pilates

[talithakoum]

anyone familiar with pilates and whether or not it increases strength???

 

[Marat]

One will most readily increase strength through [relatively] heavy resistance training. Although pilates can effectively be implemented into a training regimen --- perhaps for stretching, relaxation, or entertainment purposes --- one would most likely be best served to prioritize pilates 'lower' than resistance training if the primary goal is to improve physique.

 

[talithakoum]

thx m11!

 

[Muscle_Girl]

I haven't done Pilates, but I think for the most part, its good for shaping muscles. I have been doing yoga myself, and I have found that it fills the gap between my weaknesses and my strengths, maybe it would be more suited for you if you are interested in that.

 

[gtbmed]

I would really like to try yoga.

 

[Marat]

think for the most part, its good for shaping muscles.

Muscle_Girl, would you mind elaborating on that?

 

[talithakoum]

i don't think you can go wrong with either yoga or pilates...i believe they can only add to overall tone, strength & all that good stuff.

 

[Marat]

Talithakoum, the reason why I do not believe that either yoga or pilates can significantly (or perhaps even at all) increase strength is because the movements in yoga or pilates do not result in enough of a load onto the body to warrant a need to become stronger. For a 'beginner' (not necessarily you specifically), any sort of activity will result in strength increases, however, one will very quickly plateau and discontinue seeing improvements through yoga/pilates.

In regards to toning, that's almost entirely related to diet.

As I mentioned above, yoga/pilates can be implemented into a regimen. I'm not against it at all, plenty of athletes successfully use yoga/pilates -- however, the goal with yoga/pilates is not to become stronger or leaner. The reason I feel the need to elaborate on my previous post is because is it extremely common for individuals (mainly women) to attend yoga/pilates classes three or fours times a week, call it a workout and be satisfied, but still look the same month after month, year after year. Yoga/pilates should not be viewed as a modality for increasing strength or becoming leaner (tone).

Resistance training is imperative for anyone who's primary goal is to change their physique.

 

[talithakoum]

thanks for elaborating, m11....

 

[Muscle_Girl]

I don't know enough about yoga or pilates to argue against your point M11, but my experiences with yoga tell me that you may not quite understand how yoga works.

I have yoga one day out of the week, all other days have their own workouts, with one rest day. I have found that I hit all muscles with both a body weight movement, along with a stretching movement. There are also a series of poses which require and increase your balance, and imo core strength > all. Without a strong core, you can throw all other muscles away because you will have issues. Yoga isn't easy in the least, it takes real strength, coordination and balance to do most poses, I can't even do them all because I am not quite as strong for some.

Even if you don't do yoga for "strength" training purposes, its still a great addition, stretches your body out like it needs to be, calms the muscles, and yourself. Of all my workouts, I feel the most awesome after my yoga. I usually feel it the next day in my upper back and legs.

 

[Gawd]

Pilates changed my life.

 

[MyK]

yoga is fuckin awesome although I never have the time to do it lol.

if you want strength gains, resistance training is your best bet.

 

[caangelxox]

if everything is done correctly with good form and relaxed... you will increase strength, balance, flexibility, and also get some nice abs (I eat a lot of pasta and stuff, and my abs still showed from that class). When I took that class 2 years ago at my college, everyone was saying I lost some weight and had a good stomach even though I was in good shape and was not overweight at all. I am taking it again this fall semester because I want to get stronger in the core again, and get my abs to show. That class is also when I realized about trigger points and the big painful knotts I had in my piriformis when we were rolling with the massage balls and foam roller. no more pain in my hip abductors, still little ache here and there in my piriformis/hip flexor that comes back every now and then and same with between my shoulder blades, but that is about it. My pilates teacher after the 2nd day of class recommended me to go to the chiropractor she goes to and told me she recommends it to all her students that has posture problems and pain to go to because I had poor posture and had trouble doing a lot of the movements (like she was talking about me not sitting on my sit bone, one hip/shoulder higher than the other, etc..and she was right..I also had back pain and neck pain too). then I saw the chiro and then all the pain was gone, and I was able to do most of the movements in the class (went once a week for the 1st 2 weeks, then once a month til I figured out how to keep everything in alignment, now every now and then when I need to)

I still have trouble trying to do sit ups and jack nives though, soo hard. I cant get my back off the ground and I still cant. The exercises that required that, I had to do modifications. Everything else I could do fine. I also liked the reformer.

Note: just because I saw a chiropractor and he helped me, doesnt mean it will help you unless you can find a good ones. My pilates teacher has been to a bunch of chiropractors before she found the right one that knew what he/she was doing, the one she has been going to and recommended to me and a lot of her students. This guy also helped heal my ankle sprain last year (I waited 1 week after the sprain to see if it would heal and I had to wear an ankle brace playing sports or it would be really tender and hurt), I was back to my activities right after the adjustment (had to re-strengthen my ankle to be strong and it is stronger than ever before now, no sprains since). I am just letting you guys know this because not all chiropractors are the same and it is hard to find the right one. The right one heals you at least 75% in 1 session or heal you fully depending on what is going on with you and does not want you to keep coming or wants your money (wants you to heal).

Pilates requires good posture. You won't get hurt if you do everything correctly and if nothing is holding you back. This is my experience with pilates and it helped my posture big time and being aware of how I move and things. I hope you enjoy it, good for your core if done right.

 

[Burr]

I do Yoga as the first 16 minutes of my workout.

Remember, you are only as young as your spine.

[FONT=&quot]Burr
Big, Lean, Mean and Clean.
I Push Iron and Turn Cranks
I'll be lifting until they pry the
bar from my cold dead hands
Adventure before Dementia

I’m a member of The Tea Party, I VOTE[/FONT]

 

[talithakoum]

thanks for your comments...i think (for me, as for others), pilates/yoga can only help strengthen the core but by no means is meant to replace a regular workout.

 

[talithakoum]

i like....

"you are only as young as your spine." makes total sense......


I do Yoga as the first 16 minutes of my workout.

Remember, you are only as young as your spine.

[FONT=&quot]Burr[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Big, Lean, Mean and Clean.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I Push Iron and Turn Cranks[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I'll be lifting until they pry the [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]bar from my cold dead hands[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Adventure before Dementia[/FONT]

 

[tjwj]

Pilate's is not going to build muscle, but it is going to define what you have. The key to getting everything out of pilate's is a good instructor. I have been doing it for 5 yrs and have been threw 3 people. It will also limit injury.