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Men & Pilates?

Funny isn’t it that the technique was created by a man and yet so many Pilates teachers write to me saying they can’t pay them to attend their sessions. Why should that be? Men have figured in Pilates from the beginning - many teachers are male but it seems the surge in demand for Pilates over the last few years has been from women, giving weight to the myth that Pilates is a “women’s thing”.

My personal experience over the years has been that men love the Pilates equipment, the precision and focus of the programme seems to fit well with their idea of serious training.
Men who already play sport always appreciate the benefits that Pilates brings to their particular sport of choice whether it’s golf, football, cricket or surfing.

If you feel the need to attract men into your classes or personal training programmes, or you already have them but want to keep them, you need to consider a few things:

• Ratio of men to women in the group
• Cueing
• Class content
  

You will also need to consider where you are marketing your Pilates sessions a Mother and Toddler group may not be the right place to make contact with your potential male clients.

Men To Women Ratio

Back when I owned my gym, it was clear that men were the minority in aerobic classes, step classes saw a greater number, but what was also noticeable was that men felt less inclined to join the group and be seen as less than competent. Women didn’t seem to mind being on a learning curve in public. However once the men committed they were there every week. I had a saying at the time “only a real man could”. Joking aside it is important that men do not feel like the “token” if they attend your classes.

Personal training is something else, men do not feel like the odd one out. So when you are considering your marketing, take the time to think about where you will place your information. The local golf club is ideal, swimming pools, football clubs and health and fitness clubs should work well.

The wording in your materials also needs attention - make sure you highlight the benefits to sports related fitness. Improved flexibility, stability and mobility all work wonders for a footballer, golfer, baseball player the list is endless.

Design is also a consideration perhaps you could consider a more plain approach rather than the more flowery mind/body clouds and flowers.

Thoughts On Cueing

Even if you have coaxed just one brave man into your class let your cueing engage him. Talking about floating and butterflies may not be quite what he will respond to, perhaps you could have the class visualise their torso as a tree and their arms and legs as branches with feet planting roots into the earth, rather than a row of pearls on a velvet mat....... little things mean a lot.

Pilates Moves For Men?

There is no difference in training men and women in the Pilates technique, men tend to be more inflexible in their hips and hamstrings and women generally less strong in the upper body, but the repertoire is the same; it will just need modifying accordingly.

If you have Pilates equipment available to you then it will be a very happy male client who learns the strength required to work on the more athletic movements of the Cadillac, Reformer and Wunda Chair.

Does It Really Matter?

Men or women - as long as your classes are busy and you are presenting your best each session what does it matter if your clients are men or women? That’s my personal opinion, for what it’s worth.

Pilates is still one of the fastest growing trends in fitness according to The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).

A mixed group is always fun and I have to say I have found that when there are men in a class, the atmosphere is lighter with a tendency to be less intense.

So if you want to particularly target men for your Pilates sessions you will need to take the above into consideration.

If any of you have tips or hints that have worked for you let me know and I will share them, or if you have any comments or an opinion about the article just email me at info@thepilatesconsultant.com, I would love to hear your stories.

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