Pilates and ‘Going for the Burn’: How Much Is Too Much?
By Maria Leone
Recently, my mother made me watch “The Biggest Loser” with her. I had never seen this show before and I was immediately in awe—in awe of how hard the trainers pushed the contestants and how mean they could be. I know that the contestants are monitored to some extent to prevent heart attacks, and other medical emergencies, yet even with these precautions, a New York Times article published late last year revealed that the contestants are often dehydrated and are not losing weight in a healthy fashion. The trainers push the contestants far past what I would consider a safe exertion zone for exercise. The whole thing made me wonder: What about the contestants’ joints, in particular the knees and back? How do those trainers have any idea when a disc is about to blow or a meniscus is about to give out?
I also wondered how the weight results would change if they didn’t push the envelope so hard on the physical exertion. For years, weight loss has been the big sell for the fitness industry. The harder and longer you work out the more you lose, right? Not so, says a recent story in Time magazine, called Why Exercise Won’t Make You Thin. Apparently many people begin to give themselves permission to eat foods they normally would not when they begin an exercise program. Any results from the gym are sabotaged by a muffin, an iced latte or a sugary “workout” drink. The amount you sweat, pant or burn is irrelevant for weight loss if you can’t maintain a healthy diet.
Understand When to Push Clients
Often, when observing new teachers, I notice them pushing clients to perform an exercise outside the boundary of what they can execute safely. In my opinion the clients look like they are suffering, and not in a good way. To please clients, many trainers follow their lead and push them past the point of hard work into the realm of straining. Straining is different than merely working hard or deeply—it is the beginning of an injury. Most clients won’t ask to stop because their perception of the exercise is that it is “hard.” In their minds the “harder” it is, the better the result. It is up to the teacher to determine if the client is merely working hard or beginning to injure themselves. Unfortunately, many clients still think they must be beaten up to get a good workout, and shows like “The Biggest Loser” just reinforce this.
Weighing Risk vs. Benefit
Pilates instructors need to cultivate their own monitor for how hard to push clients. We should always consider the risk versus the benefit of an exercise. If you are engaged in your teaching you will know when it is time for a client to rest. Pay attention to their breath. If they are not able to breathe through an exercise, they need to stop. Even when working intensely, they should be able to relax the muscle groups that are not involved in the exercise. Their bodies overall should stay supple, not locked into any fixed position. Remind your clients frequently to move with “effortless effort”. My tae kwon do master compares the power generated by the body to that of a whip, which is fluid and graceful or a hammer which is rigid and nonmalleable. We want our clients to be whip-like when they move.
When In Doubt, Ask
I find it is helpful for new teachers to ask clients what their sensation is after an exercise. A client should never feel pain in the knees, or elbows. If the wrists hurt it should only be for a brief period of time when learning how to properly support body weight on the hands. The neck should only get tired when the abdominals are deconditioned. Never sacrifice on form when it comes to the lumbar spine. Back positions must be precise. It should be easy to identify whether the client is in a neutral, posterior or anterior position. If the lower back feels the exertion, it is important to separate muscle fatigue from the feeling of compression. Compression feels like pressure and is uncomfortable. If the client’s back is feeling tired make sure one of your longterm goals is to work the back extensors to build strength. It can be necessary at times to overload the muscles of the lower back in order to strengthen them. (Anytime we are stabilizing the pelvis in neutral and challenging that stability by moving the legs, one of the objectives is to strengthen the back extensors.)
The Pilates ‘Burn’
Many hybrid Pilates studios have opened up around Los Angeles that put traditional fitness moves on a Reformer-like machine with a sprinkling of Joe’s recognizable exercises. The clients perform exercises while being timed. The teachers wear microphones and teach over booming music. I have had clients come in and tell me, in sort of an envious tone, of friends who were “soaked with sweat” after a Pilates class. One even told me she heard of a studio where participants sometimes puked in the bathroom. Although no reputable Pilates instructor would teach in this manner, I could tell that my clients wondered if we were working “hard” enough. I quickly switched up our workout and the envious tone vanished. I often wonder if the puking clients were in any better shape than my own. I think not.
When Clients Want a Quick Fix
Even if you are a genuine Pilates teacher doing your best to match your intentions to the work of Joseph Pilates, sometimes you will find yourself with the kind of client who is interested in taking Pilates but not in really doing it. Usually they have heard it is a good way to get in shape and are looking for a quick fix. Pilates is not just arbitrary choreography on a funny looking machine; it is a mind body discipline. Cultivating body awareness and the ability to maintain focus is essential. (I once had a client who was so focused that she maintained her position while we experienced a small earthquake. I suggested next time she move away from the mirrors.) There will always be clients who take Pilates because it seems like the thing to do. There’s no need to lose these clients. I think it is possible to incorporate what the client wants with what the client needs without losing the integrity of the work. Particularly in today’s market, the more types of clients you can work with, the better.
Find Balance in Your Teaching
My mantra in teaching is balance. If you remember to keep balance in all aspects of your teaching you will not only make Joe proud, but also be able to meet the needs of a varied clientele. I do want clients to be pushed physically and sweat while I am training them. It is important to overload muscles in order to increase strength. To prevent plateaus the teacher must have a variety of different exercises on multiple apparatuses at their disposal. A client’s workout should not be a set routine that does not change. Even when going mainstream, Pilates should emphasize quality over quantity. Sometimes in a large setting it is necessary to increase reps but not without increasing the cueing. The ultimate goal should still be to reduce reps without sacrificing muscle connection.
Zen in the Work
I don’t consider myself part of the fitness industry. By that I mean that I am not selling clients on the idea that by studying Pilates they will achieve the body they want. Rather, I am in the health and wellness business. I hope my clients will discover their own Zen while working with me. This keeps my clients motivated in the process of Pilates rather than only focusing on the results. Recent promos for “The Biggest Loser” show the contestants strapped to a Mack truck. The challenge is to see which team can tow it the furthest. While this may not be the healthiest thing for the body or even the quickest way to lose weight, it does make for good television. While you’re working on balance in your teaching, you can tune in and let me know what you think.
Maria Leone owns Bodyline Pilates Studio in Beverly Hills, Calif., and is Bridge Program Director for the PhysicalMind Institute. She trained as a Pilates teacher with PhysicalMind and has been teaching since 1989. She holds a BFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and is also an accredited IDEA Master Trainer, as well as a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. Maria has her own video/DVD series, Pilates on the Go.
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Reader Comments (7)
great article. Will be tweeting and reposting. Thanks!
This is a great article. I have watched "The Biggest Loser" for a few years and I'm always shocked by the trainers "training". I've seen them shout in their clients faces, stand on their backs while they do push-ups and turn the treadmills up so high that the clients fly off the back (and remember, these are 300 + people who have likely never exercised before). This is not a safe, sane way to lose weight or become fit.
Thank you!
I agree, a well written article, thank you,I feel my faith in my Pilates teaching is restored again! I watched Biggest Loser in UK and they do the same, standing on clients back and screaming in their ears..I was wincing at the training they were put through, and these are de- conditioned clients, madness. When I was training with the Pilates Institute in London, UK, across the road from the hotel was a Reformer studio called Pilates Beautcamp in a basement, the outside painted to look like an Army camp in Camouflage style design,a free trial was on offer so off I went, a room with 8 Reformers..we worked so hard, I couldnt keep up, also using the Circle and handweights, everyone was sweating and groaning,it was tough, but they got a great workout which is what they wanted, as for my poor over activated Obliques and tight shoulders..I felt no benefit at all.
Prior to my teacher training, I had practiced Pilates in a gym studio setting for 2 years and was none the wiser on correct posture or the true pilates meaning as the class is aimed at people walking in off the street (only the office staff knowing the members health background, teachers don't have a clue...the club members being told to "go to a pilates class" by their Physio) they want a workout and are pushed to do 20 reps of everything, hold the 100 for 100 seconds no option to have 1 leg down (I didnt know that until I started my training ) pelvis tuck all the time, no mention of shoulders,ever. 20 - 25 in a class..and my glutes were still weak, though I wasnt aware of that at all, again, until I started my teacher training, what a massive light bulb moment that was..I learnt how to do a shoulder bridge correctly..! yay! I was angry for quite a while feeling that I had wasted 2 years.
So now Im teaching mixed level classes, no more than 10 clients, and its fine if you know and use the correct cues..it can be done..fair enough in a class of 20 plus you cant correct everyone but you can give a good and safe enough class if you cue and layer each move, which all comes down to training and experience. Ive covered the same gym class for the teacher a few times when they are away...and have received some referred business from it from clients who are relived to see a different side to Pilates, but the others, the gym rats, who think its too easy as they didnt hold the plank for 8 minutes (true!) please....I dont want these people as clients,but expect them to come knocking when they've had an injury, just a matter of time, then they will discover how hard Pilates really is.
Very nice article. It's sometimes a real challenge to keep a "gym rat" interested in the work when they want you to give them a "hard work out". If I can keep them engaged long enough for them to learn the basic principles and enough of the repertoire that I can start moving them through the workout at a faster pace, they start to have fun with it. We all know that Pilates can give you a good hard work out, but it has to be mindful. I cringe when I hear stories of teachers doing Pilates with blasting music headphones--I can only imagine how many injuries they see, not to mention the psychic dissonance--don't we have enough noise and anxiety in our lives without bringing it into a Pilates studio too?
Great article Maria. I remember that being one of my biggest challenges when I was teaching - the clients who were into the "body" but not the mind, who wanted to feel their big muscles work but didn't understand how important those subtle deeper connections were. And I sure remember sweating in your classes - and how great it felt!
I'm all for fitness and health but these days, too many people are extremist. They not only take all the fun out of things but in the end, these people's bodies just look plane weird. They are so "toned" that they look strained and have froggish looking legs and arms and look uncomfortable in their own skins. Some people look like concentration camp victims or cancer patients. There is nothing graceful, or beautiful about them and the word "Natural" doesn't come to mind when looking at them. Because much of our labor these days isn't "laboring" we have invented ways to get the physical movement our bodies need. It can be achieved in a natural,fun way. It doesn't have to be grueling, psycho-like or "drill sergeant-ish. The best instructors know that, body fat is not your enemy and that it is necessary for human health. They look normal,naturally fit and healthy. If more some people had body fat, they wouldn't have to buy breast and butt and we'd see less bones protruding. Bottom line, Stop the "herding behavior" and use your own brains. If the instructor acts like a psych patient or looks like a "Barbie" ie fake boobs (boney chest yet big round boobs) and butt implants (same thing only in the butt area) yet strained and weird looking everywhere else, you probably don't want to be in her class. If you take a class and feel emotionally abused or Picked On, don't go back.