This past summer, I completed my first 1/2 IM in 5:20, yet I just attended my first 30 Minute Pilates class, which my new place of employment offers midday, and I was dead 1/2 way through it. I can only imagine that weekly pilates will only enhance my normal training plan.
If you have a chance go to a pilates class do it… My core is killing me!
Good stuff, the wife and I are working this into our weekly routine.
I agree 100%. A good pilates workout is SO much better than lifting weight for triathletes. It is brutal and will make you realize that doing an IM doesn’t mean you’re Superman. Holy cow, do I get my butt kicked by middle aged women on a regular basis, especially when it comes to abs. In 2 months of twice a week pilates, I’ve noticed less knee pain while running and slightly better performance in the pool. Nothing else has really changed, so I’m attributing both to pilates. If you’ve never tried it, give it a shot!
I tried it and liked it, but it’s expensive. Lately, I’ve been twisting around yoga.
I have been teaching a pilates class for almost 2 years now. I regularly recruit some of the people that I race and train with to come to my class. As the functional strength of your core is an important component to being able to swim, ride in the aero position, and run with good form I can emphatically state that mixing in a pilates class will definitely pay off in your tri training.
At the very least the ab/lower back exercises will allow you to stay in the aero position longer on the bike. If you’re open to it, I also recommend yoga. It’s particularly beneficial to people that have tight hip flexors from running.
Miguel in the 'No…El Tribato
I just started on pilates reformer last week… Man! i absolutly love it!
I can supoort the two previous posts.
Pilates is a heck of a core workout. I used to walk past the pilates classes and thought to myself “You call that a workout. Your just playihng with a ball.” I found out the hard way that that is far from the truth.
If you found pilates to be beneficial look into Yoga. I try to do pilates once a week and yoga twice. Some other people i train with question my priorities but i used to always have IT and patellar problems. Since incorpprating yoga i have felt fantastic even after 7 hour bricks and most of those annoying little joint and muscle pains have disappeared. The emotional aspect is also beneficial as 60 minutes of yoga allows you to shut out the outside world and just concentrate on your body.
My wife teaches yoga and pilates. I have an allegro reformer in the middle of my living room. One of the master trainers I met was the closest thing to an anatomical wall chart I’ve ever seen. Unreal how he could go from laying on his back to sitting up (pilates roll-up) in 1 smooth motion easy motion, no momentum carrying him through at all, no effort.
However, my wife won’t allow me into her yoga class anymore; she says I yawn too much and look bored. The core strength and stretching will help with injuries and form, but I’d rather focus on powering out 350 watts on the bike.
Our coach (roadie group) does not prescribe weights but thinks core is the best off bike workout we can do, that is if we had to do an off bike workout in the first place!
I just took my first pilates class this afternoon. Took it slowly and tried to get the movements right; the instructor gave me a few tips now and then as we went along. She also mixed in some yoga.
I’m not feeling the burn in the lower abs that I might have expected, but when I walk now the hips are a bit wobbly.
I think it all depends on how serious the instructor is. Our instructor is giving a class at our work environment. She’s not overly concerned about perfect form. However, I see how perfect for is critical in the classical sense of Pilates.