Pilates for LBM?

readanddance
readanddance Posts: 311 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello!

I've been incorporating walking into my daily routine for the cardio benefits. However, I'd like to start with some type of exercise that would provide an incorporation of stretching while maintaining/increasing my LBM. Is pilates an option (as opposed to lifting)?

I'd love your honest thoughts about benefits/drawbacks of pilates.

Thanks!

Replies

  • readanddance
    readanddance Posts: 311 Member
    Anyone? :)
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
    I don't know the science enough to know if it will preserve LBM on its own. If cardio won't, Pilates might not either. OTOH, I've heard Yoga is enough, so maybe Pilates is enough, too?

    But I know that it causes some muscle changes (tighter feeling muscles) and does build things like ab endurance. I'd feel very comfortable telling folks it will fix up flabby, underused muscles and do a great job at that. And it builds great endurance in the moves it uses.

    But I don't know what sports scientists call what that is :) Just endurance, maybe? Apparently not 'toning', lol! It does not do as much for the muscles as lifting, I can say from personal experience.

    It's great, though. I do strength stuff like Pilates, strength yoga and unweighted ballet moves on strength days where I'm not up to lifting that day.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,030 Member
    Weight loss will affect lean body mass loss even if one is lifting weights. While pilates can be great for the conditioning of the muscle, you'd be hard pressed to see and lean muscle gain (especially in calorie deficit) because pilates doesn't rely on progressive overload.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • rella_1003
    rella_1003 Posts: 70 Member
    I've recently incorporated pilates into my exercise regime as my strength training because I hate lifting weights. A couple of MFP users have told me its effective so I'm hoping for the best. What pilates exercises do you do? I follow the "Denise Austin's Pilates Total Body Workout" it's free on YouTube :wink:

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