That is a rather cheeky question, because of course men do Pilates. Joseph Pilates was a man, so there’s a significant one for starters, and male dancers are very well represented, but lets face it, there aren’t very many are there? I’ve started to wonder why, so here are my musings:
Is Pilates simply perceived as something for women? After all if you look at almost all classes, they are full of women! The perceived benefits, as opposed to the actual benefits, are a bit girlie: gentle toning, weight loss, core strength, acquiring a bottom like Pippa Middleton’s……
The suggestion that Pilates is for women to tone up/lose baby weight/stay thin is amplified by the media frequently referring to this or that celebrity who “hones” their body with Pilates. They are almost always females singers and actresses. As an instructor it is very tempting to cite famous people who do Pilates. Not only does this reinforce the subliminal message that Pilates is for women, but it is promoting Pilates on a rather superficial and indeed unproven level. We know these celebs do Pilates and we know what they look like but it doesn’t therefore follow that Pilates is responsible for the way they look
Is it seen as too gentle? Not very physically challenging? For people that access their exercise classes in a gym, then this might be the case, when it is compared to say, Spin classes, Body Pump or Circuit Training.
Might it be considered unmacho? The exercise we tend to associate with men (and I know I’m generalising) are competitive sports, certain types of group exercise – the sweaty, challenging types, outdoor fitness – like British Military Fitness, running, cycling and weight training in the gym. Resistance training using body weight would be considered anathema if you’re used to bench pressing 40kg, likewise, exercise where you don’t break into a sweat, or exercise which is “just stretching”.
Sometimes (and again, I’m generalising,) men start Pilates and struggle with the mainstream classes due to lack of flexibility and being tight and grippy in the way they move and use their body. I have certainly witnessed this. What then happens is that some rookie men find this off putting and, understandably, don’t stick at it. In any group exercise class the instructor has to try and please all the people all the time, and hopefully succeeds in pleasing some of the people, most of the time. You can only do so much and I have had male participants for whom I would dearly like to alter the class to accommodate their needs more closely but I find it tricky because they are in such a minority , or I haven’t had the chance because they haven’t come back.
Over the years I have met plenty of women whose male partners, husbands or friends have back problems and would potentially benefit from starting Pilates but the men in question won’t accompany them to a regular class or try it out on their own.
Why Should Men Do Pilates?
It benefits performance and reduces the likelihood of injury in many, if not all sports. It is certainly used by various top level Football, Rugby and Basketball clubs and by swimmers, golfers and gymnasts.
It works on developing greater flexibility. Useful for all men, but particularly for those doing a lot of resistance training or cycling.
It has a real knack of improving functional movements – the ones we do all day, every day and need to get right, or at very least, get better.
It is a useful way of relaxing, drawing the attention away from the mind and into the body and forgetting about the cares and worries of the day. A class might even might present an opportunity for learning how to relax.
It develops real core stability, that is, the ability to stabilise the body effectively against load, as opposed to the merely working the abs.
That said, it works the abs. Properly.
The Pilates machinery is particular good for giving clients a strong workout. As well as using body weight, as you do in a matwork class, you use the resistance of the machine to work all of the muscle groups and work in different planes of movement and in lying, sitting and standing.
What do you think?
There’s loads of online chatter about the small group of male celebrities and athletes who have said they feel the benefits of Pilates. I’m reluctant to recruit them to promote the cause but I did like this quote:
“Now [after doing Pilates], I have muscles of steel and could easily deal with giving birth.” – Hugh Grant.
What more could you ask?
Does anyone out there have any views on this subject? In particular, tips for getting reluctant husbands to try Pilates.
Some big Pilates studios run men only classes which is a fabulous idea but you need to be able to cast the net really wide to get enough takers. Instructors could offer classes to running clubs, triathlon clubs etc
Are there any men reading this ? Tell me what you think Pilates is about and whether it is or isn’t for you and why.
I don’t know the answer to this but I do know that the majority of men do not speak about their feelings and emotions, so don’t hold your breath!
A not insignificant proportion of men don’t want to think about never mind talk about their emotions and feelings, I know for I’m one of those men much to my wife’s dismay. We’ve been together for 13 years and she still can’t get me to open up. But I digress. Back to Pilates a few times with my wife, but she asked me to stop going after about half a dozen times. She said that after a session I was always in such a foul mood that was no benefit in me joining her. My problem was (1) I found it extremely boring and (2) I spent the whole sessions thinking about the things I needed to do (e.g. book the car in for a service, the bathroom needing painting, the to-do-list waiting for me when I got to the office in the morning, how my friend was getting on who’d recently had a stroke, etc). The instructor said I really needed to be in the present, but my wife told them good luck in getting that to happen. My wife on the other hand loves Pilates and looks forward to her sessions each week. I now drive her to her lessons and then have a nap in the car until she finishes.
Peter do you live in Leeds? I would be interested to see how you’d react to my Pilates for Men class. I don’t teach it like my other ones. I blend the Pilates exercises with classic strength training and there is a big focus on flexibility, mobility, keeping the back healthy and trying to help out tight hamstrings! I don’t do as much breathwork or relaxation as I’d like precisely because I don’t think it is congruent with what a bunch of men want from an exercise class. I’d like to think it is hard enough for you to focus on the exercise and not to do lists! That would be a challenge , right!!!
I live on the North Somerset coast. I appreciate your considerate offer, but being frank I have absolutely no interest in taking part in strength training and/or improving my flexibility. I only went to Pilates because my wife nagged me into it. I have to admit my hamstrings are tight, which means I can’t sit upright on the floor with my legs flat out on the floor in front of me, so I have to bend my knees whenever I sit on the floor. But as I have all the flexibility I need to carry out the things I need and want to do, improving my flexibility really isn’t a priority. I’ve previously done things to help loosen my hamstrings, but it was always painful (especially the day afterwards) and I see no point in deliberately inflicting pain on myself.
fair enough Peter!
I would highly recommend pilates for men. Nothing works your core muscles and keeps you flexible and healthy as pilates.
Hi Alison I’ve just started coming to your classes and am enjoying it, being a rugby player it’s a different type of exercise but I can see it becoming an important part of my routine I’m interested to see (once I’m ready) what the advanced classes are like, I think most men would be wanting / thinking they are ready for advanced stuff as soon as they start whereas I think women are generally more patient- for the record I’m enjoying being a beginner and will work towards advanced… 🙂
I’m so pleased that you are enjoying the classes Connor. Do spread the word….. Pilates is for men as well!!
I’m a man and I love practicing Pilates and intend to continue. To me the benefits outweigh the perceived femininity of it all. And yes, it does feel girlie sometimes. For instance, the single leg kicks. Which is lying on your stomach pointing your toes and kicking your legs towards you bottom, both looks and feels girlie. Even some of exercise names are girlie. For example, Mermaid. What self-respecting guy wants to be a Mermaid?
HI there Neil
Thank you for your reply
I’m about to launch some Pilates for Men classes. I’m not sure where you’re based and if you’re available but they are in North Leeds, starting on July 6th. And I intend to man up the class!
Follow this link for more details
https://www.pilates-leeds.com/pilates-for-men/
or try my latest post about the benefits of Pilates for Men
I’m a guy and I love pilates. It doesn’t matter one iota to me if it’s perceived as feminine. I’ve done it for about eighteen months and yes, women outnumber men in the class, but so what? I have felt the benefits and it’s a perfect complement to things like weight training and running. I can’t speak for all classes of course, but I can say in my experience, people are not judgemental. You simply do the best you can, like everyone else. And I can also echo the view above in the main article that pilates takes you out of your mind into your body. What I would say to any guy out there is: “Give it a try”. You might like it.
thank you for your comments Julian. I would say that the people who attend my classes are also non judgemental and very easy going. That I think is the DNA of community classes. Some of the issues are that we judge ourselves! I think that the online portrayal of Pilates can be unhelpful and marginalises a variety of groups who may not see themselves in the images that are out there. The images that predominate are are of young, white , thin women, often doing super difficult Pilates exercise. Finally we are seeing non white people but they are still thin and young which inclines me to the cynical view that the industry still doesn’t “get” real diversity. Keep on spreading the word Julian!