
Step 1: Becoming Open-Minded, the Benefits of Pilates for Men
Lose body fat, gain lean muscle: gym it is, for sure. Bicep curls, bench presses, and a whole lot of sit-ups. That should do it!
Think again. We, as men, have been erroneously led to believe that to accomplish most of our fitness goals, we need to do more of the same, perpetually increasing the frequency and intensity of our traditional workouts. This seems to be the one-size-fits-all philosophy of the muscle-builders and fat-burners alike. And the traditional gym regime isn’t without merit: frequent strength training will increase your physical work capacity, promote fat-free body mass, and increase the strength of connective tissue, muscles, and tendons. So, keep it up at the gym! But after all the reps and sets, do you always feel your best? Or do you hit that inevitable plateau? Ask yourself this: can you lift large weights at the gym but struggle with everyday tasks, like carrying groceries up a flight of stairs?
The body is sometimes conceived of as a machine or robot that physically needs to be pushed to meet demands, rather than a temple that needs to be fueled and charged to make that outside work easier. Pilates manifests from this latter philosophy. It is a different approach and ball game. I’m sure many of you have heard of Pilates, but have you stopped to think what it does? It makes work easier.
I was 22 when I first began Pilates — a rarity among a group predominantly comprising women over the age of 40. So why did I choose Pilates, eventually becoming a full-time instructor at the age of 25 despite my career as a professional football player? Why would someone who can squat and lift as much as me with a physique like mine choose Pilates? The answer is this: Pilates has made my gym workouts easier and helped mold my body into the physique that I desire. Men, gentlemen, husbands, and simply the boys: let’s get lean, lose body fat, and gain muscle as we desire, but let’s take it up a notch by thinking outside of the box.
Pilates is an effective cross-training workout and a plateau-busting change to any of your regular strength-training and cardio workouts.
Nine Health benefits of Pilates
· Improvement in flexibility: Stretches and exercises on the reformer allow the muscles in the body to elongate, increasing their range of motion. It will make your body feel loose and thus over time make the training at the gym easier as you set new goals.
· Increase in muscle strength and tone: Yes! Another way to increase muscle, because abdominal, lower back, hips, glutes all remain contracted and engaged during a Pilates workout. This constant focus and tension keeps the core muscles lean and builds better endurance and strength.
· Proper breathing: Sets and reps are done forgetting to breath, but the careful attention in Pilates practice increases breathing patterns during your workouts. This in turn, increases the circulation of blood throughout the body, thereby enhancing delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the muscles; helps speed muscle recovery and reduces the risk of injury; and provides a sense of rejuvenation.
· Posture improvement: Pilates makes you more aware of your ability to pull your stomach in and pull your shoulders down to support good posture and spinal alignment. This is essential for functional tasks of daily life such as carrying groceries, playing with your kids, or washing your car. There is a specific focus required in performing exercises smoothly, and this bodily cognizance extends beyond Pilates.
· Control of the mind and body through awareness: Exercises are executed with control, enhancing awareness of your everyday movements. This helps you to identify and treat the causes of bodily aches, pains, and injuries, while preventing future aches and pains.
· Strong, mobile joints: Pilates elongates and strengthens muscle, increasing muscle elasticity and joint mobility. This lowers the risk of suffering from weak or stiff joints and helps with arthritis. No more waking up with those cracking ankles!
· The whole body is conditioned: From head to toe, every part is equally trained. Your entire musculature is balanced and conditioned. Workouts in isolation have their moments, but at times that can lead to imbalances. Have you ever have that feeling that one side is stronger than the other? Not with Pilates, because both sides are strengthened in synchrony.
· Improves aerobic conditioning: Regardless of how many hours are invested on the treadmill, cardio workouts can only result in so much weight loss. Pilates increases lung capacity and circulation through deep breathing during each movement. As a result, an anaerobic exercise can be done at a greater volume with less time due to increase of lung capacity.
· Builds better balance: Practicing Pilates on a stability ball, mat, or reformer improves physical coordination, balance, and — at the risk of repeating — posture. Why is this so important? Consider the fact that around 60% of the population is in a flexion position due to sedentary desk jobs and being on the phone, leading to limited extension and improper body mechanics.
So, first step and advice to all of you guys: don’t join or hop in right away. But open your mind to Pilates and the benefits that it has to offer, namely, increased muscle strength, lean muscle growth, and less body fat. Consider how the benefits outlined above align with your fitness goals. After a week or two, Step 2 will be the next action and will be discussed in my next article. This is a step-by-step process. How would it feel if you were to do ballet or play the violin as part of your workout regime? This wouldn’t possibly help me in the gym to increase my squat or increase the tone of my body… or would it? Gentlemen, there is a world of secrets out there that have not been preached, and I am here to unravel that for you. So, for now let’s become open-minded and after a week of analyzing, we will embark on Step 2. In Step 3, we will discuss the workouts, featuring a special video of me, which is going to surprise you all. Keep up the good work, guys!
Sincerely,
Johnny Augustine

