Blending Pilates with Weight Training
You’ve decided that you want to start a new workout routine. Maybe you’re an avid Pilates student, but you’re interested in tackling a new challenge that can further increase your strength. Maybe you’re already a dedicated weight training enthusiast, but you’re interested in improving your overall flexibility and balance. Or maybe you’re just looking for workout routine that’s challenging, balanced, and effective. Blending Pilates with strength training gives you the best of both worlds, culminating into a total body workout regimen that gets results.
Two Different Fields, Two Different Benefits
Pilates is a mind-body exercise performed on a mat that primarily uses bodyweight exercises in combination with mindful breathing to increase strength, flexibility, stamina, and endurance. While Pilates is considered a form of strength training, it is often not very successful in strengthening the biceps, triceps, chest, shoulders, and back.
This is why Pilates combined with weight training is so successful — weight training allows you to zero in on these neglected areas and have a workout routine that is more balanced and complete. But that’s not all — the weight-bearing exercises that are central to strength training have also been known to help maintain bone density and prevent bone loss in the future.
Increased Performance in Both Activities
Pilates and weight training don’t just combine into a balanced full body workout — doing one can dramatically improve your performance and the quality of your workouts in the other. Incorporating the deep breathing and slow, flexible movements used in Pilates into your weight training routine can improve the quality and effectiveness of each of your reps. Performing a Pilates move may be easier after a few weeks of weight training because of your increased total body strength.
Blending Pilates and Weight Training
To receive the maximum benefits of both of these exercises, it is important to develop a specific plan to effectively blend the two. Doing so with a specialist is a wise decision because you can clearly and safely map out your goals. For example, you may have specific goals that are better reached if you practice Pilates a little more than weight training, or vice versa. Meeting with our team at Zero Gravity can help you do this in a way that is safe and specifically tailored to your body, allowing you to achieve maximum results.
We would love to help you successively combine Pilates and weight training here at Zero Gravity Fitness. Contact us today if you’re interested in learning more about any of our sophisticated combination training programs.