When people think of Pilates, they often associate it with greater participation from women than men. Statistics bear this out: Numerous datasets indicate that only about 15% of Pilates participants were men in the 2010s.
However, this number is rising; as of 2023, about 25% of participants are male. This is excellent news, as men have long been sleeping on the many benefits of Pilates for men, including as a complement to strength training.
While Pilates can make you strong in its own right, it works well alongside another strength training routine. Together, these two fitness strategies can help men achieve the physical look they want and the strength and stability to fully utilize their bodies’ capabilities.
Comprehending Strength Training
By definition, strength training is an exercise that contracts muscles using some form of resistance, almost always weights. The muscles grow to adapt to the strain of moving that weight, and the body slowly becomes more efficient in other areas, such as endurance and oxygen usage.
Strength training is good for the body in terms of muscle strength (and size) and skeletal density. When outside forces exert pressure on the muscles, the bones must also remain strong to support the resistance generated by the muscles. This keeps the bones strong and can help to prevent osteoporosis and other forms of bone density loss.
How Does Pilates Fit In?
If strength training is so good for muscles, how can Pilates help? These two forms of exercise complement each other because they accomplish slightly different goals. Strength training builds bulk, making the muscles larger to compensate for increased resistance forces.
However, Pilates helps to build muscle endurance via end-to-end, complete training. Pilates refines muscular tissue and has many benefits beyond strength. By doing Pilates and strength training, men can bulk up and increase their movement capabilities.
The Benefits of Pilates as a Complement
While strength training boosts a muscle’s ability to handle increasingly heavy loads, Pilates works the finer elements of the musculoskeletal system. Some benefits of pairing these two exercises include:
More flexibility
Studies show that men are more likely, on average, to suffer injuries such as tendon and muscular tearing than women. Strength training will not fix this, but Pilates can. The increased flexibility offered by regular Pilates classes can result in fewer injuries for men on their strength training days.
Curation of reflexes
Strength training typically focuses on the largest muscles in the body: the glutes, lats, quads, pectorals, and biceps, among others. These muscles are essential for lifting heavy things, running, and other challenging tasks. However, they do little to help the body adapt to more refined behaviors, such as responding quickly to catch something falling.
Pilates trains many smaller, fast-twitch muscles that aid in balance and reflexes. Together, Pilates and strength training can help men remain strong while still staying adaptable and aware of their body position.
Stability
Because Pilates attends to the smaller skeletal muscles, it is also an excellent option for boosting stability. Pilates works both sides of the body evenly, often using the body’s weight, so men will find they are more balanced during their strength training workouts. This is essential for good form, leading to fewer injuries and equalized training.
Adjustability
Even the most careful men can still find that they’ve accidentally overdone it on a strength training day. One of the great things about Pilates as a complement is that it can be restful while still providing benefits.
Pilates reformers are adjustable, so men still recovering from strength training or an injury can keep their bodies moving without the risk of further harm. After a day of more intense strength-based exercises, Pilates is a great way to decompress (both physically and mentally) while still working up a sweat and increasing your heart rate.
Try Pilates Alongside Strength Training
Men are more likely to participate in strength training than women regularly. Conversely, women are much more likely than men to attend Pilates classes periodically.
To get the most out of your workouts, consider doing both! Men who pair Pilates with strength training see increased benefits that help them in all areas of their lives, not just at the gym.
The instructors at RTR Pilates welcome men and women from all walks of life to try Reformer Pilates! Contact RTR Pilates to sign up for a beginner class and see how it transforms your workout.
