Dudes in Pilates

First off, let’s agree that Pilates can benefit everyone: Young and old, triathletes and exercise virgins and of course, males and females. While we are known as a “Fitness Philosophy for Women”, men are most welcome (and sometimes taunted by their female counterparts) to join our Belle Method classes.

I admit that our purple and pink website isn’t exactly sending the message to men, “Hey dudes, grab your tights and register now ’cause this is for YOU!”  That said, it actually kinda is.

Full Disclosure: Any men reading this, know that we totally don’t think it’s weird if you come to class. The more the merrier, and frankly, you could use it. We actually like seeing you sweat profusely in plie and hip lifts cause it reminds us that this sh*t isn’t easy!” 

Below is an example of what we like to call the “Mr. T” syndrome. Some (read: many) guys tend to overwork their pecs and arms and underwork their lower body. This becomes VERY evident in class when we start doing plies, butt lifts and booty band work. Sure, guys don’t tend to care about the perkiness of their booty in jeans, but here’s why they (and all of us) should care:

1) Glutes are part of your core. Strong butt muscles stabilize your lumbo-pelvic region, prevent back pain and provide you with more power and control in movement.

2) Your legs contain the largest muscle groups in the human body. Fire up your legs are you’re spiking your metabolism, working on balance and stabilizing your knee joints.

3) Your quadriceps in particular are related to longevity. Ever see an older person not able to stand up out of a chair? Weak, atrophied quads are a big issue as we age and lose bone density.

 

So the moral of the story is: when it comes to training, go outside your social comfort zone. Try something new and remember to work those legs. (Running and biking doesn’t count FYI . You need sitting and standing type squats to work the right muscle fibres. Here’s why.)

This post was inspired by an amazing student who is the sole male at his company who takes our Core Fusion class. We run the classes every week in his company’s office after work and he captured the moment this past Tuesday. I’m happy to report that he’s far from a Mr. T!

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