to manage your classes is via our app. Click here to download via the App Store for iPhones or here to download via the Google Play Store for Androids.
-
Our Level Up classes are not suitable for anyone who is brand new to a strength-focused style of reformer Pilates or those who are injured or pregnant. You will require a good understanding of Carve and/or a solid amount of strength-style reformer experience to join Level Up. Please book into an All Levels class first, or contact us if you aren’t sure.
-
If you are an existing client and you have done more than 10 All Levels classes, have no injuries or modifications, and take the harder spring options and layers the majority of the time we encourage you to attend Level Up.
If you aren’t sure please email us or reach out via the app - we will happily guide you.
-
No, all classes are only to be used by the individual/account who purchased them.
If you would like to purchase for someone else you can navigate to the buy page of the pass you’d like to gift via the pricing section on our website and click ‘gift this to a friend’. We also have gift vouchers available here.
-
Our class cancellation window is 8 hours. If you need to cancel please do so at least 8 hours before your class to receive the credit back onto your pass. If you cancel within 8 hours or do a ‘no show’ you will forfeit the class from your pass. Even if cancelling late please make sure to cancel with as much notice as possible to ensure those on our waitlist get the opportunity to take your spot.
We need to stick to our cancellation policy to ensure everyone has a fair chance to access classes at Carve and will only consider exceptions in emergency circumstances.
To cancel your class you can do so via our app or website. We do not accept cancellations via text message / social media or any other means as these channels are not constantly monitored. -
Yes, you will forfeit that class off of your pass. If an individual repeatedly late cancels or ‘no shows’ additional fees may be charged.
-
We want everyone at Carve to have the best class experience possible and be adequately warmed up. We cannot allow entry to class for anyone who arrives more than 5 minutes after class has started (for existing clients), and no late entry at all will be permitted to first-timers at Carve. If it is your first class with us we need to introduce you to Carve and the reformer prior to class. Both for your safety and out of consideration to the rest of our Carvers, if you arrive late you will be asked to reschedule your session.
-
There are ten spots on the waitlist for each class. Once those ten waitlist spots are booked the class will show as ‘full’. Waitlists are constantly moving though so please check back and add yourself to the waitlist if a spot pops up.
-
Adding yourself to the waitlist means that you intend to attend the class if a spot comes up. Please make sure to remove yourself from the waitlist if you no longer want to attend that class.
-
Please keep an eye on your emails/phone to check if you’ve been added to the class. You will receive a text notification if you have been added to the class (make sure you allow SMS notifications in your profile settings) as well as an email.
You will only be added to the class up to an hour prior to the class start time. If someone cancels their booking within an hour of the class starting the system will not add you to the class. You can check for last minute (within 1 hour of class) spaces by cancelling off the waitlist and if the class says ‘book now’ that means there is a space for you to book.
-
Yes, by adding yourself to a waitlist that means you intend to attend the class. If you are added from the waitlist but don’t show up your pass will be charged. If you are waitlisted for an early morning class and go to bed early, be prepared to get up for the class as you may have been added off the waitlist. If you don’t intend to get up for the class please cancel yourself off the waitlist before you go to bed.
MEMBERSHIPS
-
A membership is a weekly allowance of credits that automatically recurs each week to allow you to attend 2, 3 or 4 classes per week. Memberships work well for those who want to attend classes regularly and consistently for a lower cost per class.
A casual credit pack is like a concession card. These credits have a longer expiry (3 months for 5 packs, 6 months for 10 packs and 12 months for 20 packs) therefore work well for those who don’t attend consistently, or have an unpredictable schedule.
-
By signing up for a membership with us you will receive the best possible per-class rates, and have the option to add additional one off classes during your membership week for a reduced rate. Automated weekly payments mean you can keep Carving while easily fitting your weekly membership into your budget.
Outside of the practical benefits, having a membership helps with building consistency and a routine with your training, meaning you’re more likely to see and feel results faster, plus maintain them!
Members will also have early access to deals and other Carve Studio exclusives.
-
Yes, all of our memberships have a 12 week minimum term, meaning that when you sign on for a membership you are committing to the membership and its associated payments for at least 12 weeks. After 12 weeks you can cancel at any time with two weeks’ notice in writing. Cancellations prior to 12 weeks are not permitted, unless in extreme circumstances. In this instance supporting documentation from a registered professional may be required.
-
Yes! Unused membership credits roll over by one week. This means if you don’t use all your membership credits one week, they will automatically extend into the following membership week. Any credits unused after the roll over week will expire.
Please note that rollover credits do not become available until the membership renews and the system knows if there is anything to rollover. You will not be able to book outside of the membership week using ‘anticipated’ rollover credits.
-
When you’re on a weekly membership your membership renews each week on your payment day, for example if you have a 2 per week membership and pay on a Wednesday you’ll have 2 credits to use each week between Wednesday and Tuesday. If you already have two bookings within that period and try to make another you’ll see the notification your credits have been used up.
If you have any rollover credits upon your membership renewal you may then be able to book an additional class using these, or you can purchase a casual class at the discounted member rate to book an extra class.
If you wish to change your payment/renewal day please contact us via email or the app.
-
Payments are made weekly and will be charged to the credit or debit card we have on file for you. We are not able to take direct debit payments at this time.
Please note if you purchase your membership via our app your membership will start immediately. If you prefer to choose a future start date for your membership please contact us and we can set this up for you.
Future payments will come out weekly on the same day of the week as your start date in the early hours of the morning. Please ensure you have sufficient funds in the account attached to your payment card each week.
-
Please make sure you have sufficient funds in the account associated with your card each payment day and your filed card details are kept up to date. If a recurring payment fails on the first attempt, our provider Momence (via Stripe) will attempt to take the payment three more times over the coming days making it 4 attempts in total to take payment. We will contact you after the first failed payment to resolve the issue. After the first failed payment, our system will not allow you to use the membership to book classes until a successful payment has been made. Any fees our provider passes on to us related to failed payments will be charged on to you.
-
Yes, we allow members to pause their membership for up to 6 weeks per year of membership, meaning if you’re heading away on holiday, injured or have any other reason you need to pause you can do so.
Pauses must be a minimum of 1 week and in 1 week intervals thereafter up to a maximum of 6 weeks. I.e. pause must be 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks etc. up to a maximum of 6 weeks total per year. We will need your pause request in writing to hello@carvestudio.co.nz at least one week prior to the requested pause date. Please let us know in your email what date you want your membership paused from, and for how long.
We can not place pauses or refund a membership week once payment has already been taken, or retrospectively (i.e. if you were sick last week and didn’t make it in, we cannot refund you for last week).
Please note that the pause allocation is available to you from day 1 of your membership, but any pauses do not count towards your 12 week term.
-
Six weeks within your membership year is the maximum pause allowed. If you need to pause your membership for longer than 6 weeks within a 1 year period please discuss your circumstances with the studio manager. In extreme or medical circumstances longer pauses will be considered and may require supporting documentation from a registered professional.
-
Yes! All members can add additional one-off classes within their membership at a discounted rate ($25 for 2 p/w members, $23 for 3 p/w members and $20 for 4 p/w members). This discount will be automatically applied when purchasing ‘1 x casual class’ while logged into your account.
If you have an active casual credit pack on your account you can also use these credits to book additional classes.
Please note you can only purchase single casual credits at the discounted rate for yourself, you cannot purchase at this rate for others.
-
If we choose to close over the Christmas/New Year period all members’ memberships will be paused for the duration of our closure, this will not be included in your 6 week pause allocation. If you have pause allocation available you are more than welcome to extend your holiday period pause on top of our closure - members will be contacted prior to any shut down dates to confirm their holiday pause requirements.
If the studio is closed on other public holidays such as Waitangi Day, Matariki, Easter etc. memberships will not be paused, however upon request we can extend your credits by the number of days closed if required.
-
Different memberships (or credit packs) will work best for different people. If you need some help deciding please don’t hesitate to reach out - we would be happy to assist you in planning your training to help achieve your goals but also fit in with your lifestyle!
PRIVATE SESSIONS
-
These sessions are 1:1 or 2:1 personal training sessions. These sessions mean you get to focus more specifically on your own needs and goals. Privates are a great option if you have an injury, are nervous about attending a group class, want to check in pre or post pregnancy, or for seasoned pros who want to take things to the next level in a one on one environment.
Availability for private sessions is limited, and all sessions must take place outside of our group class schedule. Please make sure to contact us prior to purchasing a session to ensure you are able to make the available times work with your schedule.
Out of respect to our trainers, if you wish to cancel or reschedule your private session you must let us know at least 24 hours prior. Cancelling your 1:1 or 2:1 session less than 24 hours beforehand will result in forfeiting your pre-paid session. If you need to cancel please email us or message us via the Carve Studio app.
-
Of course! We offer exclusive classes for corporate or friend groups upon request. If you want to get your work mates along for a team bonding session or plan a hen’s, surprise party or other group occasion we’d love to have you. Please email hello@carvestudio.co.nz to enquire.
THE STUDIO
-
We are located in the Prestons Park Retail Centre at the corner of Prestons Road and Prestons Park Drive. We are right next to the Black and White Coffee Cartel.
-
Yes, there’s plenty of parking in the carpark out front, or on Prestons Park Drive.
-
No, we don’t have showers at our studio but we do have a very spacious bathroom for you to get changed if required.
-
On the odd occasion one of our owner Demi’s dogs will be at the studio. They will stay at reception and would love to say hello (or bonjour, they’re French after all…). We love our furry friends but please don’t bring your own to the studio; we’re a one dog establishment.