FitSugar

From the Fit Community: Can You Really Make Your Muscles Longer and Leaner?

Fit Community — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:23:17 PST

FitSugar reader JessicaSmithTV wanted to know: are all those claims about creating longer and leaner muscles through exercise true? She asked an expert and posted the answer in our Fit Community.

You've probably heard it numerous times before - a workout that promises to give you longer, leaner muscles (we've often heard this said about PIlates or ballet-based training methods) . . . so can this really be true? Can a muscle truly become longer and/or leaner?

I asked "The Exercise Doctor" Michele Olson - PhD, creator of the Perfect Legs, Glutes, & Abs DVD, and professor at Auburn University Montgomery - to answer this for us. She has studied various forms of exercise extensively and published research on Pilates.

"Muscles are already comprised of 'fat-free' (aka lean) tissue, so any amount of muscle is, by definition, lean. You can't have 'leaner' muscles," says Olson. "If you were to add more muscles from resistance training, you could increase the amount of lean muscle you have and, therefore, have more lean muscle." But most of these methods (such as Pilates or ballet-/barre-style exercises) use relatively light to moderate resistance, which is not enough to create a significant increase in the amount of lean muscle mass you have.

Read on to learn more about if you can make your muscles long and lean.

Mistakes You're Making on the Pilates Mat

Susi May — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 02:51:53 PST

Mat classes are the most affordable way to reap the benefits of Pilates. Taught across the country at gyms and private studios, group classes mean you don't have an instructor cuing and correcting your every move. Make the most of your time on the mat and be mindful of these common mistakes I've seen in classes over the years.

Not Going Deep
There are many benefits to Pilates, but getting in touch with the deep abs, aka the transverse abdominals, is, to me, the most important. If the deep abs are working, then all four layers of ab muscles will be working right along with it, making for a very stable torso. In class, use every exhale as opportunity to reengage your abs and pull them into your spine with a little lift up. If the abs are pooching outward, you're only working the top layer of the abs and training them to pull away from the spine - the opposite effect of what you want.

Momentum Is Not Your Friend
Deliberate pauses are built into the choreography of many Pilates exercises to prevent momentum from taking over the motion. The Pilates method was originally named Contrology (the study of control) to emphasize this very concept. Going slowly is key. Jayme Boyle, the group fitness coordinator and Pillates mat instructor at the SF Equinox, explains the importance of forgoing momentum like this: "Slower pace means you’re turning on stabilizing muscles and you’re creating more isometric contractions." And I have to agree. Pilates is not a race.

Keep reading for more common Pilates mat class mistakes.

Guess Which Celeb Is Leaving a Pilates Class?

Michele Foley — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 04:41:12 PST

Can you guess which actress spent the day at Pilates?

Breathe Deeply, Improve Your Running

Susi May — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 02:40:24 PST

Breathing. You're doing it right now without even thinking about it. Put a little thought into the action, and you just might find yourself soaring through your next tempo run. When you're going the distance running, swimming, cycling, and even rowing you need to power your muscles with fresh oxygen. To do this, you need to breathe deeply. Unfortunately, most of us are just breathing into our chest and not fully utilizing our lungs. Cross-training with the noncardio workouts of yoga and Pilates can help. Along with strength and flexibility, these forms of mind-body exercise help you learn to breathe deeply and effectively.

Basically, your lungs are just a bit smaller than your rib cage, but we all tend to breathe in just the top third of the lungs. One reason is that, like all muscles, the intercostals, which run between the ribs, can get tight and inflexible, limiting the expansiveness of your lungs. With a little training and some stretching, you can breathe to your full potential and increase your endurance.

Learn a supersimple breathing exercise, simply read more.

5 Pilates DVDs For Beginners

Heather Dale — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 00:09:51 PST

Now that you've conquered the basics of yoga with these DVDs, it may be time to test the waters of Pilates. Or maybe you have someone on your holiday list this year that prefers working out in the comfort of her home and has always wanted to give Pilates a try? What's great about Pilates is that it can be practiced by a wide range of people - whether you're a runner, a professional athlete, or a senior citizen, its exercises can be modified to cater to all fitness levels. Here are five of my favorite DVDs that are the perfect place to start if you’re new to Pilates.

Source: Thinkstock

Holiday Gifts For Pilates-Loving Gals

Michele Foley — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:11:23 PST

Once seen as something otherworldly, Pilates is everywhere these days - you probably know someone who is at a Pilates studio right now! With the holidays right around the corner, it's time to start thinking about what to get those gals on your list who spend as much time on the Reformer or mat as they do at home. No need to stress; we've done the shopping for you. These gifts will surely inspire the fab Pilates-loving gal on your list.

Pilates Moves For Your Arms and Core From Kim Kardashian's Trainer

Self — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 04:18:48 PST

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Self here on FitSugar!

If you're a novice like me, you might not realize that there are many different kinds of Pilates. And those incarnations are not defined as "hard, very hard, and nearly impossible."

Celebrity trainer Sara Kapuchinski just opened her new LA studio i heart fitness xo, where she teaches West Coast-style Pilates to a revolving A-list clientele including Khloe and Kim Kardashian, Christina Ricci, Modern Family's Sofia Vergara and Glee's Romy Rosemont.

Kapuchinski started out as a weekend trainer, whose day job was as an A & R executive in the music industry. Soon, she realized that teaching fitness felt more personally satisfying. "Music was fun, but I was more gratified training people," she recalls. "After sitting at a desk from 9 to 5 and staying up 'til all hours, I was experiencing a lot of neck and back pain. And, like most people, I was amazed that classic Pilates did the things that it was supposed to do: my posture improved, I lost inches in my waist and my neck and back pain basically disappeared."

After a bit of investigation, the trainer found that Pilates on the West Coast, which is heavier on cardio, was more her speed: "Pilates is so great for your body, for your core (that mysterious thing), but a lot of times you leave a class feeling like you need to sweat. I wanted something that was a bit more cardio-driven without having to go take a Boot Camp."

Read on for three of Kapuchinski's heart-pounding Pilates moves!

Quick Tip: Complement Your Workout With Light-Intensity Days

Leta Shy — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 11:44:39 PDT

You've fit in intense 20-minute workouts and slaved away in spin class all week. So when it comes to your rest day, help your body rehab by stretching or taking yoga - it'll complement your normal workout routine to keep you on the right track.

A light workout like yoga will complement all the calorie-burning, high-intensity exercises you do in your workout. That's because stretching your muscles helps keep your body flexible, which is an important component to your workout routine - it will help keep you from experiencing an injury because of tightness, and it will also help you improve coordination. Yoga and Pilates can also help your balance, which is another important component of a safe exercise regimen.

If you've still got the energy in you to work out on your "rest" day, complement your workout with yoga, Pilates, or other types of stretching.

4 Ways Pilates Makes Everything Better

Susi May — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 10:43:46 PDT

Pilates has a rep as a girly exercise form that attracts ladies who lunch. Private sessions can be pricey, but mat classes will work your entire body. Originally called Contrology, the practice was actually developed to rehab injured soldiers after WW I - talk about functional fitness! After teaching the method for years (and rehabbing my own chronic back injury with it), I have decided Pilates makes everything better, from life's basics like sitting to things more extreme like CrossFit. Here are four Pilates fundamentals that everyone can benefit from learning.

Breathing
The most basic human function, breathing supports life and a fit life, too. A proper inhale fuels your muscles with oxygen, and a powerful exhale helps you engage your deep abs to protect your spine and support your torso. The conscious and studied breathing in Pilates might feel tedious at first, but learning how to breathe into your lower lungs, rather than just your chest, helps makes you a more efficient cardio machine. The Pilates method of inhaling wide through the ribs and exhaling by contracting the deep abs to push the diaphragm into the lungs also means you can keep your upper body and neck relaxed as you take in air.

Learn three more benefits when you keep reading.

Piyo, Piloga, Yogilates: Any Way You Spell It, They're a Perfect Mix of Yoga and PiIates

Heather Dale — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 03:06:11 PDT

New to Pilates and yoga, but can't decide which class to take? Or maybe you love yoga and Pilates but can't squeeze both into your hectic schedule? These fitness dilemmas can easily be solved thanks to a new wave of Pilates- and yoga-fusion classes popping up all over the US. Reap the benefits from both practices in just one class. Wondering where to start? Here's a rundown of some yoga-Pilates combo classes.

Yogilates
Created in 1997 by certified Pilates instructor and personal trainer Jonathan Urla, Yogilates includes no less than 40 poses, including leg lifts, back lifts, Sun Salutation, Downward Facing Dog, and meditation poses. Urla notes how Yogilates may feel like yoga in the beginning since it includes lots of pause with the poses, but toward the end - especially with the abdominal work - you will notice the Pilates because of the intensity. His class focuses on being present, breathing, moving, and enjoying the beauty of your practice.

Here are more hybrid classes to look out for in your city.