Pilates and Powerlifting.

What do these seemingly diametrically opposed forms of fitness have in common and how are they interrelated?

What I have experienced through my work as a Pilates and Yoga instructor is a common thread with regards to men and flexibility. Basically men are super stiff and hate to stretch! So many times, it’s exactly what they need. Half of my male clients first come to me and are unable to touch their toes. Through the process of lengthening the muscles, tendons and fascia by doing Pilates, these guys actually attain a greatly improved flexibility. This translates into a better quality of life due to less muscle tension and reduced chronic back pain.

Powerlifting on the other hand is very much about bracing yourself to handle heavy loads. The back must be super tightly drawn together if you are to hope for any kind of success in Powerlifting. In all three of the main moves, the bench, squat and deadlift, you have to draw your shoulder blades together and use your lats as primary movers.

So here is where there is a possibility of cross contamination. A muscle can only fully contract if it can completely stretch. A muscle that can only partially stretch can only partially contract. One of the goals of Pilates is to help the body become more elastic. Think about a rubber band… if you want to make it snap the hardest, you have to pull it apart the furthest.

This is why I believe in using Pilates to make you a better power lifter. By reducing the rigidity in the body, the contractile force can be improved.

So next time you want to break a PR, do some Short Spine Massage, Push Through, Monkey, Tower and other great Pilates moves! And if you want to take your Chest Expansion, Semicircle, Arm Springs, and Swan to the next level, picking up a few hundred pounds will definitely make it all seem lighter.

Jonathan is the founder and co-owner of International Pilates Rome, a Pilates studio based in the heart of Rome, Italy.