Pilates: Moves in Mysterious Ways
Pilates is the perfect workout for those who love variety. A single session can pack in 30 to 40 different exercises—far more than the 5 to 10 exercises you might expect in a traditional gym workout. This blog post explores the reasoning behind this, and the trade offs between more and fewer exercises per session. So why is Pilates different? In the gym, the goal is often hypertrophy—muscle growth. A strength-focused workout typically involves a small number of exercises performed in multiple sets, each with a high number of repetitions. The idea is to fatigue the muscles, encouraging them to rebuild stronger. Generally, hypertrophy training falls within the 6-12 rep range, whereas strength-focused training often uses fewer reps (e.g., 3-6) with heavier loads. Pilates, on the other hand, isn’t primarily about building bigger muscles. Instead, it’s about creating a balanced body—one that moves well, stays strong in all ranges of motion, and is resilient to the demands of dail...