Exercises for Men According to Joe Pilates
What are “men’s exercises”? Does it mean that women cannot perform them? Should all men be encouraged to incorporate them into their regular routine?
In Joe Pilates’ studio, there were specific exercises designed exclusively for men. To understand why he created them, one must consider three main factors:
- historical period,
- anatomy,
- thorough mastery of the fundamentals of Contrology.
In the time when Joe Pilates lived, fitness for women looked completely different than it does today. There were age-old myths about what would happen if a woman consistently performed strenuous exercises. For example, it was believed that women would become more masculine and develop chest hair as a result of intense effort. It’s hard to imagine now, but women were prohibited from participating in certain sporting events, such as marathons. It wasn’t until 1967 that a woman, Katherine Switzer, ran in the Boston Marathon. It was so controversial that one of the race officials tried to tear off her bib number, and Katherine’s boyfriend had to defend her. The point is that before the 1970s, fitness for women was completely different. Joe Pilates, of course, knew that women also needed regular exercise. The women exercising with Joe were mostly dancers or performers. Nevertheless, many women did not want to perform the same exercises as men.
There is also the fact that the anatomical structures of men and women differ. Remember that just because someone can perform a given exercise does not mean it is suitable for them. Joe understood this and did not show some exercises to women. These exercises are referred to as “men’s exercises.” Does it mean that women cannot perform them? Not necessarily. It seems clear that these exercises were not part of the regular training routine for women.
Should performing “men’s exercises” be a goal for all men or your clients?
Honestly, no. A better goal for a teacher/practitioner would simply be to move while maintaining long, consistent, and controlled movement. Should men at least give it a try? Perhaps, but only after a long time (years) mastering the basics and working on advanced exercise sequences. For example, no matter how strong a man may seem, if he cannot maintain connection and work with his back during Spine Twist and Pull Straps, or if his hips collapse during Side-Bends, teaching the Kneeling Side Arm Series (Swakate) on the reformer is pointless and unreasonable.
Strength lies in the basics
Skipping “men’s exercises” does not deprive anyone of the opportunity to perform an intense workout. If it comforts anyone, most men (even professional athletes) are unable to perform “men’s exercises” without compensation in their structure. Joe did not teach these exercises to every man who came to the studio.
“Men’s exercises” are an exciting part of the history of Pilates. It is a pleasure to watch them being performed masterfully. However, it should be remembered that most of the magic of Pilates lies in mastering the basics.
The text is a translation of the article https://thecore.pilates.com/mens-exercises-by-joe-pilates/
Author: Joe Crosby
Jestem trenerem personalnym i instruktorem pilatesu z prawie 30-letnim doświadczeniem. Specjalizuję się w treningu funkcjonalnym, pilatesie klasycznym i rehabilitacji ruchowej. Moja praca polega na pomaganiu ludziom w odzyskiwaniu sprawności, poprawie jakości życia i odkrywaniu radości z ruchu. Współtworzę program Vitality Method, a także dzielę się wiedzą na różnych konferencjach na całym świecie i portalach internetowych związanych z pilatesem.