Pilates Mythology Again

[Guest guest]

Recently, yet another newspaper featured the latest Pilates myths about the

usual things that we constantly hear about. Read all about it here:

<http://www.ivillage.com/diet/experts/fitfriday/sports/articles/0,5050,36661,00.\

html>

Here are a few extracts from this article:

<What is it?

It's an exercise technique invented for injured dancers about a century ago

by ex-carpenter and gymnast ph Pilates. There are two ways to practice

Pilates (pronounced pih-LAH-tees). You can take a group class on a mat where

you'll do specialized calisthenics exercises, or you can take private lessons

on a series of specially designed machines with such exotic names as the

Cadillac and the Reformer. Whether you take the mat class or use the

machines, all Pilates moves are designed to work your powerhouse muscles --

abs, lower back, thighs, and buttocks -- and to teach you proper alignment so

you move more freely and gracefully.

Why we love it:

Pilates incorporates so much of what '90s exercisers need. It increases s

trength, flexibility and endurance and improves posture, alignment,

coordination and balance -- all without building bulky muscles. Nothing is

forced or repetitive; you emphasize correct form rather than going for the

burn.

Drawbacks: It's expensive. Private lessons will set you back $40 to $200 a

session. By comparison, mat classes are a bargain, running $12 to $25 a

class, depending on the instructor or the part of the country you're in..... >

---------------------------------

Last year I wrote a fairly thorough analysis of Pilates training, which was

archived on the following website:

<http://www.worldfitness.org/exer0022.html>

This article and others I have written challenged any Pilates evangelists to

prove their claims about Pilates creating a " longer, leaner " muscle than

weight training and most other heavily resisted sports, but, as is the case

with many HIT, ball, core stabilisation and other cults, the main response

has been highly emotive, anecdotal and personal.

I can sum up all of the responses that I have received in the past year,

thus: There is no scientific or clinical evidence whatsoever which proves

that Pilates creates leaner, longer muscles or offers a form of training that

is in any way equal or superior to a well-organised strength training program

with weights. Its major merit lies entirely in personal preference for that

type of training, but not in any proven science or practical superiority. If

anyone has managed to locate genuine studies which show that this deduction

is incorrect, please do share them with us. I will be glad to publish them

here.

Here area few extracts from my above-mentioned article on Pilates:

< ..... the likelihood of injury in Pilates type exercises tends to be far

less than in most forms of aerobics class. However, the Pilates neglect of

strong ballistic movement, high impact, heavier loading and high power output

movements with loaded implements in free space also create deficits in

all-round human development.

Even if Pilates does not actively add weight training methods to its

repertoire of activities, it would go part of the way towards reducing these

deficiencies by involving some of the Specific Activation and Specific

Relaxation methods from PNF, as well as some of the pattern variations from

that discipline.

In fact, if you are fairly well versed in the principles and procedures of

PNF, and you are able to modify the traditional Knott-Voss activities to

include pulley machines, some gymnastics apparatus, dumbbells, elastic bands,

physio balls and a variable bench, you will be able to offer a very extensive

form of challenging and productive training that Pilates will struggle to

rival. If you are willing to include a few methods from the world of

resistance training (Weightlifting, Powerlifting and Bodybuilding) and

martial arts, then your system will go far beyond what Pilates can ever

offer. .......

It is apparent that far too many Pilates disciples seem to think that all

resistance training is some narrow type of bodybuilding training which many

years ago gave birth to that myth that all weight trained athletes are bulky,

slow, inflexible and prone to injury. This sort of extrapolation from one

small aspect of strength training to prove the merits of Pilates work betrays

a serious lack of understanding and a very biased view of modern strength

training.

In fact, if Pilates teachers were to learn more about what advanced strength

training is about, they could raise Pilates methods to far greater heights.

If any of them are genuinely curious to learn some of the methods of

integrated West-East strength science, then let them examine references such

as the following:

Zatsiorsky V " Science and Practice of Strength Training " 1995

Siff MC " Supertraining " 2000

Bompa T " Theory and Methodology of Training " 1983

Yessis M " Secrets of Soviet Sports Fitness & Training " 1987 >

-----------------------------

Dr Mel C Siff

Denver, USA

Supertraining/