Reformer Pilates on East Cesar Chavez. Ten machines, so never more than ten of you.
Small classes, coaches who learn your name and your bad shoulder, and springs that push back exactly as hard as you need them to. Opened by Marisol Ybarra in a sunny old print shop, two blocks from the taco trucks.
Springs, not weights.
A reformer is a padded carriage that slides on rails, tied to a set of springs. You push it away and the springs pull it home. Your muscles work both ways, out and back, which is where real strength gets built. It is low impact on your joints and very hard on your excuses.
We change the load by clipping springs on and off. Same machine for a marathoner, a new mom and someone coming back from a knee replacement. Only the springs change.
- HeavyFootwork, legs, the big pushes. Feels solid.
- MediumArms, lunges, rowing. Where you start to sweat.
- LightCore and balance. Sounds easy. Is the hardest.
Two springs, a footbar and a pair of grip socks. Everything else is you.
Five ways
to get on.
Every class is capped at ten. Not sure where to start? Groundwork first, then anything.
Groundwork
The foundations class. Spring settings, footbar heights, how to breathe while a carriage moves under you. Slower cues, more hands-on help, nobody rushing you.
Full Tension
The class most people mean when they say Tensile. A full-body flow that moves from footwork to arms to a long, shaky core block, with a playlist that keeps the pace honest.
Slow Pull
Four counts out, four counts in. Lighter springs, longer holds and a proper stretch at the end. Quietly the hardest class on the schedule.
Rebound
We swap the footbar for a jump board and you jump lying down. Real cardio, heart rate up, knees happy. Bring water. Bring a towel.
Privates
For injuries, pregnancy, a specific goal or simply wanting all the attention. Book any instructor, any open hour.
Oak reformers, a clay pink wall, and windows that face downtown. Morning classes get the good light.
This week.
Spots update live in the app. Green dots are open reformers. Full classes have a waitlist that moves more than you would think.
Doors open 15 minutes before class. Late arrivals after 5 minutes may lose their spot to the waitlist, because the warmup matters.
New to Tensile
$69
Three classes in your first 21 days, any class type, grip socks on us for the first one. Usually turns into a habit by class three.
Claim the introAfter that.
- Drop-in$38One class, booked whenever you like.
- 8 class pack$264$33 a class. Use them within 60 days. Share-able with one person in your household.
- Unlimited$289 /moEvery class, every week, plus 10% off privates. Month to month, cancel with 30 days notice.
- Private session$11555 minutes with any instructor. Five for $525. Duets are $70 each.
Who is counting.
Four instructors, all comprehensively certified, all still taking each other's classes on Sundays.
Marisol
Taught for nine years in San Antonio before opening Tensile in 2024. Counts out loud, cues your ribs, remembers your knee.
Jo
Former Division I sprinter. Builds Rebound playlists like a set list and will absolutely make you do the last eight.
Ana
Patient, precise and very good at modifications. If you are pregnant, injured or nervous, ask for Ana.
Teddy
Rowed in college, found Pilates through a back injury, never left. His tempo classes find muscles you forgot you owned.
Overheard in the lobby.
"I'm 61 and stronger than I was at 40. Nobody here talks down to you, and nobody lets you coast either."
"I came for my lower back and stayed for the 6 am crew. Marisol knew my name and my bad side by the second class."
"Rebound is the only cardio I have ever looked forward to. Jo's playlists are a problem, in the best way."
Good questions.
Anything else, text the desk at (512) 555-0147. A human answers.
Do I need grip socks?
Yes. Grip socks keep your feet planted on the footbar and the carriage. Bring any pair with rubber grips on the sole, or buy a Tensile pair at the front desk for $14. Your first class includes a loaner pair.
I have never been on a reformer. Where do I start?
Book Groundwork, our foundations class, or use the intro offer of three classes for $69. Arrive 10 minutes early so your instructor can set your springs, footbar and headrest and show you how the carriage moves before class starts.
Can I take classes while pregnant?
Usually, yes, with your provider's okay. Tell us at booking and your instructor will modify positions, especially lying flat on your back after the first trimester. Ana is prenatal and postnatal certified, and a private session is a good way to start.
What is the cancellation policy?
Cancel at least 12 hours before class at no charge. Inside 12 hours, a pack or intro class is used up and unlimited members pay a $15 late fee. A no-show is $20. Privates need 24 hours notice.
Is there parking?
Yes. There are 14 free spots in the lot behind the building off Chalmers Avenue, plus street parking on Cesar Chavez. Bike racks are by the front door, and the 4 bus stops half a block away.
Your first three.
Tell us a little and we will text you within a day to set up your first class. No app download needed until you love it.
- Three classes, $69, 21 days
- Loaner grip socks for class one
- Arrive 10 minutes early for a machine walkthrough
Got it.
Marisol or someone at the front desk will text you within a day to lock in your first class. See you on the carriage.