Real Men Do Pilates

I have such a hard time convincing my male friends that Pilates is not just for women. I wonder why there is such a stigma? Tiger Woods, Jason Kidd, Curt Schilling, and Ruben Brown are just a few examples of men who incorporate Pilates in their workout routines. Lest we forget Joe! Joseph Pilates was an athlete himself--a boxer and a gymnast. Here is a picture of him when he was 59 years old:
How many 59 year old men look like this?? So here are some of the top reasons why ALL men should be doing Pilates...

1. Increase flexibility. Many men suffer from low back pain and one reason for this could be tight hamstrings. In general, men have tighter hamstrings than women and since our hamstrings are attached to muscles in our lower back, the tighter those hamstrings are, the more they pull on those low back muscles, causing pain.

2. Core Strength. Everyone needs to work on their core, but generally speaking men have more trouble with abdominal fat. Lots of women store fat in hips and thighs, but the most common trouble spot for men is that lower belly. Pilates works all the deep muscles in the core that are difficult to hit if you are unaware of what and where they are.


3. Uniform Development of Muscles. This is an extremely important one, especially for athletes. Think about how unbalanced the musculature of a golfer or a pitcher must be. Pilates works unilaterally, increasing strength and flexibility of muscles on both sides.



If you don't believe me just hear what the pros have to say about it:

"I immediately discovered how tight I was. After one session I was energized. From that point on I was convinced it was a great workout...Pilates has made me quicker, more explosive."

-Jason Kidd, NBA star

"I've been doing a lot of yoga and Pilates. Something I never thought I'd say, but it's been great."
-TJ Lavin, BMX pro



"Since I've done Pilates, I'm much better looking and 4 feet taller...Seriously, I'm now so stretched out and have such great posture that I look and feel like a different person."
-Rich Beem, PGA championship winner



"The first three weeks, I was really disappointed. I wasn't sweating. I wasn't winded, which is what I associate with true exercise. Then in the fourth week I started to understand the Pilates terminology, the idea of working from your center. By the third month I was more powerful and flexible than ever before. And I'd lost 15 pounds."
-Curt Schilling, Arizona Diamondbacks Pitcher