Let's just start this off with there are many industries that have bigger clients or not as healthy looking instructors. Does that mean they are not fit? I don't think so. But the point of this blog is to talk specifically about Pilates and my thoughts on the matter. This Blog is going to be a little hard for some to hear, but please know this is my opinion on the matter from my 20+ years of being in the industry. Am I correct, I like to think so. The following is indeed my opinion... so here I go.
I have heard this question soooooo many times in my career. "I have always wanted to do Pilates but then I see the people doing it and they are not fit.". Or "Why would I take Pilates when the instructor doesn't even look that good?" Well, here's my theory or theories, take it or leave it/them:
BECAUSE PILATES WAS NEVER MEANT TO BE FOR WEIGHT LOSS!!!!
Pilates was originally designed for rehab. Joseph Pilates was a nurse, amongst other things, and he would use the resistance from the hospital bed springs to help get clients moving and back to health again. He saw there was a great method to his teachings so he dove deeper into learning about the body and how it should ANATOMICALLY move. That is why he developed the Reformer, Chair, Cadillac and more to help rehab clients. REHAB is the key word. And usually in rehab, clients are looking to heal the body, not lose weight. However, as stated in my previous blog Classes vs Private Lessons we have now adapted Pilates to be targeted towards weight loss in Equipment classes by incorporating HIIT, heavier weights & more styles of Pilates to ignite that fire & feel the burn. This is true now for a lot of Pilates equipment classes... Especially in my classes: J Reform, J HIIT, J Bootcamp & J Barre. Is this true for all Pilates practices? No. It's up to you to research the studio and find out if you are going to get a more Classical Pilates class or a more Modernized class that will kick your booty. J classes are designed with full body sculpt and deep muscle engagement which will get that furnace fired up and lbs trickling off. We are definitely NOT your typical Pilates Studio! Is it really that easy? All I have to do is join a few J Pilates Programs? NO! There's more to my theory why some instructor and clients may still have the lbs hanging around:
BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE NOT CONSISTENT
I don't believe clients or even instructors do a workout program enough or consistently. It truly takes dedication to see results in your body, especially if you do not discipline yourself on your food consumption. I honestly believe you can see minor results with just 2-3x's a week. You'll feel stronger & lean out a bit with 4x's a week. But you'll definitely see results 5-6x's a week (don't be a showoff and do 7...take a day off type A lol). But you have to stay consistent with your workout routine to see results. Even if it is just a 20-minute brisk "active" walk or meditation on days you cannot make it to the gym or virtual workout. Guys...you have to start taking accountability for your health. If you are not where you want to be, YOU are the only one to blame. I like to decide how much I need to workout in a day by what all I plan or have previously gobbled down during meals. If I have been naughty, I add in the extra walk on-top of a 10-40 minute workout. Or...I'll do my HIIT workout to burn more calories. I hold myself accountable for what I consume, which leads me to the next point:
BECUASE WE ARE SUPER NAUGHTY ON OUR CONSUMPTION
This can be solid foods or beverages. Sugar is a WHITE DEATH and it's in everything. I am not a nutritionist, nor do I use a nutritionist, because I do intuitive eating. My intuition tells me that SUGAR SUCKS!!! I feel awful when I consume candy, donuts or sugary beverages (yes, that includes alcohol). It gives me a headache; I feel like I retain water weight and I just get grumpy almost immediately after. Another naughty-ness is OVEREATING. I am not sure about you, but I was trained to eat my meals quickly in school. We had to wait in line, get our food, and then quickly consume before the bell rang. And of course, we had to talk to our buds before, during and after lol. But, because I am constantly reading and listening to podcasts on nutrition, workouts, how to be a Bada$$ Bo$$ and etc, I have learned that we eat too quickly. We do not give our stomach enough time to send the message to the brain that we are full. So my advice, down some good water before food consumption and eat slowly. Try to finish just half your American Sized Plates (if you live in a country where the portions are small, you're good!), wait 5 minutes and see if you are still hungry. Focus more on hydrating yourself then overgorging yourself. And then finally, and this his HIGHLY A PERSONAL OPINION, stop eating dairy! Not all dairy. Just milk, cream, cheese, yogurts. Eggs are cool though :-) I personally am allergic to dairy, so maybe that's why I lose 10lbs in 3 days if I completely remove dairy from my diet. However, there has been talk amongst specialist that dairy might not be all that good for us after all... just food for thought lol. Do your own research and see how your body feels after consuming sugar, dairy, carbs & etc. I have a personal new way of eating & it has done wonders for my body. I'll share it soon on one of my next blogs.
So, there you have it. If you can find a studio that takes Pilates above and beyond what it was originally designed to do (aka rehab), stay consistent, and watch what you eat... then you'll become that lean mean Pilates machine!
I have also heard the opposite of the title of this blog too, "I thought Pilates was way to advanced for me with those super fit Instructors posting those insanely hard looking exercises online.". I have thoughts on that too... would you like to hear it? Stay tuned for a future blog.
Want a kick-start to getting fit...join my simple PERSONALIZED HIIT PROGRAM that can be done at home, another studio (only if you have permission, like an open gym. Don't go in the middle of another class and prop up your phone to follow my kicka$$ program lol), or on the go.
Thanks for reading and I hope you learned a thing or two!
J / CRB