A number of my clients spend a fair amount of time at the gym. They're very strong, know their bodies well, strive for good form and to challenge themselves physically. But Pilates requires different strengths, different form, and a different rhythm. The Method is conceptually challenging because it's not about how much weight or spring tension clients can handle, but the control required to release and resist spring tension. The concept is so foreign, these clients often try to power through exercises the way they would in a gym, attempting to focus on "THE working muscle" during each exercise. In Pilates, there is no muscle isolation similar to weight training. Getting past the gym mentality is often the most difficult challenge for these clients.
This is one of my favorite things about the Pilates Method. Joseph Pilates brilliantly designed an exercise program that works best when the whole body works, and works together, and that you cannot power-through. Unlike most activities in a gym, it doesn't matter how strong, how fast, how flexible, how coordinated, or how smart you are. Which is why Pilates truly is for everyone.
