01 Sep YEAH THE BOYS: It’s time to show us the guns
Men of the world, this one’s for you…
“PILATES IS EASY”. THINK AGAIN!
In this age of go-getters and adventure seekers, it is strange that so many are conforming to preconceived ideas formed through word of mouth. Despite the growing interest in the phenomenon amongst the general public, many remain fearful of the world of curtsy lunges and single-leg extensions, otherwise known as Pilates.
During my years as a Pilates and fitness instructor, I have been fortunate enough to teach in large group settings to a diverse range of men and women of all ages and abilities all around the world.
It is always intriguing to witness the energies and responses to the movement at the end of each class, as well as the locker room chat.
“Ahh, that was really good.” “Ahh, that was too much yoga for me.”
And, no joke, a 70-year-old man uncovering the benefits of a 30-minute feel-good flow claimed, “That’s just changed my life.”
Most of the time, they were seeking something ‘easy’ to counterbalance their big day at the office or back at home. However, it is not until the ego is pushed aside and walls are let down that people begin to notice.
Notice how it feels, notice how it challenges, and notice how it changes. And at the end of it all, people want more.
Here are the top 4 biggest misconceptions from men and women around the world, debunked after trying their first Pilates class.
Pilates is for women
First things first. It is literally named after the man himself, Joseph Pilates. A man.
That should really be all there is to say on that matter, but I’ll elaborate.
I get it. I see the image of it. Young mums and their girl gang bouncing off to the studio in the newest activewear, chit-chatting on the mat before debriefing over brunch.
But men of the world, take it from my fit 21-year-old brother who, prior to his 45-minute killer class and quivering legs, thought that Pilates was far too feminine and nowhere near hard enough to keep up with gains.
Online studio Pilates Anytime confirms my frustrations by reiterating that “Pilates was created by a man, Joseph Pilates, predominantly for men. The benefits of Pilates for men are gaining momentum as elite athletes use the exercises to fine-tune their performance and prevent injury.”
Pilates was designed to help improve posture, balance, and strength, and much like the rest of the world, Pilates does not discriminate.
If you have a body, you can do Pilates.
Pilates is a ‘stretch’
Yoga, Pilates, Stretching – all the same thing, right?
Wrong.
I’m not quite sure how loading your abdominals with 50 to 100 reps of pulses, squatting against the resistance of a 20kg spring (on one leg), or balancing your body weight between your forearms, hips, and toes can be considered a stretch?
The only form of ‘stretch’ comes from lengthening and elongating your limbs against the resistance of the springs and stretching your mind to believe you are stronger than you think. And, of course, in the beautiful form of legs in straps at the end of class.
You have to be flexible
The great thing about Pilates is its adaptability. It’s accessible for all abilities, ages, and body types. We are not all made the same way. What the person next to you can achieve may not be anatomically possible for your bone structure—and that’s okay. You can modify or customise the movements to suit your needs and find your own range.
We are not born instantly able to make a slam dunk, execute a backflip into a pool, or run a marathon. Like literally anything else, practice makes perfect. The more you do something, the easier it becomes.
The reality is that as long as you are actively engaging the right muscles in a safe and controlled manner, you are achieving the same as the person touching their knee to their nose with every mountain climber.
Over time, you will improve your flexibility.
Pilates is easy
This one is my favourite…
As an instructor, it’s always intriguing to see the clientele that looks at the gym schedule and chooses to attend a specific class at a specific time.
HIIT and Circuit training = Middle-aged men and some ladies.
Pilates = Mums, daughters, and girl gangs.
Yoga/Stretching = Men and women of all ages and abilities (however, mostly dragged along by their other half as they know they ‘need to stretch more’).
The occasional men who are dragged along by their partners to a Pilates class, even the ones who ‘gym’ regularly, quiver and shake less than 30 seconds into the first series of core exercises, with their eyes darting around the room wondering how on earth she is doing that. Don’t even get me started on the grunts…
We might not be jumping up and down and lifting excessively heavy weights, but gradually, your heart rate will increase, and you will start to fatigue. You will feel the burn. It’s about finding the balance of pace and pressure for each person.
To be honest, Pilates is the foundation for most other forms of strength training that you do in a PT or gym session. I’m just not sure where the concept of Pilates has been lost in translation to mean easy.
Pilates is strong!
Come on dude you can run faster than that. Seriously mate, lift your game.
But have you ever held a lunge for so long that your legs start to wobble in the most uncomfortable fashion and your heart feels like it’s going to pop out of your throat.
Well my friends, that is this beautiful little thing called Pilates.
Take it from my 20 year old brother who thought that (like a lot of others), Pilates is far too feminine and nowhere near hard enough in order to keep up the gains.
Oh how I relished the opportunity to prove him wrong. 45 minutes on that death bed of a Reformer machine and he was converted.
I’m not going to bore you with the scientific details of how insanely good Pilates is in promoting strength and mobility – I would rather you see for yourself.
I could almost guarantee that you know someone within your close circle that has dabbled in the growing industry that is uncontrollable leg shakes and plank holding (i.e. Pilates).
I call on all my ladies and the special men in their lives to convert the unconverted.
Find your nearest Pilates class – from anywhere in the world and take the challenge to see who can hold the plank the longest.
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