Pilates for sport; avoiding the blue rinse brigade

[jago25_98]

I've been bodybuilding for long enough now to know that it works; you lift a weight, you get stronger. Sure there's details but it's nice to know that as long as you put the effort in (including thought), you get the return so faithfully it can be relied on.

Lifting has even helped my back a little but I'd like to develop the 'core stability' that is useful in sport, to develop muscles that work well as well as look good.

As part of my looking I heard people raving about pilates, including how it had helped various sports people improve thier ability.

But I'm still skeptical. While I'm sure it works it does have a image of old ladies in a hall lying on the floor slowly moving about. I'm worried this could be a culture shock for myself who enjoys the predictability of pain and gain in the gym.

How can I get into the Pilates that is aimed at sports people needing to achieve concrete goals rather than the relaxed pilates where a group of middle aged, open minded women go to relax and socialise rather than sweat it out? (I relise this is a bias but I haven't seen much evidence for anything else in my leafy suburb; no one does any sport around here too, people join expensive gyms and never go; direct evidence). I really don't want to be with this crowd ((I'm liberal so I the sterotype they create irritates).

 

[becky_e]

Your perception of Pilates is very different from what I've seen. I've always seen it done by young women in tight work out clothes. Everyone I know who does Pilates are women in their 20's, myself included. It works for many because we use our own bodies for resistance. And if you really want pain, if you do a whole Pilates routine correctly, you'll be in great pain in the places you worked out most when you're new at Pilates for the next couple days. And you do sweat (and scream sometimes) when Pilates is done correctly.

I haven't done them at the gym. I use Pilates DVDs, but that's only because Pilates instructors are scarce in my almost rural town, so I don't know about classes full of middle-aged women.

It can help sports people improve their game because it works solely on your core muscles. These muscles don't get worked out to their full potential with most other work-outs.