Caged Lion: Joseph Pilates and His Legacy

by John Howard Steel

The surprising story of Pilates—the man and the method.

Part biography, part history, and part memoir, "Caged Lion" untangles for the first time Joseph Pilates’s opaque life story and the perilous journey of his exercise program known the world over as Pilates.

This is the story of Joseph Pilates, a gifted man who immigrated to the United States at forty-three with no assets or credentials. He not only invented an exercise regimen—which today is practiced by more than ten million people—but in the process, reinvented himself.

John Howard Steel brings Joseph Pilates and his eponymous exercise regime to life from his unique perspective as a student, friend, and confidant. Joe’s influence profoundly changed Steel’s life; in turn, Steel was crucial for the survival of the Pilates Method and Joe’s legacy. Steel’s vivid account traces the expansion of Pilates from a small cadre of dedicated adherents, through two periods of near extinction, to the global sensation it is today. Steel describes Joseph Pilates’s years as a prisoner during World War I, Joe’s motivation to discover his system of exercises, his inspirational teaching technique, and the unique attraction of the Pilates Method. It’s quite a story.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Health, Education, Audiobook, Fitness

215 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 20, 2020

Reviews

[Johanna Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book - entertaining, interesting, and controversial. I felt that it read and flowed well.

If you read the book, The Preface should be read in its entirety. This will place context for the book.

I've seen some comments elsewhere (e.g. not on Goodreads) and I strongly feel that in reading some of these comments - the owners of the comments firstly didn't bother to read The Preface in its entirety, (I'm going to take a guess) perhaps don't understand what a preface is / it's function as it pertains to the structure of a book, etc. and are thus, then confused.

I will say that, in general, I've noticed that a number of individuals skip the preface, and then just skip around and read selected passages. If you do this, for this book - I feel you will do yourself a disservice.

I read the book in its entirety, end to end (which says something for me, because I taste books like I taste wine - if I don't like it, I put it down). I quite enjoyed it and recommend.

[Superladiva · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was more a memoir of Jonathan Steel and an historical account of how Pilates came to be than a biographical sketch of Joseph Pilates. That is not a criticism, more like an unexpected surprise.

I have been practicing Pilates for about two years and wanted to know more about its creator. When I picked up this book, I expected either a dry tome or a superlative-laden hagiography. Happily, Steel has created an engaging story that starts with his first encounter with Joe Pilates in 1963 - "an inauspicious but important beginning" - and takes you along for all the twists, turns, and almost dead ends as dedicated students try to keep Controlology alive after Joe Pilates dies in 1967.

It is a fascinating read and Steel is a good story teller. Through Steel, I feel like I have a much better sense of who Zoe and Clara Pilates were when they poured everything they had into teaching Controlology in their small NYC studio. But the biggest surprise of the book comes when Steel looks into where Controlology came from and how Joe Pilates developed it. Many of the "origin stories" still circulating today - the equipment made from prison bed springs and the like - are almost assuredly untrue. Steel makes a compelling argument from what little is known about Joseph Pilates' time prior to coming to the U.S. that Pilates wanted to start over with a clean slate. We may never know the true beginnings of the practice that is now referred to as Pilates but thanks to Steel’s book we know how modern-day Pilates came to be.

[Dawne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been a student of Pilates for over 10 years and this book provided so much inspiration to continue the journey. I appreciated the personal stories but also the perspective of John Howard Steel as the lifelong Pilates student. The legacy of Clara and Joe was beyond their time but his vision for health and wellness was truly revolutionary. I would recommend that any student of Pilates dive into this book. It articulates all the things we feel and the reasons why we keep at it. It's addictive and FUN!!

[Suzie Zubkoff · Rating 3 out of 5]

This definitely was not the best book I’ve read but it is such an interesting story. I was very intrigued by Joseph Pilates and the history behind it so I enjoyed learning more

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shout out John. 3.5 think the story got a bit repetitive at points and strayed. Most of my knowledge of pilates history was pieced together from work and conversations, this provided deeper insight. I appreciated John’s take on the evolution and accessibility to Pilates. As for Joe, he was weird and from the sound of it an acquired taste. I probably would’ve hated him lol But I love his prison workout!

[Tonya Wertman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've practiced Pilates consistently three times a week for the past two years (and on and off since 2020), so when the owner of my studio handed me a copy of Caged Lion: Joseph Pilates & His Legacy, I was eager to learn more about the origins of the method.

What I discovered is that Pilates—or "Contrology," as Joseph Pilates called it—was never intended to be just a series of exercises. It was a philosophy centered on the balanced development of body, mind, and spirit.

Author John Howard Steel offers a unique perspective. As a student, friend, and confidant of Joseph and Clara Pilates beginning in the early 1960s, Steel takes readers inside the original New York studio with warmth, humor, and remarkable detail. His stories of learning from Joe, often prompted by his mother's insistence that Pilates could cure his chronic stiff neck, are both entertaining and deeply personal.

Beyond the memoir, Caged Lion is an invaluable historical record. Steel chronicles Joseph Pilates' life, the evolution of the studio after Joe's death, the manufacturing of the original equipment, and the landmark trademark lawsuit that ensured the name "Pilates" remained available to the public. His firsthand involvement and meticulous research make this one of the most authoritative accounts of Pilates history.

Although Pilates has continued to evolve through modern research in kinesiology and biomechanics, its core principles remain unchanged. As Steel beautifully describes, it is "a system of coordinated movement, concentration, and breathing" that enhances everyday life while building strength, confidence, and joy.

Written with affection but without undue reverence, Caged Lion is an engaging, insightful read that I would highly recommend to any Pilates instructor, practitioner, or anyone curious about the remarkable legacy of Joseph Pilates.

Quotes from the book I love:

“We were motivated. We felt it might work. It was exciting at the beginning, like a love affair. And perhaps as mindless.”

“The world would be a healthier, happier place. I made many exercises like movements in sex. It tricks the body into moving naturally and fluidly, and it strengthens the right muscles, so it improves their sex life.” 

"You think you are addicted to an activity, but in fact you are addicted to the chemical byproduct of that activity. You become your own drug dealer."

[Molly Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who’s taught and taken many Pilates classes, I really enjoyed this book. I wish that there was more information about Joe Pilates’s earlier life and how Contrology and the equipment was created. I suppose a major point of the book was that we won’t know the answers to these because Joe didn’t want us to. Either way, a great read for anyone that enjoys Pilates.

[Erika Jaillet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a very interesting read about the origins of Pilates and its creator. John Steel was the perfect person to write it and is an excellent storyteller. I believe everyone who teaches Pilates should read this book, as there seems to be an apparent division between the main two Pilates styles, with many people losing sight of what truly matters and the meaning behind their claims.

[Chris Gilbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

New interview answer to how would your co-workers describe you: "Caged Lion"

[Zoe Brezner · Rating 4 out of 5]

not necessarily the biography of Joseph Pilates or how the exercise/method came to be, but rather the progression of Pilates historically. Still super interesting, Joe… maybe a sort of weird dude but who am I to judge.

Last chapter was my fav, mind body connection always wins

[Jen Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must-read if you work in the Pilates community. Do you know why there are so many pelvic floor exercises? How would Joe feel about the broad spectrum of "pilates" that has arisen over the years? This book will tell you.

[db67671321 · Rating 3 out of 5]

an interesting source to read for understanding the history of Contrology and today's Pilates exercises. Too much imagination in Chapter 7, 8, and 9. Not a big fan of the author whose tone is somewhat arrogant.
My biggest takeaways from this book: there is no single set of Pilates exercises. Getting to know the sets on our own is as important as knowing how the muscles work in our body.

[Alex Moore · Rating 1 out of 5]

Seems like an Autobiography of bitterness in a fantasy world

When I first saw this book advertised, it looked great and something different that wasn't out there. I thought it might give some real background to Pilates, and in particular how Joseph Pilates created his system. There was barely any of this.

More so it was like an autobiography of the reader. Theres more about his life of studying law and not liking his wife at the time, his journey of doing the classes and how he became friends with Joseph Pilates, and also how he was with him in his dying days. All well and good, but who really cares?

As the book develops it feels like the author becomes more and more bitter about anything that may go against this Pilates figure. The author makes some strange claims, about other exercise routines, such as aerobics classes "stiffening ligaments and tendons"... aren't tendons meant to be stiff? Then other claims about aerobics eventually ruining your backs and knees... no research provided to back this up at all.

Then the bitterness against other people, romana, Sean Gallagher.. I'm not really sure why, something about them trying to steal the Pilates name. He may have a point, but who wants to read a bitter book.

But the main point, it all seems a bit of a fantasy world. He claims that millions and millions of people are doing Joe's method... but are they really? Or are people just doing an exercise class named after his surname, based on what the author says then the majority of pilates classes are a world away from what we see today.

The imaginary conversation with Joseph Pilates at the end has to be the most strangest part of any book I've ever read.

Could have been much better, but this should make what people realise is, whatever Joseph Pilates did has long gone.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't written a review in a looooong time! But for this one, I just had to.
I was super excited to read this book, to learn more about Joseph Pilates and his work. But I felt that I didn't really get a sense of Pilates history and his work at all.
I guess the author was just being honest drawing from his own experience, but he didn't portray Joseph is a very appealing light. As a new Pilates instructor, I wanted to learn more to have a sense of pride about this amazing system Joseph created. But we don't even find out how Joseph created his Contrology method.
I guess I should have read the back with more detail.
Because this book is really about what happened after Joseph died and who carried on the Pilates Method. The author doesn't really portray Romana Kryzanowska in a very good light, or some of the other main instructors, like Ron Fletcher. And then others, like Kathy Grant, Lolita San Miguel, and Mary Bowen we learn nothing about.
I am a newbie in this industry but I felt like there was a slight agenda to this book. Especially about the entire court case over the trademark use.
So after I read the last chapter, I felt the book was a let down. The back of the book states: "the surprising story of Pilates and the man and the method". I felt with that statement the book didn't live up to this claim. I was hoping to learn more about Joseph's history, and more about the earlier years of him teaching his method. And I was hoping to learn more about all the 1st generation teachers, not just a couple.
I give the book 3 stars because it was entertaining and in the end I couldn't put it down until I reached the end.

[Stephanie Beeson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been practicing pilates for 42 years and teaching it for over 20. I started to teach two years before the landmark decision was made and have experienced first hand the explosion in the popularity of Pilates. I’ve loved hearing John’s first hand account of what happened during that time. For those of us who make our living based on the teachings of JP, knowing the facts of how we have all come to benefit from the efforts of those who came before us is important. There are still many out there making false claims and generating division within our industry. We should all be eternally grateful for the efforts of John Steel and, the others,who managed to keep the flame of Pilates burning. JP is still a man of mystery and we may never know how the man came up with Contrology but does it really matter? The method works. People love it.

[Linda Rosenfeld Magid · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is Mr. Steel’s first and probably only book. I appreciate that he researched as much of Joseph Pilates’s life only to find very little. He also didn’t get much information from Pilates when they spent time together as, according to Mr. Steel, Pilates refused to talk about his past. Understanding all of that, I’m left a bit frustrated that Mr. Steel didn’t attempt to ask Clara Pilates any questions after Joe’s death nor did he interview anyone in the book about what they knew about the man. Much of the book is his own thoughts repeated, which is understandable since the answer to “Who Is Joe Pilates?” is extremely thin. If you are looking for that answer, you won’t find it here. Unfortunately, Mr. Steel makes it clear you won’t find it anywhere else.

[Gina Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Absolutely Delightful.

I laughed loudly more than once, gasped a few times thinking, "no, he didn't say that" and texted two teacher/friends (and found) the identity of the body/student in the courthouse. An excellent read and rounding out of a story that rings very clear about the work, the man and principals involved in creating an industry that I love being a part of.

Thanks for telling the story, John 👌🏽

Gina Jackson
Pilates4fitness

[Mary · Rating 1 out of 5]

Trying to figure out why this book got such amazing reviews. Terrible writing, terrible editing, repetitive, boring narration. Sorry, but I couldn't finish it.

[Susan · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was not well rewritten and not based on facts. Wish would be fine if it was fiction.

[Neil Koffler · Rating 3 out of 5]

[Listened to the audiobook, read by the author, as the print edition was not at my library.]

Wanting to know more about Joseph Pilates and the development of the exercise methodology named after him, I picked up this book.

Joseph Pilates (1883-1967) seems like a fictional character. He was born in Germany, was a boxer, a circus performer, a WWI detainee in England, a student of human physiology, and a thrice married man who lost touch with his children and step-children when he emigrated to NYC in the 1920s. He developed his eponymous method of exercise (he called it body contrology) and designed the various machines and devices involved. He helped dancers and ordinary people through his small gym in mid-town. When he died in 1967, he had around 50 regular clients. He had never filed a tax return, had not married his third wife, had no bank account, and had no estate to speak of and very little of his biography was confirmable by historical records.

New York born, Ivy-educated lawyer, John Howard Steel (b. 1935) was a Pilates client, as were his parents, for the last five years of Joseph's life and became close with Joe and Clara (he third 'wife'). When this book was published in 2020, Steel was, effectively, the only person still alive who knew Joe and Clara beyond the level of mere acquaintance. The response to his various addresses at Pilates conventions spurred him to write this novel.

Steel does an admirable job of recounting his history of Pilates from his 1963 first session to his relationship with Joe and Clara to his involvement in the preservation of the studio (with Romana Kryzanowska as the principal instructor) and continuing support for Clara until her 1977 death to the sale of the studio and the ultimate trademark lawsuit that made Pilates a generic description of an exercise system (rather than an asset to be licensed). Steel writes and sounds like who he is, a NY lawyer born in the mid-1930s. He attempts to be a rational conveyer of verifiable facts and his personal experiences. A younger author might have softened some descriptions or euphemised some of Joe's comments about contrology and sex but then we would have been deprived of some of the more amusing anecdotes.

Steel's history of Pilates firmly skews towards one of the sides in the aforementioned lawsuit and those on the opposing side (especially Ramona) get characterized in possibly objectionable ways. She died in 2013. His recounting of Joe's past does more to call into question essentially everything prior to his arrival and concludes that the truth is mostly unknowable.

Caged Lion came out after a 2017 Pilates biography (Point & Romero) and around the time of a biography of Ramona (Strack & Craig). I have not read either but I'm left with the impression that a comprehensive history of Pilates (the man and the modality) could have be thoroughly and entertainingly (characters abound) told from the hand of a investigative non-fiction writer like David Halberstam or Michael Lewis. Unfortunately, like Halberstam, the direct sources of this history are not longer with us and the stories remain at the 'passed along' level.

[Betule Sairafi]

41% done, and I can not believe there's almost 6 hours left on this.

I'd like to preface this by apologizing to anyone who finds themself getting up there in years: this is not the most pleasant listen. JHS is an old man and talks like it. I sense that the feminism parts were added in by sensitivity readers or something. The slowness can be completely mitigated by the narration speed options we have now, but the focus on boring unnecessary details can not. He reminds me of my grandfather reminiscing about old family trips: "... and then we would go down to the restaurant at blabla pm. And we would order this and that. And they had white napkins. And..." And why does he sound like that? He needs some creatine. Some pilates of the mind. Maybe some ADHD would do him good if you can figure out how to give that to someone.

That being said, I have learned some hilarious things about Joe Pilates and am almost convinced that he's some kind of alien or time traveller sent to bring Contrology to the world. I started this book because I came across a studio offering pilates instructor training at just the exact right time for me to go for it although I'm not exactly super into pilates, and Joe's fanaticism has me SOLD.

Apparently pilates was his ONE worldly interest, after/along with sex. I was not wondering if there were any sexual misconduct allegations against him, but after the sheer number of times that JHS found it necessary to repeat that no woman was ever uncomfortable in Joe Pilates' presence, I promise, trust me, I have never seen any spark of unprofessionalism in his gym, he was always a breath of fresh air to ME... well, now I have my doubts, sir. LOL.

Anyway, I am totally on board with what others may call extreme pretentiousness! He was fucking RIGHT about the needs of the body in modern civilization! Totally humiliating for him to have fucking DIED from lung disease after claiming that contrology solves all ailments and illnesses, but sure yeah I'll believe that if everyone did contrology/pilates there would be no disease or war. It would be utopia. I would like to add that if everyone also did keto and intermittent fasting we'd all be even more better off. Why didn't you talk about that, Joe? I'm sure you knew about it. Since you're an expert on the human body and all.

Why you should read this one: to wonder what was up with JP. Was being a physical therapist enough to come up with this practice? Probably, yes. So it's conceivable that he isn't a prophet sent to level humanity up. Apparently, he wanted to make exercise as fun as sex so that people would want to spend time doing it, and he designed it to improve, among everything else, peoples' abilities to perform certain sexual moves (thrusting, squeezing). But there was no mention of the routine being different for men and women...

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting memoir-biography-nonfiction history-court case drama hybrid. I’ll usually take time to read a book written by an octogenarian (or older) as a rule and I thought Mr Steel did a great job of storytelling. He certainly lived in interesting times in US history, and in the most bustling and fascinating city, NYC, where he met Joseph Pilates and worked out at his gym, when Joe Pilates was in his 70s/80s and Mr Steel was in his thirties. For reasons unknown even to Steel, Joe and Clara Pilates let him into their lives in a more personal way and he even talked to Joe on his deathbed years later, and later worked on keeping Pilates methods alive through legal and business matters. The book follows this on through the 70s, 80s, 90s and into the 2001 trademark court case. He also dives deep into the secrets from WWI, Germany, the UK, and his immigration to the U.S. that Joe Pilates tried to keep a secret his whole life.
I do love a good story of a complicated character from history that was possibly a grifter, definitely living outside the law and tax structures, and had charisma and a cult-like following. But I didn’t expect Joe Pilates to be so much more. Despite no education, distrust of doctors, medicine, the government, and most people, he was very self-educated on kinesiology and anatomy and intuitive about the human body and how certain exercise movements can resolve injuries and support mind-body-spirit wellness.
I’ve always been interested in Pilates’ origins, as it has always had a strong connection to us ballerinas and hypermobile people and rehabbing our many dance injuries - I enjoyed reading about the connection to NYC ballet in the 1920s-1960s and how interconnected it truly was. This book was a fun nonfiction ride, filled with colorful people like diva prima ballerinas, opera singers, gay ice capade choreographers, Hollywood celebrity clients and more. The Pilates method could have easily slipped into lost obscurity, relegated to a few dance studios or physical therapist offices - but instead it’s now a worldwide sensation. And that’s honestly due to just what most people say about it - it works. It gets people into a flow state, out of their head, into their bodies, and it does help with many musculoskeletal ailments.
This book could also be filed under interesting US immigrant biographies- where people erase their past, come to America, and self reinvent in interesting ways.

[Lydia Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this memoir, a lot more than I initially expected to. I went into reading this book as preparation for my imminent life shift to pursue my dream of becoming a practitioner in mindful movement, as a Pilates instructor. The practice of Pilates has brought so much peace and clarity to my life, and has helped me on my personal healing journey immensely. Although I wasn’t so interested by the intricacies of the courtroom situation and general legalities of the fitness industry (note that I’m also uncertain of the degree of validity backing up some of Steel’s claims and anecdotes), I found the author’s unique insight into the elusive ‘man behind the method’ of Contrology. Moreover, descriptions of the core principles of Pilates were not only enlightening, but invigorating, and wholly inspiring. This book reminded me that there is so much joy to be found in movement that nourishes the mind, body, and soul, as opposed to depleting them. It is a privilege to wake up in a healthy body every day, and to take pleasure in looking after it: ‘Caged Lion’ reframes exercise—Pilates in particular—as a practice beyond the physical; a means of accessing a plane of existence in which somatic and spiritual fulfilment can be reconciled through a combination of strength, control, breath work, and utter embodiment. Exercise ceases to be merely bodily movement, but becomes an exercise in harmony of the entire being.

[Lauren Chapelhow · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for any fitness enthusiast or even professional. No, Caged Lion won’t teach you the big secret to getting fitter or better, but is an example of the role of patience and persistence in anything.
Pilates is a word that you can say in almost any country in the world and people will most likely conjure some kind of image related to exercise. The route to the spread of Pilates was one that required a lot of people and change. Told by John Steele, one of Joseph Pilates remaining living students takes you through the journey of Pilates, how the influence of different people and also time has made Pilates what it is today and allowing you to develop your own answer to the question ‘what is Pilates?’

[Lorry · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

This is not a biography. It is a book about a man who knew J. Pilates and his relationship with him. I enjoy taking Pilates classes and wanted to know more about the creator and history of this practice. However, if there is any truth to this description of Mr. Pilates then he's hardly a notable nor inspirational figure. The author was clearly enamored with him but his description created, for me, a portrait of a very strange and creepy man with strange and creepy (potentially harassing and inappropriate) relationships with others.

Disclaimer, I did not finish reading this book as it was not insightful nor inspiration for me and I wasn't enjoying it. Perhaps all that changed after the first quarter of the book but I shall never know.

[Jeanique · Rating 5 out of 5]

As must read if you're a Pilates practitioner

I have always wanted to understand Joseph Pilates. The man behind the work that makes me wake up every day with poise and pleasure to earn my living. So that I can say thank you! So thank you, Joe. But also, thank you, John Howard Steel, for putting this book out into the world, it means a lot to me, and I am sure for other people too, to put the story straight for other generations to come. It's important to know what it took for Pilates to survive today. I am optimistic that we can all continue to work together to move Pilates forward.

[Tim OBrien · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am not sure anyone not interested in Pilates would find this book interesting. But I have been doing Pilates for about nine years and often wondered where this exercise regime came from. And this book tells that story. The author learned Pilates from Joe Pilates himself, and he was instrumental in keeping the Pilates system from dying with its eponymous creator. But I have to admit that I skimmed a lot of the book because I was particularly interested in who start the first Pilates studio in California, or many of the other details of how Pilates, the system, evolved and managed to survive after Joe Pilates death.

[Micaela Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted a lot more information on how contrology was created, but it’s not the author’s fault that that information apparently doesn’t exist and died along with Joe Pilates. The author did a good job trying his best to tell this story, but mostly just winds up saying that everything we’ve heard is probably fabricated and no one knows the truth. This book is a lot more about how Pilates became such a phenomenon including the business and legal struggles. I wasn’t really that interested in the topic, but I think it is well written. I wish it had been a little more clear in the description.

[Amy Supernaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to it on audible. The author is the narrator and he reads very slowly. But he is the first person witness to this story which adds to the fun of the book. You need to bump it up to 1.5x and it’s perfect.

I’ve read other books by/about Joseph Pilates and this had a lot of new and very interesting information about his life in New York and beyond, some of his “rules” and processes at the gym (very interesting! Ha!) and new information I didn’t know about his Contrology routine.

I loved it but I’m kind of a Pilates nerd!

[Shawna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been a student of Pilates for over 15 years and it's something that never gets easy. There are always ways to tweak the exercises to make them more difficult. Reading this book, I fell in love with Pilates all over again. I loved reading about Joe and how his teachings are still being practiced. Pilates is my "therapy" and I get downright crabby when I don't do it. Any student or instructor should pick this book up and be prepared to have a new appreciation for the work Joe Pilates did.