Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Health and Fitness

8 great Pilates workouts to keep you tight, toned, and feeling your best

Pilates is great, and these exercises prove it

Veronica Sparks
By
horizontal view of man's folded hands while doing pilates
Rowan Jordan / iStock

While it’s often associated with graceful movements and flexibility, Pilates is not just for women anymore. In recent years, more and more of the guys have been discovering the incredible benefits of Pilates workouts for men. It’s a form of exercise that not only helps in achieving a lean and toned physique but also improves overall strength, posture, and flexibility.

So, if you’re new to Pilates, let’s dig into this wildly popular workout, exploring the history of Pilates, the specific benefits it offers to men, and a comprehensive guide to eight fantastic Pilates workouts that are great for men.

Man stretching his chest
Ketut Subiyanto / Pexels

What is Pilates?

Pilates and yoga are often confused, but Pilates is actually a bit more intense and challenging. Developed by Joseph Pilates in the early 20th century, it was initially known as “Contrology.” It was created as a system of exercises to improve physical strength, flexibility, and mental well-being. Joseph Pilates himself was a gymnast, bodybuilder, and martial artist, and he designed Pilates as a way to integrate mind and body, emphasizing core strength and control.

Recommended Videos

Over time, Pilates has gained immense popularity worldwide, becoming a staple in fitness routines for people of all ages and genders. Today, Pilates is not just a form of exercise, but also a holistic approach to health and fitness, focusing on balance, coordination, and mindfulness.

Man stretching in child's pose.
Taco Fleur / Unsplash

Benefits of Pilates for men

1. Improved core strength

One of the primary benefits of Pilates for men is enhanced core strength. The core muscles, including the abdominals, obliques, and lower back muscles, are crucial for stability and balance. Pilates workouts specifically target these muscles, helping men develop a strong and stable core.

Related

2. Increased flexibility

Flexibility is often overlooked in men’s fitness routines, but it’s essential for overall well-being. Pilates promotes flexibility by stretching and elongating muscles, improving range of motion in joints. This increased flexibility can reduce the risk of injuries and enhance athletic performance.

3. Better posture

Poor posture is a common issue among men, often caused by sedentary lifestyles and desk jobs. Pilates exercises emphasize proper alignment and body awareness, helping men correct their posture and prevent chronic back pain.

4. Enhanced muscle tone

Pilates workouts target both large and small muscle groups, resulting in improved muscle tone and definition. Men can achieve a lean and sculpted physique through regular Pilates practice.

5. Stress reduction

Pilates incorporates controlled breathing and mindful movement, which can help reduce stress and improve mental clarity. It provides an opportunity for men to relax and unwind while working on their physical fitness.

Man doing a side plank yoga pose.
Elina Fairytale / Pexels

8 of the best Pilates workouts for men

1. Pelvic curl

This exercise primarily targets the glutes, hamstrings, lower back, and core muscles.

  1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
  2. Inhale, engage your core, and lift your hips off the mat, creating a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
  3. Exhale, roll your spine back down to the mat, one vertebra at a time.
  4. Repeat for 10-15 reps.

2. Back extension

With this move, we’re focusing on the lower back muscles and glutes. Here’s how to do a back extension.

  1. Lie face down on a mat with your arms extended overhead.
  2. Inhale, engage your core, and then lift your chest and arms off the mat while keeping your feet on the ground.
  3. Exhale, lower your chest back down to the mat.
  4. Repeat for 10-15 reps.

3. Leg change

Ready to engage and build your lower abdominal muscles? The leg change workout is your ticket.

  1. Lie on your back with your legs lifted off the ground and knees bent at a 90-degree angle.
  2. Inhale, engage your core, and then lower one leg toward the mat while keeping the other leg in the tabletop position.
  3. Exhale, return the lifted leg to the tabletop position, and then switch legs.
  4. Repeat for 10-15 reps on each leg.

4. Supine twist

This move gloriously stretches out the spine, chest, and oblique muscles. The supine twist improves your flexibility like a boss.

  1. Lie on your back with your arms extended out to the sides and your knees bent.
  2. Inhale, engage your core, and then slowly lower both knees to one side while keeping your shoulders on the mat.
  3. Exhale, return your knees to the center, and repeat on the other side.
  4. Repeat for 10-15 reps on each side.

5. Rotating chest lift

Target the oblique muscles and core in one fell swoop with rotating chest lifts.

  1. Sit on the mat with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
  2. Cross your arms over your chest and engage your core.
  3. Inhale, rotate your upper body to one side, lifting your chest.
  4. Exhale, return to the center, and repeat on the other side.
  5. Repeat for 10-15 reps on each side.

6. Glute bridge

Work those glutes, hamstrings, and lower back into toned, strengthened powerhouses.

  1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
  2. Inhale, engage your core, and lift your hips off the mat, creating a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
  3. Exhale, lower your hips back down to the mat.
  4. Repeat for 10-15 reps.

7. Side bend

Want to zero in on the oblique muscles? These side bends focus hard on those sides.

  1. Sit on the mat with your legs extended to one side, one hand on the mat for support, and the other hand behind your head.
  2. Inhale, engage your core, and bend to the side, lifting your upper body.
  3. Exhale, return to the starting position, and then repeat on the other side.
  4. Repeat for 10-15 reps on each side.

8. Side-lying leg abduction

The outer thigh muscles can be engaged along with the hip abductors with side-lying leg abductions.

  1. Lie on your side with your legs straight and stacked on top of each other.
  2. Inhale, engage your core, and lift the top leg as high as you can without moving your pelvis.
  3. Exhale, lower the leg back down.
  4. Repeat for 10-15 reps on each side.

Guys, Pilates isn’t just for the ladies, and it offers a host of health benefits to you as men. From improved core strength and flexibility to enhanced muscle tone and better posture, Pilates can help men achieve their fitness goals while promoting a great sense of overall well-being.

Incorporating these eight Pilates workouts into your workout routine can help you stay tight, toned, and feeling your best. So, gentlemen, it’s time to roll out the mat and start your Pilates journey to a healthier, fitter you.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Veronica Sparks
Veronica Sparks
Contributor
Veronica Sparks is a writer from Milwaukee, Wisconsin who loves writing about gardening, home décor, and DIY life. She’s…
Expert reveals the best way to build muscle with resistance bands
Resistance bands might seem too simple for you, but they can be a powerful tool in your muscle-building journey
Jake Lott performing pallof press using a resistance band in a gym.

Many people seek to get stronger and more able through their strength training workouts, but they may wonder how to build muscle to improve their physique and bulk up. A great method for adding on mass is through hypertrophy training, which is a form of training achieved by using heavier weights during high-volume training.
Although a lot of people assume that you can only build muscle by lifting dumbbells, barbells, or other traditional weighted implements, it's possible to do so with resistance bands as well. Resistance bands provide a low-cost, portable, and convenient way to do at-home strength training workouts for those who can’t afford a gym membership or prefer the convenience, efficiency, and privacy of working out at home.
To learn more about how to build muscle using resistance bands instead of weights, we spoke to Seamus Sullivan, a certified strength and conditioning coach and a certified Precision Nutrition professional who has been training clients for over seven years.
Keep reading to learn expert tips on how to build muscle using resistance bands and increase your gains even if you don’t have access to weights.

How does muscle growth occur?
Ultimately, muscle building is the process of hypertrophy. Hypertrophy occurs in a two-step process in which you first break down muscle fibers through high-intensity training (typically resistance training workouts). Then, as long as your body has a sufficient supply of amino acids from dietary protein and adequate caloric intake to support muscle repair, the process of muscle protein synthesis will help prepare and rebuild your muscle fibers to be stronger and larger. 
"The usual factors for hypertrophy are mechanical tension, muscle damage, and metabolic stress," Sullivan said. "Mechanical tension is when a load is placed upon a muscle while the muscle goes through a full range of motion. This leads to muscle damage that, with rest, will now allow the muscles to grow. Lastly, metabolic stress creates signals which have similar effects to mechanical tension to initiate hypertrophy."
Sullivan also noted that to promote hypertrophy, resistance training exercises need to be performed in sets close to failure.

Read more
Hot yoga, core power yoga, and more: 8 yoga variations to help you increase strength and flexibility
Yoga can help anyone achieve their fitness goals
Man doing Pilates with yoga blocks.

As you make progress on your fitness journey, keep your mind open to various forms of exercise and wellness regimens. You’ve likely seen great benefits from cardio workouts and strength training, but you’ll want to keep up with another great form of exercise that will be vital to your health. Yoga is a great tool to have in your arsenal, as it’s effective for strength and flexibility as well as balance between your body and mind.

It's important to take a deeper look into the variations of yoga because the different components of yoga can provide unique benefits. Various yoga poses can enhance your mobility and flexibility, as well as your range of motion. This will be advantageous for your strength and will help ease any muscle pain or stiffness.

Read more
9 benefits of doing plyometrics workouts no matter how fit you are
This is why you should implement plyometrics into your routine
Box jump exercise

Most of us have fallen into a rather repetitive workout routine. You may be a runner, a spin class enthusiast, a weight lifter, or perhaps a fan of low-impact exercises. While you should certainly do what you love, it is important to switch up your routine every once in a while to maximize your results. This is where plyometrics can come in.
Plyometric training is one of the most frequently overlooked forms of exercise. It involves jumping, bounding, and other forms of rapid force production. Oftentimes, recreational athletes and guys just looking to work out enough to stay relatively fit decide that plyometric exercises are mainly beneficial for serious power athletes, but plyometrics are beneficial for nearly everyone.
No matter how fit you are (or aren’t!) or what sport of choice you focus on, there are valuable benefits of plyometrics. Adding just a few plyometric exercises into your weekly workout routine can advance your fitness with little time invested. Don’t preemptively count yourself out; keep reading to learn about the benefits of plyometrics and why you — yes, you — should also start jumping, bounding, and skipping your way to better fitness.

What are the benefits of plyometrics?
Plyometrics are high-impact, explosive exercises — think box jumps, burpees, and vigorous skipping. They challenge your muscles, bones, and connective tissues along with your neuromuscular and cardiovascular systems. The benefits of plyometrics include the following:

Read more