No, you’re not too manly for pilates
I'm a man who's dedicated to staying in shape. I regularly lift weights, run, and whenever possible, I hit the waves for some surfing on the weekends. Over the years, I've experimented with various training approaches, whether it's functional training, triathlon preparation, or simply bulking up through lifting.
My wife, on the other hand, has been committed to Pilates for years and is currently a PPF instructor and manager at our Milton studio. I've seen firsthand the remarkable transformation in her fitness as she consistently maintains her Pilates regimen. Despite witnessing the benefits of Pilates myself, I've struggled to establish a consistent practice.
I think my subconscious perception has associated Pilates as primarily for women—a space for them to tone and tighten for their Instagram photo shoots.
The good news, ladies, is that I'm starting to see the light. I've come to realise that Pilates isn't just about toning and tightening for Instagram; it's a comprehensive fitness system that prioritises core strength, flexibility, and overall body awareness and control. Many athletes, including professional football players, basketball players, and even martial artists, incorporate Pilates into their training routines to boost performance, prevent injuries, and expedite recovery.
In other words and now I'm speaking to the men out there who've shared my perception, you're not too manly for Pilates.
So let’s move beyond gender stereotyping for a second and talk about some of the benefits that us men might be missing out on.
Although the benefits are mutually accessible across genders, there are some benefits that might uniquely benefit the male race. Our tendency, especially within gym culture: excuse the stereotype again, is to focus on repetitive workouts that can lead to overtraining of certain muscle groups.
How pilates can help you mix it up and get more benefits
Consistent Pilates training can actually work to bring a more harmonious development to your overall training routine. According to Pilates educator and co-founder of Kinected and the Functional Anatomy for Movement and Injuries, Matt McCollugh, “Pilates, as a system, remedies faulty patterns by balancing the body’s strength and flexibility and optimising its efficiency,” he continues. “When the body is symmetrically aligned and muscles function efficiently, injuries tend to occur less frequently.”
He also explains how different Pilates exercises work more efficiently than other, more familiar exercises. For example, the hundred is a classic Pilates exercise that can replace the typical crunch which causes 'increased neck tightness and overtraining of the six-pack muscle.' The Shoulder bridge “strengthens your glutes and core to bring them into balance with your quads and hip flexors, which tend to be tight in men.” This helps to balance out the overtraining of your quads, increases core strength, and loosens hip flexors.
These couple of examples are only scratching the surface of how incorporating Pilates into your training routine can work to balance out your development whilst ultimately improving your gains, which, let’s face it, is the main reason we are spending hours in the gym. So why not push through your gender bias and give Pilates a go? I did it recently, after not having done it in ages and almost fell on my ass off the reformer. Despite this, I know it is contributing to my overall fitness goals, so I am staying with it.
You're not too manly for pilates, so why not give it a go at one of our pilates studios in Brisbane, or check us out online!
For more information on pilates, check out these blogs How Pilates Can Assist Injury Rehabilitation, and Can You Do Pilates Without Equipment?
