Pilates - benefits outside of doing Pilates workout

TiisTitanium

I have recently trialled reformer Pilates as I possible addition to my existing fitness regime. The first couple of workout I have found really tough even with a good pre-existing fitness level.

The studio hype is that it will transform my core strength and “tone” and lengthen my muscles. The last one is clearly lies so I am wondering if Pilates will actually deliver any benefits except being good at Pilates workouts.

Has anyone had experience with Pilates delivering tangible fitness befits?

cupcakesandproteinshakes

TiisTitanium wrote: »

I have recently trialled reformer Pilates as I possible addition to my existing fitness regime. The first couple of workout I have found really tough even with a good pre-existing fitness level.

The studio hype is that it will transform my core strength and “tone” and lengthen my muscles. The last one is clearly lies so I am wondering if Pilates will actually deliver any benefits except being good at Pilates workouts.

Has anyone had experience with Pilates delivering tangible fitness befits?

I find it enjoyable and quite challenging but the rhetoric around lengthening muscles etc is bs. I feel like my stomach muscles work hard on the reformer but not sure that is a ‘tangible fitness benefit’
Most of my muscle gainzzz have come from resistance training with barbells.

TiisTitanium

cupcakesandproteinshakes wrote: »

I find it enjoyable and quite challenging but the rhetoric around lengthening muscles etc is bs. I feel like my stomach muscles work hard on the reformer but not sure that is a ‘tangible fitness benefit’
Most of my muscle gainzzz have come from resistance training with barbells.

It has certainly got me thinking as I am not convinced that is going to do much for me in terms of transferable benefits but I will keep an open mind and give it a try for 6 weeks and see if there is an impact or improvement on other things that I do like ballets and gymnastics.

GummiMundi

I've been doing it for several years now. I know nothing about muscle lengthening, but for me Pilates has improved my posture, flexibility, balance, and range of movements. YMMV, of course.

SomeMFPuser

I did pilates reformer and mat for a while. For me, I got the most out of mat. Also, I found the one-on-one training with a private 'certified' instructor to be the only way (for me) that things were done correctly. However, it was cost prohibitive to keep it up.

Your experience may be different.

springlering62

I do hot mat Pilates several times a week at my local yoga studio, where I also do vinyasa yoga daily.

Mat Pilates has definitely had an effect on my core and strength.

The main problem with it here is instructors are hard to find, and so classes seem to tend towards same sequence. Doesn’t bother me with yoga but with Pilates I find it a bit boring.

I must be getting strong because I do it now with my eyes closed, almost like a meditation. One instructor recently said you should be able to do any Pilates movement without tensing or feeling any part of the body working harder than another, so I’m focusing on relaxing muscles. Sounds counterintuitive, but it does make it more difficult and I like challenge.

I wish they’d bring back equipment that was axed due to COVID, like Magic Circles, slide towels, balls. No one else brings theirs and I get a lot of side eye for using mine, but I’m there to work on strength, not to make others feel unintimidated.

Jeez, it’s hard to believe I was an obese level rolypoly in my first class. I looooooove being able to move my body now. That’s the absolute best thing about weight loss. Just the sheer joy of moving.

natasor1

The Pilates exercise are invented by handicapped Pilates to help him and other unfortunate people like himself to get out of bed and prepare the bed ridden persons to start walking independently. If you think that you near this conditions you will consider to start doing them. Also, Pilates complexes are very popular among ballet dancers. They spend 8-10 hrs at ballet studios doing very challenging dancing, so Pilates helps them to relax and make overworked muscles adjusted back to normal after not very natural posture in ballet art.

My personal experience with Pilates: its OK for sometime, not very often. It promotes back problems bc of its uncomfortable position of legs above the floor hanging stretched multiple times of session. Ask any professional PT that position console above the floor will gives you back injury, especially if core is not really strong.
I have very strong core, but even so I had back pain after Pilates doing once a week. When I quieted, all back pain is gone. Note, I never had back pain before Pilates, and it stopped as soon as I quite it. Since that time I had no back pain whatsoever. Better to lift weights. What I can say. its OK, but be careful. Try not to hold your legs long time near the floor, even if instructor tells you that.

Sportertje354

I like some Pilates excercises for targeting some areas, to loosen up stiff areas for example

It helps me with that a bit maybe, but I don't do regular Pilates workouts, so can't tell you about overall fitness benefits. I tend not to be a fan of too many floor excercises, prefer more movement like dance or kickboxing

Blogilates has some workouts I like:

https://youtube.com/user/blogilates

TiisTitanium

Progress report. I figured I would try six weeks of reformer Pilates as it couldn’t hurt even if I was sceptical about the crossover benefits to my other interests.

So I was working on my hanging leg raise in gymnastics class and my leg lifting ability has gone from parallel to almost toes to bar and in my handstand practice I have jumped from 20sec freestanding hold to 40 seconds. Not sure if this is a result of years of consistent training finally delivering or if Pilates being the secret sauce that pushed me past plateau city.

springlering62

TiisTitanium wrote: »

Progress report. I figured I would try six weeks of reformer Pilates as it couldn’t hurt even if I was sceptical about the crossover benefits to my other interests.

So I was working on my hanging leg raise in gymnastics class and my leg lifting ability has gone from parallel to almost toes to bar and in my handstand practice I have jumped from 20sec freestanding hold to 40 seconds. Not sure if this is a result of years of consistent training finally delivering or if Pilates being the secret sauce that pushed me past plateau city.

Handstand. Goalz. *sigh*

Good job!

I found that weight training really amped up my yoga and Pilates. I’m able to get arm balances easily now with the upper body strength I’ve developed.

But handstands. Goalz……. Some things do not come easily and I worry if I get overzealous trying and break something at this age, it’ll take forever to heal.

ninerbuff

If you're consistent with any exercise program, it SHOULD improve you overall. But depending on application of muscle, you should be doing exercises that directly affect what you're trying to achieve. For instance, you DO need core training for gymnastics, but all the core training in the world won't improve your handstand unless you actually practice handstands. Same for just about anything else. I could do all the pulldowns and L holds I want to improve my rock climbing ability, but I'd only get better at rock climbing by actually doing it.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

TiisTitanium

Thanks for the comments

On the handstand thing. I have been training these for a while though this year I cut back to just doing a daily 5 minutes practice with the occasional longer training session. The sudden jump in hold time is probably just a happy coincidence

@springlering62 - I am 49 so not exactly in the first flush of youth. My progress has been slower than my training buddies because I am risk averse but slow and steady has delivered results

Coincidental gains aside, I have noticed Pilates is very good at targeting my hamstring muscles which I know I tend to not use as well as I should during exercise as my quads and glutes are very strong. If this is the only thing that improves I will take it. I am interested to see where I will be in 6 weeks.