Latest news with #MonicaCruz
Vogue
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Vogue
Yes, People Over 200 Pounds Belong in Pilates (and Literally Any Other Form of Exercise We Want)
I don't really stay on top of SkinnyTok (I value myself too much as a fat person to constantly subject myself to that noise, and also, all the girlies on that particular corner of TikTok have a level of vocal fry that feels like it's going to make my ears bleed), but a recent video from user Monica Cruz—a.k.a. Succulent Addict—railing against the presence of fat people in Pilates classes managed to break through my protective peace barrier recently, and even though I know I shouldn't be letting some influencer's random deploying of garden-variety fatphobia as a grab for attention get to me…reader, I fear it kind of has. 'This might be a hot take for some people, but if you're 200 pounds, you shouldn't be in a Pilates class,' Cruz said in a post-Pilates car rant, adding: 'There's no reason why they should allow 200-pound people in a level 2 class. Or, you shouldn't be allowed to be a Pilates instructor if you have a gut and you're fat. What the fuck is going on? Is this even real? Is this America? Standards are so fucking low.' First of all: girl, I don't know what America you're living in, but in the actual one that I inhabit, over 40 percent of the population has obesity. Second of all, if you're upset about fat people allegedly ruining your Pilates class but not illegal deportations or the government's use of pregnant women as fetal incubators, you need to open a fucking newspaper (or get one on your little phone! A lot of them are free!) Third of all: as a weekly attendee of my local Pilates studio's mat class who currently tips the scales at just under 300 pounds, I feel uniquely qualified to tell you just how wrong you are. When I showed up to my first Pilates class at my now-regular studio in L.A. just over a year ago, I did so with all the terror of a girl who was trash at organized sports and basically all forms of athletic activity even as a thin child. Once I gained the weight I'd long feared in my mid-twenties, exercise weirdly got easier (maybe because I started swimming, practicing yoga, going for long walks, and doing other things that actually made my body feel good instead of spending money I didn't have on boutique spin and barre classes designed to underwrite as much caloric consumption as possible), but I was still gun shy about going back to group classes; I felt both intimidated and comically enormous at barre while surrounded by flocks of what had to be honest-to-God models taking a 'reset day' in between marathon runs when I was deep in the grips of anorexia, and even after all the work I'd put in to heal my eating disorder and appreciate my body's strength at any size, I didn't trust myself not to compare myself to my fellow Pilates-goers. When I attended group fitness classes as a thin woman, I was obsessed with getting the moves as 'perfect' as I could and trying to hide my humiliation when I inevitably flopped, which is almost funny to me now; these days, I regularly do only about half of the moves my Pilates instructor walks our class through, modifying the rest and occasionally taking a solo break to lie on my mat in child's pose when the physical exertion gets to be too much. Ten years ago, I could never have imagined that I'd a) be fat, b) go to Pilates, c) be semi-bad at Pilates and not care or d) actually enjoy the experience, but these days, I look at it this way: a little bit of effort is better than none, and I don't need to get an 'A' in a Sunday-morning mat class or be the most Instagram-ready participant in the room, I just need to show up (ideally in clean leggings) and try.
Daily Mail
17-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Pilates studio slams influencer who sparked outrage with fat-shaming views and put weight limit on exercise
A Texas Pilates studio has broken its silence after an ex-member went viral for her fat-shaming rants - claiming people over 200 pounds should be excluded from the popular exercise. The internet went up in flames when Monica Cruz, who goes by Succulent Addict on her online platforms, posted the first of her jaw-dropping TikToks earlier this week. 'This might be a hot take for some people, but if you're 200 pounds, you shouldn't be in a Pilates class,' the sunglasses-wearing influencer confidently declared while sitting in her car after a Pilates class. 'There's no reason why they should allow 200-pound people in a level 2 class. Or, you shouldn't be allowed to be a Pilates instructor if you have a gut and you're fat. 'What the f**k is going on? Is this even real? Is this America? Standards are so f**king low.' The 30-year-old sparked instant outrage, with viewers in disbelief of her blatant ignorance. But instead of shying away from the negative attention, she decided to double-down on her unpopular belief in a follow-up video. In the clip, she baselessly claimed people over 200 pounds do not benefit from Pilates and are better off joining a regular gym. As her hateful tangents caught traction, her Pilates gym, the Club Pilates in Quarry Market, deemed her behavior unacceptable. Ashton Hallett, the regional marketing manager of four Club Pilates locations, including the Quarry Market one, addressed Cruz's exclusionary remarks. 'We want to be clear: the individual who made this video has been permanently removed from our member base and is no longer welcome at any of our studios,' she wrote to 'These comments are not only hurtful, but they also directly oppose the values we uphold as a studio and a community. 'At Club Pilates Quarry Market, we believe Pilates is for everyBODY. Our mission is to foster a welcoming, inclusive space where individuals of all sizes, ages, backgrounds, and fitness levels feel safe, seen, and supported.' Hallet said even though Cruz's comments were disheartening and offensive, it opened up an important conversation about the fitness industry. 'It's a reminder of how vital it is to continue challenging outdated, narrow ideas of what fitness 'should' look like and instead champion spaces where everyone belongs!' she explained. Hallet also shared a brief video on Instagram, updating other members on the situation and reinforcing the studio's 'zero-tolerance' policy for bullying. In a tearful apology, Cruz claimed she was not only barred from the exercise club, but fired from her job. was unable to confirm if she was actually removed from her job. According to her LinkedIn, she has ties to a San Antonio dental office as a marketing coordinator. The office did not provide with any information on the matter. 'It's just so toxic and I'm so sorry about that,' Cruz said in the apology, that many viewers slammed as fabricated. All three of her controversial videos have since been deleted from her TikTok account. But other users have shared their passionate reactions, calling Cruz out for her bizarre and outdated stance. 'I don't know what possessed her to come out and say this, this is nasty, evil,' TikTok user Uncle Juan shared in a post. He went on to describe her as an entitled 'snob', who is giving the Pilates community an awful reputation. Another user, Kiizoe, was simply not buying Cruz's apology. 'You are toxic, and you're not sorry... You just look bitter, you just look like you have nothing better to do than to put someone down,' she said. Pilates instructors have also shared their takes on the heavily publicized situation, pointing to a larger problem within the community. Kersten Veronesi, a self-described 'Plus Size Certified Pilates Instructor' wrote on TikTok: 'Unfortunately there are many like her, the worst are the instructors who think this way bc it actually takes a skilled instructor to truly teach for all bodies. 'The industry is changing slowly. Me and my big belly are going to continue to teach all bodies how to enjoy Pilates.' Another instructor, Norah Myers, uploaded a statement on Instagram, commending Club Pilates for taking action against Cruz. 'I am so thankful that Club Pilates did what they did - it shows that they stand for inclusion, diversity, representation, and kindness,' she wrote. 'I am so thankful that the Pilates community has come together to promote Pilates for what it's actually for: posture, strength, balance, mobility, flexibility, pain relief, and recovery from injuries and surgeries.'
