Pilates Corps Blog

I think to myself, “I’m an athlete for crying out loud. What on earth could Pilates offer a former football player? Is it like aerobics? Is it just for women?” Admittedly, these are the thoughts running through my head prior to my first professional session with Katie at Pilates Corps. Katie is my wife and has challenged me to a training session.

I consider myself someone who can handle any level of activity. I have trained in the past for endurance, speed and flexibility, utilizing the most common methods of running, free weights and strength training and living by the macho mantra of “no pain, no gain.” While participating in sports, I’ve done wind sprints, run bleachers, and had intense body building sessions. More recently, I’ve trained to keep in shape and stave off the effects of the 30-something metabolism dive. Being fit and strong for any activity has been a priority of my routine. My mindset has been that in order to get fit and stay there you must follow all the traditional cardio/weight routines. Never before had I been introduced to the challenge of core training. Katie explained that Pilates is so much more than just an ab workout. And I was just about to find out!

This is the chronicle of my first experience with the true authentic method.

Upon entering the studio, I see three other people working their way through a Tower Class. I am very happy to see that one of the participants is male. In some way, this makes me feel more comfortable. So I pop my shoes off and look around. No weight stacks or something for me to bench press. Hmmm, I’m wondering exactly what is going to give me enough resistance to create results. It’s here that I am coached to sit on the reformer. I proceed to go through several positions, and Katie, just by viewing my attempts, is diagnosing the imbalances present in my core–abs, hips, and even pelvis. As I continue to work through the positions, my glutes and hamstrings actually begin to burn a bit. As I adjust to proper form, I’m surprised at the amount of focus required to control the movements. Breathing becomes measured. I’m focused on my rib cage, spine, lower abdominals, obliques and glutes. I’m sure if someone were looking through the large glass windows of the studio it would appear like a most simple exercise. In truth, the beads of sweat are beginning to form in the first few minutes. I am surprised that controlling my own body actually creates the resistance I am used to in weight training, simply by engaging the core and releasing certain muscles within a specific posture.

Expertly, Katie develops a routine that addresses my muscle imbalances. I learn that my dominant side actually creates weakness in areas that need to be adjusted to protect my back and increase range of motion with flexibility.

After 55 minutes, it is clear that this is one of the most challenging workouts I’ve ever experienced. Yet, rather than hitting a wall or experiencing the lactic burn, I feel energetic. My head is clear. Upon waking the next day, rather than feeling muscle aches or pulls, I’m more aware of my core and the complex series of muscles that will allow me to achieve and maintain my goals of fitness, strength, and energy. No longer a skeptic, I believe in Pilates.

When I look at my client list, one thing that strikes me is how the majority are women. Yet Joseph Pilates, who developed each and every exercise, was a man. His physique was strong, healthy and limber well into his 80s. Somewhere along the way, Pilates was marketed more towards women. This is probably because the dance world, with leaders such as George Balanchine and Martha Graham, was the first group to really embrace the method of Pilates (called “Contrology” in the beginning.) They would send their dancers over to Pilates’ studio for rehabilitation and strengthening. One of his favorite clients was Romana Kryzanowska, a ballet dancer who eventually became his world renowned protege. She went on to found the best certification program in the world, under which I trained.

Most men don’t think about Pilates as a good workout. If they think they need Pilates at all, it is only to build their core or gain more flexibility. They are not looking for Pilates to build muscles in their arms or legs. This is a false assumption, of course. Pilates is a total body workout. Each exercise does originate from your core, however, once you have that strengthened, you move on to the extremities. You then begin to strengthen your arms and legs in conjunction with holding onto the abdominal muscles. Of course, the flexibility is integrated right away. Unlike most workouts though, you are not taking 10 minutes to stretch before and 10 minutes to stretch after. In Pilates, the stretch is incorporated into the routine. Many exercises have you strengthening one part of your body and stretching another at the same time. This isn’t your mother’s aerobics class…

I used to teach a number of professional athletes. One time a baseball player came in and said, “Today I would like to work on my legs.” Clearly, I thought, he has no clue about Pilates! But because a “Pilates Instructor” in his past had responded positively to those statements, he didn’t know the true purpose behind this method. He didn’t realize that every Pilates lesson is actually a total body workout. You do not focus more on one part than another, everything works together.

Recently, an instructor I know applauded a new client for enjoying and appreciating Pilates, simply because he is a man used to hard workouts in a gym. I thought, of course he likes this method! This is the one workout that leaves you focused, challenged and energized! The exercise where you will work your entire body; stretching, strengthening and gaining control of your movements! The movements that employ your mind and body! So, yes, I suppose you could give him a pat on the back for realizing it…but I think rather that he’d be a fool to NOT realize it.