Yesterday, Pilates master teacher and founder of BASI Pilates Rael Isacowitz hosted a Q and A session on Facebook. I was busy at the appointed time but I raced home and jumped on my computer in time to be the very last person to squeak in a question.
Sophisticated questions had been asked about teaching Pilates, exercise technique, and one about working with a client with Parkinson disease. It's a good thing I didn't have time to read those before I chimed in with the question that was on my mind or I might not have asked it. I might have felt silly in comparison. But I know that if something is rattling around in the back of my mind, there are readers out there who are wondering too, and getting to those is what this blog is about. My question was:
Rael, When people look at you, they see a very buff man. Are you intentionally combining other cross training modalities with Pilates or are you just very active? If you do cross train, what do you do?
Surely with Pilates having a reputation for grace, long lean muscles and being popular with women, some men might wonder if it can get them where they want to be physically (not that everyone cares about being "buff" but some do). I know what Pilates can do so I basically knew the answer to my question, but I wanted to ask, and I think readers new to Pilates might really wonder: is he doing a lot of gym work too? Rael's answer was: "No, Pilates is my staple conditioning program." There you have it, from the man himself. (he says he gets asked that a lot)
Rael went on to say that he is and always has been very active. He was a dancer, he's done yoga, he windsurfs, hikes, and snowboards too. But Pilates is the foundation of that buff body (my words), not weight lifting. I should also mention that Rael is not alone. There are many men, well-known teachers and not, who sport exceptionally buff bodies. I'm sure they would respond similarly -- that they are active otherwise but Pilates is their main form of training. So Rael was also pointing to what a great foundation Pilates is for all kinds of other activities, whether you officially call it cross training or not.
I better pause here for a minute and talk about a Pilates "buff body". First, looks are not the point of Pilates. A Pilates body is a pleasing result of a commitment to the complete integration of body, mind and spirit which is the intention of Pilates; and of a lot of work in terms of moving with good alignment and efficiency. And, we are talking about a body that is balanced in musculature, not overdeveloped in general and not overdeveloped in any place out of proportion with the rest. Pilates bodies are also known for their grace and flexibility. This is true for both men and women. Read more about that in my article Getting in Shape with Pilates.
Related Reading:
Interview with Rael Isacowitz (where we talk about men and Pilates among other things)
BASI Pilates on Facebook (where the Q and A is)
Pilates at About.com on Facebook
photo: Rael Isacowitz, courtesy of BASI Pilates
Thank you Marguerite for asking the question about Pilates and the well developed body. As we all know (but sometimes may forget) Pilates was developed “by a man for a man”. It is only in the popularity of Pilates that women have dominated its classes, sessions and ultimately, its benefits. Rael often mentions that he would love to visit a traditional gym for a bit of muscle pounding work but there simply is not time, and at the end of the day,
Pilates offers him the most well rounded opportunity for a balance between strength and flexibility. (I should not forget the fabulous wind surfing in Hood River that does get a bit of his time as well!)
I’m so glad you asked and posted this question on your site Marguerite! As someone who has worked in rehabilitating male and female athletes for over 12 years, I have seen amazing results with Pilates. In my PT Center, we do not have weight training equipment because it is not necessary for our athletes to achieve the results they are looking for. The male athletes we work with are always surprised by how difficult Pilates can be. In fact, in the most recent issue of Men’s Journal magazine, Sugar Ray Leonard replied “Pilates” when asked “What is the worst pain you’ve experienced?”. Now if that’s not an endorsement for the toughness of a Pilates workout, I’m not sure what is. I hope he was joking about the pain part!
I agree that for an active person who partakes in other sports and activities as Rael does, traditional weight lifting is not necessary. Pilates gives that body, male or female, just enough “buff”!
I share the sentiment of my colleagues above…thank you so much for addressing this much asked and discussed question regarding muscle development and a “buff bod”! For me it comes down to one thing, developing your body in a way that will best serve your life style and ultimately your well being. If someone wants very large muscles, like a body builder (I have worked with a few), they should use weights (although Pilates can offer them a great deal in the way of of cross training). But lets face it, Pilates will not build the muscle mass that a body builder is looking for. However, most of us are not looking for that mass. We are looking for a well-functioning body, to enjoy life’s many adventures (and hopefully look good as well)!
Pilates is the ultimate cross training! Joe Pilates trained athletes and performers. Unlike many other sports, dance and boxing give you a pretty strong physique. Joe obviously had a lot to do with these two disciplines in his time. So I guess his time was spent keeping athletes and performers healthy not worrying about getting them buff. With physical activity and good diet you can keep buff. With Pilates you can perform better and it will provide you with a perfect platform to build the ultimate functional body.