Do you have feet?

Debates are always interesting and none more so than those in the Wellness / Fitness Industry.

• Static stretching vs AIS  
• Carb’s or no carb’s 
• Yoga vs Pilates  
• Gym vs Bodyweight training 

All these topics and trust me many more could have a room of professionals discussing and arguing for hours and hours. 

At our Centre we work quite a lot with runners and there is always the question of shoes, what type style or none at all !! take a look at this very interesting article I received recently

For more than 40 years, people in the West have been running on built-up “squishy” shoes, hoping to prevent injury and go faster. Yet “barefoot” runners argue that running without shoes or in minimal footwear is safer and better.

Who’s right? And what kind of shoes should you wear for the healthiest running experience? Find out in this thought-provoking article. Click here for full article 

this article is by mc schraefel and carried by PN

Treat the Father / Man you love

To all those wonderful dedicated Fathers [past and present]

Wishing you a very Happy Father’s Day

 Pilates 4Men – Smarter not Harder Pilates

Pilates was of course created by a man, Joseph Pilates.
[The surge in popularity in recent times may be driven by women, but it should be remembered that] Joe Pilates’ original program’s were developed with men’s health in mind, and designed to help men overcome conditions, strains and stresses that occur as a result of the daily routine of life or 

Pilates 4Men – Smarter not Harder Pilates

If you are a man and fancy a smarter rather than harder workout that will leave you energised rather than drained, give us a call at BODYFIRM Studios and discover what Pilates 4Men can do for you.
Joyce

“A few well-designed movements, properly performed in a balanced sequence, are worth hours of doing sloppy calisthenics or forced contortion” – Joseph Pilates

 Treat the man in your life 

Gift vouchers available at 

training@bodyfirmpilates.com or call 01 868 4600 

20 SECONDS TO FITNESS STRENGTH AND WEIGHT LOSS

You want to work out - you want a tough workout - you don't have much time and above all you want results 

Well then Guys call US  - because we have the system that will not only rock your boat but will rock your world and change your body all in 20 seconds ( well just a little bit longer !) 

Tabata, a high intensity, short duration effective exercise system

Tabata – What is it?

Tabata (developed by it’s name sake Japanese Professor Izumi Tabata) is a high intensity interval training system (HIIT) that since its inception has provided remarkable results  - he originally developed this system for the Japanese speed skating team in 1996

Tabata – How does it work?

The system is short explosive bursts - you work flat out over a 20 second round – complete 8 rounds – in each round you have a  10 second rest period – this gives us a total 4 minute session

Tabata  - boosts the metabolism

Research by exercise physiologist Dr. Michele Olson has shown that you can burn a ‘whopping 13.5 calories per minute and can double the metabolic rate for a least 30 minutes (calorie after burn)  after an all out bout of Tabata  training’ – (research report presented to the 60^th Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports medicine (ACSM)

Olson, who measured study participants' calorie burn before, during, and 30 minutes after a Tabata bout, found the routine to be an extremely effective way to boost metabolism fast. "It would take five times the amount of typical cardio exercise, like a 20-minute brisk walk, to shed the same number of calories that result from a 4-minute Tabata," she says.

Professor Tabata’s subjects pedalled on exercise bikes and Dr Olson’s  group did body weight jump squats – but Tabata as a style of training lends its self to all manner of cardio work, body weight training even explosive movements.

But remember Tabata is an  all out 100% effort system – 4 minutes of high intensity, balls to the walls activity, preceded by a 10 min warm up and  cool down.  Compound movements are relatively simple and allow for an easy transition between movements.

Tabata works – the science is behind it

Call us  CORE TRAINING SOLUTIONS today we are here to coach you to being the best you can be – Tabata is just one of the tools we can use to help you achieve that lean, fit, responsive, flexible body you have always wanted.

@ BODYFIRM Studios 01 868 4600 – training@bodyfirmpilates.com

More about Professor Tabata click here

More about Dr Michele Olson  click here

Pilates4Men – Smarter not Harder Pilates

Pilates was of course created by a man, Joseph Pilates.
The surge in popularity in recent times may be driven by women, but it should be remembered that Joe Pilates’ original programes were developed with men’s health in mind, and designed to help men overcome conditions, strains and stresses that occur as a result of the daily routine of life or 

Activities of Daily Living (ADL). In other words, how one walks, sits, carries a case or weight, walks a dog, swings a golf club or tennis racket, kicks a ball, runs, jumps, climbs, rests, etc.
Joe Pilates wanted to achieve flexibility and strength through core conditioning (strengthening the muscles of the abdominal's and torso) and balanced muscle development and co-ordination throughout the body.

In looking at how people approach physical activity, while this can apply to anyone, consider a traditional scenario where a boy takes up a sport or training from an early age and develops poor training practices. By not developing core strength or correct exercise habits, over time a weak core, postural dysfunctions and destructive workout routines will result. The symptoms of these will become manifest in the form of joint and muscle pain and inflexibility, particularly of hamstrings (ouch!).
Later, poor work practices in terms of handling goods, sitting at a desk or driving a vehicle will result in similar problems.
When we take up an exercise routine we generally have a number of specific goals in mind: Get fit; lose weight; reduce stress; improve sleep; improve muscle tone, increase stamina, etc.
Traditional routes men choose to achieve these goals have been to join a gym, run, swim, etc, whereas women, in addition to trying the above, tend to be more open to Pilates, yoga or similar programes.

In my experience at the Studio, men who make enquiries about Bodyfirm Pilates’ programmes are usually looking to recover from an injury or overcome a back or neck strain. Occasionally, they might be looking to improve sporting performance; enhance flexibility or prevent possible future injury. And the approach is usually made as a result of a recommendation from someone who has benefited from pilates.

The important point of note here is that the initial reason for taking up pilates was goal specific. Joe Pilates’ original reasoning in developing Pilates was to devise an integrated range of movements to condition the body as a whole, improving overall body strength and flexibility, and reducing the risk of long-term injury.Incidentally, it should be remembered that Joe Pilates was still taking Pilates classes in his 80s.

An injury or strain to the body can on many occasions be attributed to the body not working as an integrated unit and the damaged area on one occasion too many having to overcompensate because the body is not being worked as it should be.

So, a person consulting us with a specific goal such as injury recovery in mind, in most cases can definitely expect to see improvements very quickly. However, by introducing a short integrated pilates workout into their daily routine they will not only tackle their core problem but also improve their overall body health by increasing body strength, flexibility, balance, stability and breathing and reduce their risk of future injuries.

Specific activities
Physiologically, for example, anyone – male or female – who plays, golf, football, rugby, tennis, cycling, tennis or runs, to name a few activities, could radically improve their game by regularly practising a pilates core-based workout with an emphasis on shoulder and pelvic girdle stabilisation from the strong platform of an integrated LPHC (lumbar pelvic hip complex).
Once you have developed a proper routine with a qualified and competent pilates instructor, all you need is a mat to practise on. Indeed, I have designed a number of programmes that can be practised while sitting at a desk.

So who should consider taking up pilates?

• If the answer is ‘YES’ to any of the following questions you could benefit immensely by introducing a short pilates workout into your daily routine.
• Do you work in an office, sitting for extended periods of time (Manager, computer programmer, web designer, bank clerk)?
• Does your job involve repetitive movements (line worker, construction worker, baker, painter)?
• Do you work overhead (plasterer, electrician, mechanic)?
• Is driving a regular part of your daily routine? (taxi driver, truck driver, company rep)?
• Do you regularly take part in football, hurling, soccer, rugby, golf or running events?
• Do you regularly attend a gym?
• Do you have any recurring injuries such as back or neck strains, ankle, knee or hip aches, shoulder, elbow or wrist strains?
• 
  

Pilates4Men – Smarter not Harder Pilates
If you are a man and fancy a smarter rather than harder workout that will leave you energised rather than drained, give us a call at Bodyfirm Pilates and discover whatPilates4Men can do for you.
Joyce
“A few well-designed movements, properly performed in a balanced sequence, are worth hours of doing sloppy calisthenics or forced contortion” – Joseph Pilates

Smart Men are taking to Pilates

London Irish Rugby Team on Pilates Reformers 

Pilates can help men fight serious illness and reduce the incidence of painful sports injuries

 It amazes me when I hear that some men still consider Pilates to be “an exercise system just for women or people who are not able for the cut and thrust of the gym”.Pilates is in the worldly view of such men ‘NOT FOR REAL MEN’.

My response to this terrible misconception:
 “You choose to question the wisdom of sporting professionals who play international rugby, NFL and premier league soccer, not to mention members of GAA county football and hurling teams, Olympic athletes, Tour de France cyclists, professional golfers etc, the majority of who consider Pilates to be an integral part of their overall training regimes.

Exercising in a gym can be great for building strength and muscles, but top sports coaches and trainers understand that Pilates helps their elite athletes achieve greater postural balance in their bodies as well as considerably reducing the incidence of injury and pain.

So, if it works for the professionals, why are there still a few ‘Weekend Warriors’ who cannot see the benefit of this excellent system of movement?

The Simple Facts about Pilates and Men’s Health

I don’t have the answer to that question, but I would like to present some Simple Facts about Pilates and Men’s Health that show there is more to Pilates than meets the eye.

In addition to helping men who suffer the occasional twinge or knock from sporting activities, regular Pilates workouts can help build resistance to some very serious health conditions that affect men as well as greatly improve your overall health and quality of life.

Just take a look at Joseph Pilates, the founder of Pilates techniques, he was still teaching and training in his 80s.  

Meet the Reformer    

If you are a man who thinks working on a mat is not tough – then let me introduce you to The Reformer; a customized piece of Pilates resistance equipment.

Working with the principles of Pilates and resistance, a Reformer Workout tones muscle and helps to create a masculine streamline shape while simultaneously improving posture, stability, flexibility, mobility and co-ordination. The beauty of a Reformer workout program is that it works your body as a whole, unlike individual exercise machines that can be found in a gym.

As I have stated in earlier blogs, Pilates works to create a balanced body – right left, front back. 

Pilates provides:

• –      Improved Stability
• –      Increased Mobility
• –      More Fluency of Movement
• –      Better Co-ordination and
• –      Greater strength
•  

All the components required for living injury and pain free. So, in terms of physical workouts, Pilates offers men an opportunity to build a better-balanced body with more strength and muscular endurance and create a flexible masculine shape. Pilates and male medical conditions Erectile Dysfunction

At BODYFIRM Studios we see the Pelvic Floor as essential part of both male and female health. Most men do not realize how important their Pelvic Floor is to their overall health.

However, we have in the past had men referred for PF (pelvic floor) work to aid with Erectile Dysfunction. Prostate Cancer In more recent times with the apparent increase in the incidence of Prostate Cancer,

Pilates has been acknowledged as a movement system that can play a big part in helping men fight the possible onset of the disease.

Deterioration of the Pelvic Floor has been cited as a contributing factor to the contracting of prostate cancer.

By working with Pilates movement, becoming aware of Pelvic Floor activation and strengthening, the risks of contracting prostate cancer can be reduced.

Want to give Pilates a go?

Pilates is a movement system that has much to offer men looking improve their fitness. It is a program that combines both mat and resistance machine exercises with great results

So, come and give it a go.

 I think you’ll find you can be man enough for it… Joyce