This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s summer editorial intern Ana Sofia Corral Morales. Find her on Instagram at @sofi.photographsss. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
In the journey of working out, people often go through confusion about the results they want to reach, which follow up in trying different paths. In the girls case, should they stick to pilates training or a traditional gym workout? Either way you got to invest some money, however, you don’t invest in the same results. This article digs into the main differences, benefits and potential drawbacks of achieving a pilates body vs a gym body.
Understanding pilates
Joseph Pilates created Pilates in the early 20th century to recover from his injury. He believed a non active lifestyle and the lack of mind-body connection results in poor overal health. Pilates is a system of exercises designed to improve physical strength, flexibility, and posture. It highlights controlled movements, breathing, and alignment. Pilates can be performed on a mat or using specialized equipment like the Reformer, Cadillac, and a Wunda Chair.
Core Strength
One of the denominators of pilates is its focus on the core, often referred to as the “powerhouse” of the body. This includes the abdominal muscles, lower back, hips and glutes. Regular pilates practices boosts core strength, leading to better stability and balance. A strong core is crucial for physical health and can prevent injuries.
Flexibility, Muscle Tone and Low Impact
Pilates exercises involve a range of motion that promotes flexibility. Unlike traditional gym workouts, which often isolate muscles, pilates requires multiple muscle groups simultaneously. This approach results in long, lean muscles and improved muscle without adding bulk. One of the most significant advances in pilates is that it can easily be done by people of all fitness levels. The low impact nature minimizes the risk of injury while being a challenging workout.
Mind-Body Connection
Pilates is not just a physical workout; it also encourages a strong body-mind connection. People that practice this discipline are often focusing on their breathing and the precision of their movement, which add to body awareness. This mindfulness can translate into better posture, reduced stress and an overall sense of well-being.
Understanding Gym Workouts
The experience of working out in gyms can cover a wide range of exercises, from weightlifting and resistance training to cardiovascular activities like running, cycling and swimming. Gyms provide a variety of equipment and machines designed to target specific muscle groups and fitness goals.
Strength and Muscle Mass
If your goal is purely building mass and strength, traditional gym workouts, particularly weightlifting, are effective. By progressively overloading the muscles with heavier weights, gym people can achieve hypertrophy, resulting in larger and stronger muscles. This is the primary goal for those seaking a gym body. For those seeking rapid results, high-intensity training (HIIT) can be particularly effective. HIIT alternates between short periods of activity and rest, since all the work is directed to be completed in sessions of 45 minutes to 1 hour. It maximizes calorie burn and boosts metabolism in a shorter amount, compared to traditional cardio workouts.
Variety and Customization
The gym environment offers a diverse range of equipment and exercise options, allowing people to customize their routine according to their time and needs. Whether the goal is to bulk up, slim down or adapt an overall fit figure, gyms provide the tools needed to custom a program to individual needs and preferences. Personal trainers are also available to create personalized plans and provide motivation.
Pilates and Gym Trends
Primarily it was stereotyped that pilates should only be practiced by women and the gym was a space strictly for men.
Men’s wellness trend is on rise, reaching pilates even to celebrities and athletes. This increased interest in pilates is helping take over the perception that the spa and wellness industry is mainly for women. NBA athlete Kevin Durant used pilates during his recovery from a Achilles tendon injury and Harry Styles was featured doing a pilates exercise in a TikTok, with the pop star using the hashtag #mendopilatestoo. “Men pilates video” currently has 1.2 billion views on the social platform.
On the other hand, the participation of women in fitness trends and spaces has only grown. Women’s only gyms are trending on Tik Tok with 48.7 million views and counting. According to the IHRSA Global Report last year, women hold the majority share of gym memberships in most regions, making up about 57% of gym-goers globally. Women’s memberships have increased over 32% in the last 14 years, compared to men’s 23.2%. We can also take notes on how big exercise brands like Gymshark include women influencers like Analis Cruz, Annabel Lucinda and Sara Saffari into their marketing. Women are passionate about their health and the industry is taking notice.
Pilates Body vs Gym Body: What’s Better For Girls?
The choice between a pilates body vs gym body ultimately depends on personal fitness goals, preferences and individual responses to different types of exercise. But what does social media say? Fitness girls in social media express the desire to achieve both a strong, defined core and big glutes, especially since summer is just around the corner. For many, a combination of both pilates and gym workouts might offer the best deal, targeting every goal. This hybrid method can offer the best of both worlds. For example, a weekly fitness routine might include:
- Three days of gym workouts: Focused on strength training and cardiovascular exercises.
- Two days of Pilates: Concentrating on core strength, flexibility, and muscle balancing.
You can personalize the routine with your needs, but most importantly, go through more references in order to guide your decision and get into the habit of working out. If you’re anxious to entering the fitness world, here’s a video recommendation to get motivation.
Tell me in the comments if you have practiced pilates, gym or both! And how do you like it!
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