The Bottom Line
Some men will really like the approach the Pilates Sports Center takes with these workouts, and some definitely won't. Read my review below.
Pros
- Workouts deliver on "challenge" promise
- At a level that leaves room for participants to develop
- Option to workout without verbal cues
- Will build sculpted muscles
- Includes inflatable ball and band
Cons
- An approach not in keeping with some of Joseph Pilates basic directives
- Military-like style might limit appeal
- Not appropriate for real beginners or low level of fitness
- The music has a heavy quality
Description
- 3 DVDs with forty five minute workouts each: mat, ball, and band
- Produced by Pilates Sports Center
- Retail: 39.95
Guide Review - Pilates for Men, the 10-20-30 Challenge DVD Review
I had to laugh when my Pilates for Men 10-20-30 Challenge DVD set came in the mail. It looked pumped up - almost breaking the packaging. And so began my experience with the most macho Pilates DVD I have ever tried.
There are two guys demonstrating. They are ripped. They don't smile. They do lots of repetitions of exercises such as push up. And the instructor says things like I know your muscles are burning right now but don't stop. Meanwhile, rock/metal music with a heavy vibe is playing in the not-so-background making the workouts hard for me to move through (though I grew up rocking out). Part of what we have here is a gender gap, a generation gap, and a Pilates culture gap. These DVDs were not made for me, obviously. And that's OK.
Pilates for Men 1-20-30 Challenge seems to be for the guys who like a tough workout delivered in a tough way. And I know you guys are out there. I like a tough workout, but I like a certain amount of flow and levity to keep me going. This is more along the lines of football practice, as my guy, who I brought in for perspective, said. I'm not faulting Pilates for Men for that. I hear Joseph Pilates was a fairly gruff guy himself. Just be forewarned.
What I do feel a little concerned about is that I think these workouts are repetitious and maybe lacking some of the important subtleties of Pilates. Sometimes an exercise is done with a lot of reps and then it is repeated again with just a little variation to it. I felt they cozyied up a little close to the "mindless calisthenics repeated ad nauseam" Joseph Pilates warned against (see quotes). I was also missing the spinal suppleness and flexibility exercises that make Pilates so well-rounded in fitness. For me, a full Pilates Pilates workout goes for the deeper core stuff as well as the ripped abs.
The reason the DVD set looked like it was about to break was the 10-20-30 Challenge includes a resistance band and small inflatable workout ball in the package. The DVDs include workouts for each of those as well as a mat workout. I appreciate the variety. Working with the small Pilates equipment keeps things interesting and adds some resistance and stability challenge as well.
So, I'm not sure where the Pilates for Men, 10-20-30 Challenge workouts fit on the Pilates scale, but they will build muscle, they will challenge your whole body, and they will help you get a hard-body look if that's what you are after.
