1. Introduce yourself: your name and where you’re from.
Hi! I’m Andrea Speir and I’m originally from the San Francisco Bay Area!
2. Where do you live?
I’ve lived in Los Angeles for the past 15 years.
3. Tell us about your business and how it began.
I began my career as a theater actor/dancer and got certified in Pilates after suffering an injury, mainly to learn more about my own body, practice, and rehabilitation. I didn’t realize how much I would fall in love with the teaching side, as well as the immersion into the fitness world. While teaching private sessions over the years, I began to fuse my Pilates workouts with modern cardio, ballet barre, and prop work to make a full-body, athletic, and all-in-one workout. This is where the idea for turning this workout into a more affordable, group class offering came into play. Soon, Speir Pilates was born.
4. What’s unique about the Speir method of Pilates?
We take the classical Pilates base and then fuse in high-intensity interval training and modern prop sculpting with the reformer to elevate the cardiovascular elements. All of the workouts are musically-based, so you get a high energy, dance party vibe while strengthening your body. Doing a Pilates reformer workout can also be daunting to someone who isn’t as familiar, so Speir places a big emphasis on ensuring everyone is welcomed like the athlete they are, and the exercises are less choreography-based, and more about simple, super effective movements that yield fantastic results.
5. Aside from Pilates, do you have another go-to workout?
I love boxing! I’m honestly a sucker for all fitness, but there is truly something special about getting in a ring with a boxer and punching those mits, and moving your body with such a fiery force.
6. Do you follow any diet?
I am of the mindset that you should allow yourself the compassion to enjoy the little things in life, but also enjoy a range of foods that will truly nourish your body. I find ways of cooking with organic ingredients of all different colors, and I love buying seasonal produce. Cooking and creating new recipes is my biggest hobby, so this is something that truly excites me. I make sure to always get protein into my diet as well. If I want a treat, though, like a cookie or a glass of wine, I let myself have it. I just make sure to keep it balanced and in good moderation. I also make sure I get a workout in 5-6 days/week.
7. If you could train anyone, past or present, who would it be?
Michelle Obama. She’s so smart, so elegant, and so passionate about wellness. She’s also just someone I would love to have the honor and opportunity to meet.
8. What is your bedtime beauty regime?
I alternate between using Khiel’s Ginger Leaf & Hibiscus Firming Mask or Lala Retro Whipped Cream on my face! They feel so luxurious.
9. Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.
I’m certified in Small Sword (what they do in the movie “The Princess Bride”), which I was trained in when I was living and acting in London. I also have a killer Chewbacca impression, was a river rafting guide, and left the Pilates world briefly to go to law school.
10. What is your most guilty pleasure?
Aperol Spritz.
11. If you were sent to a desert island, what three things would you take with you?
Chapstick (I mean, you’re gonna need that at the beach), a good book, and a bug net (I’ve slept on a Belizean beach, and those mosquitos are no joke).
12. Current mood?
Optimistic.
