Since 1995, Dynamic Fitness has focused on delivering the finest training in classical Pilates, the original body conditioning system developed by Joseph Pilates in 1926. Our studio’s dedication to the classical method hasn’t left much room in our class schedule for new fusion fitness systems, so you won’t see us offering “yogalates” any time soon. Should we be worried that we’re getting stodgy or set in our ways?
We decided to investigate some of the hottest fitness systems out there today. What we discovered: Whether it’s the actual exercises, fundamental techniques, or core concepts, these fitness fads borrow directly from classical Pilates. Check out these examples:
Pure Barre
Created by dancer and choreographer Carrie Rezabek Dorr, Pure Barre delivers a low-impact workout designed to sculpt areas of the body that most women would identify as “problem spots,” such as the stomach, buttocks, hips and arms. Before creating Pure Barre, Dorr trained in and taught Pilates; in Pure Barre, she sought a way to incorporate her favorite fitness systems into one workout.
If you’re experienced in Pilates, the mat warm-ups in a Pure Barre class will be almost second nature as you move through familiar exercises such as the hundred and the teaser. The Pure Barre abdominal “tuck,” which pulls the hips forward in a posterior pelvic tilt, is not unlike the Pilates abdominal “scoop,” particularly in its aim to neutralize the spine and prevent stress on the lower back.
Pure Barre emphasizes isometric exercises at high reps — this means moving through a very small range and holding muscular contractions in static positions. In contrast, a Pilates workout offers a full range of movement, including the more dynamic “concentric” and “eccentric” muscle contractions. While Pure Barre definitely incorporates the Pilates principles of concentration, control, and precision into each session, some critics say it’s an incomplete workout.
P90X®
P90X® founder Tony Horton once admitted in an interview that he was “terrible” at Pilates. According to Horton, the original P90X® program “forced you to work on your weaknesses,” so that’s arguably why Pilates is now prominently featured as a standalone workout in Horton’s newest P90X3® package.
The “Pilates X” workout comprises 22 exercises from the classical Pilates mat routine, including stretches and instruction on breath control. The 30-minute routine includes moves suitable for beginners, such as the hundred, single leg stretch, and double leg stretch. But as you might expect from a P90X® workout, it’s peppered with advanced exercises and challenging modifications in the open-leg rocker, teaser, shoulder bridge, and side kick series.
Many people who subscribe to P90X® have never heard of Pilates, and complain that the instructions for breath control in Pilates X are confusing and nearly impossible to follow at first. We just recommend that you don’t completely forget to breathe.
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/12/tony-horton-p90x-yoga-breakfast_n_3902266.html
CrossFit
Take one step into “The Box” (otherwise known as a CrossFit gym), and you’ll think there’s no fitness system in the world more antithetical to Pilates. CrossFit’s ultra-competitive approach is intended to push the body to its breaking point as you race against the clock and pile on weights. If you don’t leave gasping and spent, you’re not doing it right.
What you may not see at first glance is that Pilates and CrossFit share origins in gymnastics. Both Joseph Pilates and CrossFit founder Greg Glassman were trained gymnasts. Both systems rely on integrated motion originating from “midline stability” in CrossFit, or your Pilates “powerhouse” — whichever method you practice, you’re constantly activating a strong core.
Glassman defines the exercises of CrossFit as “functional movements” that are “performed in a wave of contraction from core to extremity.” Sound familiar? To us, this sounds just like the perfectly integrated motions of a Pilates workout that energetically radiate from the core.
CrossFit does come with some drawbacks. Where Pilates helps students return the body to optimal function, CrossFit won’t work for anyone who isn’t already at this level. This effectively excludes people seeking an exercise regimen that can accommodate special needs due to injury or disability. And if you’re not already in good physical condition, the intense demands of CrossFit put you at considerable risk for hurting yourself.
In our research, we have encountered several Pilates instructors and adept students who suggest Pilates can lay the foundation for someone to advance into a CrossFit regimen. On the flipside, CrossFit trainers often recommend a Pilates workout for an “active rest day.” We’ve seen CrossFit gyms recruit Pilates experts to teach mat classes and help trainees apply Pilates principles to CrossFit. They confirm that Pilates training helps to reinforce flexibility, mobility, coordination and stability. These aspects of body conditioning are perhaps minimized in the regular CrossFit agenda, but without them, the CrossFit workout can be downright dangerous.
Source:http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/what_is_crossfit.pdf
Have you come across other fitness trends that remind you of Pilates? We’d love to discover more! Share your experiences with us on the Dynamic Fitness Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/DynamicFitness
