Pilates - rehab in sexy leggings?

Quick definition before I begin. Toned = I want to look like I workout…but not too much. This is an important definition because Pilates has built an empire on it.

Having long-lean muscles and a toned look in 30 sessions is Pilates’ marketing spiel that lures countless women. Sounds magical, right? Only beaten by the 1000 rupee six-pack ab stimulator sold on Amazon.

Here’s the thing: “toned” just means two things - carry some muscle, and don’t cover it with too much body fat. That’s it. The average woman doesn’t actually have enough lean muscle to reveal. You don’t want just skinny. You want the functional benefits and the aesthetic ones. And pilates alone won’t achieve both.

Here’s why:

1. Fat loss is best addressed through nutrition. Quite simply, eat loss than you burn, and you will lose weight. Shocking!

2. Building muscle requires progressive loading - as you get stronger, so must the challenge. Pilates Is just not intense enough of a stimulus.

But why do Pilates Princesses look so fit? (That’s not a name that I coined. It’s their version of muscle mommy, I guess.)

There are several reasons:

1. They’ve already lifted or played sports before. It’s the classic bait-and-switch. Like when a pro athlete spends years building their body on brutal training, then suddenly “discovers” yoga and veganism. They forget to mention the boring, heavy stuff that actually got them to the top.

   
   

2. They probably move more, eat at a calorie deficit and live a generally more active life.
   
   

3. The Pilates lifestyle is as much about club/community as it is about the core. Classes are frightfully expensive. You are paying top dollar to gain entree. And the community has the disposable income to think and act a certain way. I coach at what you’d consider an upmarket gym, and it’s the same story. Women are talking about their diets, calorie deficits, 100$ leggings, protein intakes and wellness routines.

You’re probably thinking “oh! If you’re so strong then why don’t you try pilates and see if you can you do XYZ?”. Or you’ve seen reels of athletes getting humbled by the reformer. What’s that about?

Here’s the deal. Pilates leans hard on long-duration holds, often in stretched positions. That’s gonna smoke anyone, whether you’re standing on a 3000$ reformer or on flat ground. I’ve literally seen people wobble like baby giraffes just trying to touch their toes. Try this. Hold the bottom of a lunge for two minutes and tell me how enlightened you feel.

IMO, pilates is watered down strength training. And it does have its place - super deconditioned folks, rehab cases, or as a light accessory to real lifting. Fun fact: it was literally invented for injured soldiers. But If you have only 2-3 hours a week to train, get into structured strength training and eat smart.