Most men love sports which require balance, stability, flexibility, and strength. Pilates can help put the power behind your swing, length in your hamstring, and the speed in your sprint. A well-taught Pilates program can strengthen your back and also your core. It will balance your muscles around the joints in order to improve your flexibility and prevent injury.
So…
Why aren’t more men flocking to Pilates studios?
Well, there is a common misconception among men that Pilates is only for women. However, nothing could be further from the truth.
The person behind Pilates was a man after all. His name was Joseph Pilate and he was a trained military personnel, a boxer and a circus performer. He is a masculine figure who drank whiskey, smoked cigars and spent most of his later life teaching dancers and performers this workout routine in his underpants from 1920 to 1960.
Tennis pros, climbers, golfers, rugby players, football players use Pilates in order to strengthen their game and recover from injury. Moreover, GAA recommends Pilates as a key part of cross-training programs.
Despite all of these, most men still laugh at the thought of going into a Pilates studio. Why?
1. Men Thinks It Is A Stretch Class
Many men, or people on this matter, believe that Pilates is more like yoga and you will need to stretch, stretch and stretch. However, it is not just stretching. Pilates offers new ways to move your muscles which is more demanding and rigorous than stretching and yoga.
2. Men who experience a Pilates Class for the first time can be frustrated
Pilates takes new effort of breathing, focus, and control in order to be successful. Although men usually “force” their way through normal gym or weight workout, Pilates usually targets particular muscle groups through a more controlled movement, making most men to be frustrated.
3. Men Want To Be “Bulky” Not “Long And Lean”
Most Pilates marketing of today focused on the long and lean look that Pilates provides which turns a lot of men off. Most men believe that the very purpose of gym and exercise is to get chunky biceps and huge chest in order to impress the ladies. Therefore, they would not even give Pilates a second look since it is not the focus there.
4. Men Thinks It Is Boring
Most men prefer to be drenched in their sweat or feel the burn. They want manly screams and “ho-hos and ha-has” while lifting pound by pound weights. Men want hardcore and extreme workouts and not just some graceful rising and lowering of feet as ballerinas do. Pain is the badge of gym honor for men and Pilates isn’t like that.
5. Pilates Studios Can Be Uncomfortable For Men
If men are outnumbered in a class, which is usually the case with Pilates, they might be uncomfortable. As a matter of fact, if a dude tends to sweat a lot and has this, uh, smell, he will be even less willing to be amongst the ladies. For men, sweat and gym smell is manly, but for the ladies, it might be an entirely different matter.
6. The Ego
Most Pilates instructors are women. And when you are outnumbered by ladies, the one stronger and conditioned than you will be most likely a woman. And let’s be honest here, there is nothing more embarrassing for dudes than lying on his back in an Intermediate Tower class with his heels pressed down and asked to roll up only for him to find that HE CANNOT GET UP. No dude would like a lady to see him like that. They do hanging abs and lift heavy weights after all.
7. The Toe Socks
There will always be toe socks in a Pilates class. No dude will ever take a class wearing toe socks. Yellow, pink and flowery toe socks are everywhere. And even though it is not mandatory, men would not want to be associated with a form of workout where toe socks are “grippy”. Men strap up, chalk up and lift heavy objects. They do not or should not be wearing toe socks.
Conclusion
Although Pilates seems to be “feministic”, there is no denying that it can provide amazing benefits to men. If as a man, you are embarrassed to show up in a women-filled Pilates class, then you can just do it at home with Pilates equipment. Check out the Review of best home Pilates reformer at GymGearInfo so you can only get the best piece of equipment in the market today!
