For many years the role of elevated cholesterol in cardiac disease has been
debated but never adequately resolved. Several years ago, research suggested
that a bacterium, chlamydia pneumoniae, may be implicated in heart disease.
Now, workers are investigating the possibility that other bacteria may also be
involved in the process of cardiac disease.

I first read about this theory in 1997 soon after I had a near fatal heart
attack and quadruple bypass surgery and I raised the subject with my
cardiologist, who confirmed that he had also been studying the same research.
As a result, he suggested that I took a short dose of a specific antibiotic
called Azithromycin.

One of the sources which discussed this discovery was the Canada News, which
stated:

“Ours is the first compelling experimental evidence in the world to show how
a bacterial infection in the genital tract or lungs can lead to heart
disease,” Dr Penninger said of the study that his team published in the
scientific journal ‘Science’ (February 26, 1999).

Penninger and his research team found that the chlamydia bacterium resembles
the heart protein that makes the heart beat, but the body’s immune system
can’t tell the two apart. As a result, the immune system, which uses white
blood cells to kill off infectious diseases foreign to the body, is tricked
into launching twin attacks to destroy the invading bugs. It first attacks
the offending bacteria and then the heart protein. ”

http://canadanews.about.com/aboutcanada/canadanews/library/weekly/aa030199.htm
?iam=mt&terms=%2Bpenninger

Now, Penninger and co-workers have reported in ‘Nature Medicine’ (Aug 2000)
that bacteria, viruses and other microbes are all components of the protein
bit that is common to heart muscle and the chlamydia bacterium (Science News
Aug 2000, Vol 18).

In other words, microbes may play a central role in heart disease. Who
knows, within a few years elevated cholesterol and sedentary lifestyle may be
replaced by a dominant theory that heart disease may be “caught” like a
common cold and that all of the recommendations!

MORE REFERENCES

Other more technical articles relating to the same or related issues appear
in the following journals:

Penninger JM, Bachmaier K Review of microbial infections and the immune
response to cardiac antigens. J Infect Dis 2000 Jun;181 Suppl 3:S498-504

Bachmaier K, Neu N, Yeung RS, Mak TW, Liu P, Penninger JM. Generation of
humanized mice susceptible to peptide-induced inflammatory heart disease.
Circulation. 1999 Apr 13;99(14):1885-91

Bachmaier K, Neu N, de la Maza LM, Pal S, Hessel A, Penninger JM. Chlamydia
infections and heart disease linked through antigenic mimicry. Science. 1999
Feb 26;283(5406):1335-9.

Opavsky MA, Penninger J et al Susceptibility to myocarditis is dependent on
the response of alphabeta T lymphocytes to coxsackieviral infection. Circ Res
1999 Sep 17;85(6):551-8

Gura T. Chlamydia protein linked to heart disease. Science. 1999 Feb
26;283(5406):1238-9.

Bachmaier K, Le J, Penninger JM. “Catching heart disease”: antigenic mimicry
and bacterial infections. Nat Med. 2000 Aug;6(8):841-2.

Irwin MW, Mak S, et al Tissue expression and immunolocalization of tumor
necrosis factor-alpha in postinfarction dysfunctional myocardium.
Circulation. 1999 Mar 23;99(11):1492-8.

Penninger JM, Pummerer C, Liu P, Neu N, Bachmaier K. Cellular and molecular
mechanisms of murine autoimmune myocarditis. APMIS. 1997 Jan;105(1):1-13

Izumi T, Kodama M, Fujiwara M. Cardiac muscle cell damage through autoimmune
mechanism–can cardiac proteins provoke autoimmune myocarditis? Jpn Circ J.
1991 Nov;55(11):1138-43.

Dr Mel Siff

I feel intimidated by the lists’ criticisms of coaches, and by the
apparent detail/complexity of the references cited so far, and would prefer
something simple… I am a consultant to a fitness club in a small town, and
my
level of experience & fund of knowledge is at the kindergarten level compared
to the posts I am reading…. >>

*** Here is a small collection of websites that will help you. No doubt
others will be able to add their suggestions, but this will get you started.

1. WEIGHTLIFTING

Regarding the Olympic lifts and some of their variations, the following site
provides some reasonable descriptions (bearing in mind that there are certain
technical differences between the various experts):

http://www.olympus.net/personal/cablebar/ARTOL.htm

The rest of this website has a lot of other information on the different
aspects of lifting:

http://www.olympus.net/personal/cablebar/index.htm

The line-art diagrams of some of the lifts are taken from a series of
excellent posters that I translated and adapted from one prepared by the W
German Weightlifting Federation in the late 1970s, after its authors, Spitz &
Pietka, had kindly given me permission to do so.

Books and video on Weightlifting by Artie Drechsler:

http://www.wlinfo.com/

Excerpts on the lifts:

http://www.wlinfo.com/articles.htm

2. POWERLIFTING

http://www.olympus.net/personal/cablebar/Zlift.htm (Zercher lifts)
http://www.cyberiron.com/tom/powerbench.html (Bench)
http://www.cyberiron.com/tom/powersquat.html (Squat)
http://www.cyberiron.com/tom/powerdeadlift.html (Deadlift)

3. GENERAL

http://people.delphi.com/theenforcer/lifts.htm (Wide variety of exercises)
http://www.planetkc.com/exrx/Lists/Directory.html (Many bodybuilding
Exercises)

In suggesting these sources of information, I have not read through all of
them carefully and do not necessarily endorse everything that appears there.
Nevertheless, you might find much of the material useful. If you have any
doubts about any aspects of these sites, then please discuss them with our
group – that is why we are here.

Dr Mel Siff

————————————–

MEDLINE INFORMATION

You will find a great deal of scientific information on this topic on
Medline. If you have not tried this free resource, join via the following
website:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed/

Then use search terms such as “fitness in elderly”, “balance and elderly”,
“senior fitness” or whatever more specific combination that you need.

TAI CHI & THE ELDERLY

Here are a few articles on the use of Tai Chi with the elderly:

Lan C, Lai JS, Wong M, Yu M. 1996 Cardiorespiratory function, flexibility,
and body composition among geriatric Tai Chi Chuan practitioners. Arch Phys
Med Rehabil. 1996 Jun;77(6):612-6.

Tse S, Bailey DM. 1992 T’ai Chi and postural control in the well elderly. Am
J Occ Ther. 46:295–300.

Wolf SL, Barnhart HX, Kutner NG, et al. 1996 Reducing frailty and falls in
older persons: an investigation of Tai Chi and computerized balance training,
Atlanta FICSIT Group. J Am Geriatr Soc 44:489-497.

Wolf SL, Coogler C, Xu T. 1997 Exploring the basis for Tai Chi as a
therapeutic exercise approach. Arch Phy Med & Rehab 78:886-892.

Wolfson, L, Whipple R, Derby C, et al. 1996 Balance and strength in older
adults: intervention gains and Tai Chi maintenance. J Am Geriatr Soc
44:498-506.

GENERAL FITNESS FOR SENIORS

http://www.discoveryhealth.com/DH/ihtIH/WSDSC000/7165/8923/36176.html?d=dmtCon
tent

http://seniorliving.about.com/people/seniorliving/msub_exercise.htm?iam=mt&ter
ms=%2Bfitness+%2Band+%2Belderly

http://www.looksmart.com/eus1/eus65300/eus65303/eus77824/eus541028/eus54857/eu
s54910/eus83525/eus70472/r?l&pin=000818×7c92ba86528c7636a21&

Search for many others websites using this metasearch engine:

http://www.metacrawler.com

—————————–

Dr Mel C Siff

I feel intimidated by the lists’ criticisms of coaches, and by the
apparent detail/complexity of the references cited so far, and would prefer
something simple… I am a consultant to a fitness club in a small town, and
my
level of experience & fund of knowledge is at the kindergarten level compared
to the posts I am reading…. >>

*** Here is a small collection of websites that will help you. No doubt
others will be able to add their suggestions, but this will get you started.

1. WEIGHTLIFTING

Regarding the Olympic lifts and some of their variations, the following site
provides some reasonable descriptions (bearing in mind that there are certain
technical differences between the various experts):

http://www.olympus.net/personal/cablebar/ARTOL.htm

The rest of this website has a lot of other information on the different
aspects of lifting:

http://www.olympus.net/personal/cablebar/index.htm

The line-art diagrams of some of the lifts are taken from a series of
excellent posters that I translated and adapted from one prepared by the W
German Weightlifting Federation in the late 1970s, after its authors, Spitz &
Pietka, had kindly given me permission to do so.

Books and video on Weightlifting by Artie Drechsler:

http://www.wlinfo.com/

Excerpts on the lifts:

http://www.wlinfo.com/articles.htm

2. POWERLIFTING

http://www.olympus.net/personal/cablebar/Zlift.htm (Zercher lifts)
http://www.cyberiron.com/tom/powerbench.html (Bench)
http://www.cyberiron.com/tom/powersquat.html (Squat)
http://www.cyberiron.com/tom/powerdeadlift.html (Deadlift)

3. GENERAL

http://people.delphi.com/theenforcer/lifts.htm (Wide variety of exercises)
http://www.planetkc.com/exrx/Lists/Directory.html (Many bodybuilding
Exercises)

In suggesting these sources of information, I have not read through all of
them carefully and do not necessarily endorse everything that appears there.
Nevertheless, you might find much of the material useful. If you have any
doubts about any aspects of these sites, then please discuss them with our
group – that is why we are here.

Dr Mel Siff

In all of these sources, I was unable to find any quality research which supports the claims of Pilates or shows its superiority over other well-structured multifaceted varied systems of conditioning. All claims to its excellence are based upon comparison with limited bodybuilding regimes and anecdotal testimonials by clients who have had little exposure to the wide world of modern strength science. If there is anyone who can quote some definitive peer-reviewed research, please share it with us.

PILATES HISTORY

Joseph Pilates was born in Germany in 1880 and grew up in England, where he was interned during World War I and used this time to become a nurse. His frail childhood apparently inspired him to pursue a path of lifelong fitness that led him to take up bodybuilding and several other sports to become a competent skier, diver, boxer, and gymnast.

It is apparent that the time spent in those old gymnastics and bodybuilding training halls laid many of the foundations for the design of his special training machines and his training methods. While working as a nurse, he inventively used the springs and frames of hospital beds to make variations of what he had seen used by gymnastics and physique coaches of his time. There can be little doubt that he, like so many young men of his time were impressed by the innovative approaches of training legends such as Eugene Sandow, who consulted for many kings, queens and heads of State at the time.

During the 1920s, he moved to New York, where he opened his first formal studio, which ultimately attracted well-known dancers such as George Ballanchine and Martha Graham to train there regularly, which provided an invaluable marketing boost to his career in the USA. Since his work grew up in the world of gymnastics, an aesthetic art which has strong allegiances with ballet, it obviously received sympathetic support from the emerging dance community in the USA, which, until that time was vastly overshadowed by the dancing giants of Europe.

Consequently, his methods became very well publicised in the dance and drama community and, until recently, have remained confined largely to these same communities that spread his method in its earliest days. Also not surprising is that some of his latter day disciples have astutely discerned that any intriguing apparently novel systems of fitness can make a fortune in the fitness and shape gullible West. In this regard, Romana Kryzanowska, his one Master Teacher, who, after Joseph’s death, was asked by his wife, Clara, to continue with Joseph’s teachings and today she serves as the guru of the Pilates movement.

SOME PILATES METHODS & MACHINES

The following website summarises many of the Pilates methods and machines, giving photographs of devices that clearly have been derived from the world of gymnastics and early fitness training, as anyone with a reasonable background in gymnastics history and coaching will tell you:

This site introduces Pilates thus: <<The ‘Pilates Method’ is not just exercise, however. It is a series of controlled movements engaging your body and mind, performed on specifically designed exercise apparatus and supervised by extensively trained teachers.>>

http://www.pilates-studio.com/about.htm

Of course, this same sort of preface may be applied to many different fitness and health training regimes, especially those drawn from the world of scientific strength training (see, for example, the major aspects of this field by skimming through the Table of Contents of Siff & Verkhoshansky “Supertraining” at this site: http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/8682/siff.htm).

High Chair (Modified Gymnastics Staking Pommel)
The Reformer (A modified rowing trainer with pulleys)
The Mat (A fat mat!)
The Pedipull (A modified pulley machine)
The Magic Circle (A 14″ sprung-steel ring with cushioned handles)
The Cadillac (Modified type of Parallel and Horizontal Bars)
The Low Chair (Modified Gymnastics Staking Pommel)
The Spine Corrector Barrel (Low Level type of Pommel Horse)

Originally Pilates devised over 500 specific exercises using five major pieces of his modified gymnastics apparatus, while his pupils have added something like another 1500 variations to increase this list to its current status today to develop the body more uniformly, in their opinion.

He baptised one of his central principles with the name “Contrology” to define his general programme of fitness exercises which showed a clear appreciation of early Grecian aesthetics of training, their coordination and balance of body and mind, and the burgeoning training schemes of leaders such as Sandow, Professor Attila, George Hackenschmidt and Dr Krayevsky.

According to Pilates (in his book “Your Health”, 1934), Contrology “is the conscious control of all muscular movements of the body. It is the correct utilization and application of the leverage principles afforded by the bones comprising the skeletal framework of the body, a complete knowledge of the mechanism of the body, and a full understanding of the principles of equilibrium and gravity as applied to the movements of the body in motion, at rest and in sleep.”

Interestingly, the above words are very similar to what Sandow wrote when he championed the introduction of physical education and sport as compulsory school subjects and the regular examination of pupils by doctors and dentists. Therefore, it is highly relevant to summarise the fitness world in which Pilates grew up.

THE INFLUENCE OF SANDOW & EARLY FITNESS LEADERS

(Extracted from Siff & Verkhoshansky “Supertraining” 1999 Ch 1)

The great Sandow, born in Koningsberg in East Russia in 1867, was sought out by presidents and rulers from all around the world, with his book, “Life is Movement” being received enthusiastically by nine kings and queens and many princes of Europe, as well as US Presidents William Taft and Woodrow Wilson. Besides defeating many strongmen of his time, he was a generous sponsor of many charitable causes and an early champion of more hygienic conditions of working and living for all, including the central role of formal fitness and health management. As part of his vision, he pressed for the introduction of physical education and sport as compulsory school subjects, and the regular examination of pupils by school doctors and dentists. At the same time, he to ured the world lecturing to promote physical culture as a means of improving quality of life, with his contributions being described as follows by the

“Mirror of Life and Sport” (8 April 1911):

” His Majesty King George has conferred an unique honour upon Mr. Eugene Sandow, the world-renowned exponent and founder of scientific physical culture. Mr. Sandow just having had the honour of being appointed Professor of Scientific Physical Culture to his Majesty. The keen interest which the King has always taken in the physical welfare of his people is well-known, and there is no desire more dear to his Majesty’s heart than to improve the conditions of life for the masses.

Mr. Sandow’s appointment must be regarded as a striking recognition of the undoubted benefits of scientific physical culture, and there is no doubt that the interest shown by his Majesty in the subject will considerably increase the popularity of the science of which Mr. Sandow is the principal authority. Mr. Sandow is a man who has risen by his own unaided effort to a position in which he is not only a national but a world factor in the science of improvement of the human body and the combating of that physical degeneracy which in former eras has always accompanied the advances of civilisation.”

In many respects, therefore, Sandow was one of the most important founding fathers of the fitness revolution, revealing that the modern phenomenon of science-based physical training is by no means novel or innovative. Interestingly, Sandow’s methods focused largely on the development of strength and skill as the foundation of health, an approach which was almost completely deposed more than half a century later by cardiovascular scientists such as Dr Kenneth Cooper of the USA, who massively downplayed the role of these fitness qualities and stressed ‘aerobic’ fitness as being far more important to general health. It has taken more than 25 years for the quality of strength advocated by Sandow to return to academic acceptance.

In Russia, during this same period, the eminent Polish-born physician, Vladislav Krayevsky (Krajewski), founded the St Petersburg Amateur Weightlifting Society (1885), having visited various German towns to familiarise himself with what was already known throughout Europe as weightlif ting or ‘heavy athletics’, because of his great interest in the use of physical culture for the prevention and treatment of illness. Many prominent scientists, artists and athletes became his pupils, including another famous strongman, George Hackenschmidt, who credited Krayevsky for teaching him all that he knew. Hackenschmidt, in his book, “The Way to Live”, added that some of the world’s strongest men of that era, including Sandow, were trained according to Krayevsky’s system.

Krayevsky’s considerable knowledge in medicine, psychology, physical culture, methods of using exercises and organizational abilities made him an acknowledged leader in weightlifting sports (including wrestling). He not only promoted weightlifting, taught classes and organized competitions, but also lifted himself, achieving significant success in barbell lifts.

Krayevsky wrote two of his fundamental works during the period 1896-1899, “The Catechism of Health – Rules for Athletes” and “The Development of Physical Strength with Kettlebells and without Kettlebells” (1900).

Krayevsky displayed an excellent knowledge of the history of physical culture and all forms of gymnastics. He paid special attention to therapeutic gymnastics in his “Diagram of Medico Gymnastic Uses” and its accompanying detailed commentary, a book that was widely read by many people in the training world of the time. Krayevsky was very familiar with Swedish gymnastics and noted its therapeutic applications, but his concern with the lack of scientific substantiation of the Swedish system led him to recruit Russian experimentalists to research it.

Many of Krayevsky’s methodological recommendations are still valid. These recommendations include medical control of the athlete’s health, regularity of workouts and planned sequencing of increasing loads, multi-faceted physical development, psychological management, observation of wellness rules (especially sleep) and refraining from the use of alcohol and smoking. Krayevsky was especially concerned with forming correct breathing habits and methods of combating fatigue, and felt that many of the limitations imposed by heredity could be overcome by appropriate training.

Many of these early strength pioneers devised interesting and unique training weights and machines, including cable machines, variable resistance machines using cams and levers, elastic springs and cables, friction resistance devices, kettlebells, thick-grip bars, hollow-ended barbells and dumbbells whose weight could be increased by adding lead shot, odd-shaped bars, isolation machines, weighted boots and various throwing devices. Yet there are those today who lay claims of originality to designing these machines more than 50 years after their original manufacture. In addition, a large number of weight training, bodybuilding exercises and techniques which are believed to be original today had been tried and tested in that burgeoning exploration era of finding the best methods of strength training.

BACK TO PILATES

In his system, Pilates stressed the importance of using fewer sets of few repetitions of compound movements that require significant motor skill and coordination (like well-organised strength training!), as opposed to the prolonged repetition of fairly automatic movements (like modern aerobics and jogging!). His reason for this was that endless repetition of unchallenging reflexive routines tends to decrease the degree of mental involvement, whereas carefully executed sets of very few repetitions of skilled movements tend to offer a better balance of mind and body training.

As we have noted above, all of these principles were abundantly evident in the work of Sandow, Krayevsky and other early masters. The major difference is that Pilates entered the world of dance to astutely promote his commercial career there and stressed the sale of his gymnastics-derived devices, while the other fitness leaders of that era allowed clients to use anything and everything that might be appropriate for any given individual, thereby laying the foundations for all modern fitness centres anf gyms.

In one respect, we should be grateful that the Pilates adaptations of the conditioning methods of his time has now offered a way out of the frequently repetitive and mindless militaristic group fitness classes. Not that the latter cannot play a valid role in the attainment of some aspects of general fitness, but they generally tend to be rather impoverished in terms of broader mind-body enhancement of strength, power, flexibility and motor control (unless the instructor happens to be far more creative and unconventional than the average).

Moreover, the likelihood of injury in Pilates type exercises tends to be far less than in most forms of aerobics class. However, the Pilates neglect of strong ballistic movement, high impact, heavier loading and high power output movements with loaded implements in free space also create deficits in all-round human development.

Even if Pilates does not actively add weight training methods to its repertoire of activities, it would go part of the way towards reducing these deficiencies by involving some of the Specific Activation and Specific Relaxation methods from PNF, as well as some of the pattern variations from that discipline.

In fact, if you are fairly well versed in the principles and procedures of PNF, and you are able to modify the traditional Knott-Voss activities to include pulley machines, some gymnastics apparatus, dumbbells, elastic bands, physio balls and a variable bench, you will be able to offer a very extensive form of challenging and productive training that Pilates will struggle to rival. If you are willing to include a few methods from the world of resistance training (Weightlifting, Powerlifting and Bodybuilding) and martial arts, then your system will go far beyond what Pilates can ever offer.

Before anyone extolls the originality and uniqueness of all that Pilates used in his training system, we have to recall that a very sincere Pilates inadvertently came upon or adapted patterns and procedures that mirror some of the methods used in PNF and weight training, as pioneered by other hugely influential fitness gurus who grew up in the European arena of late 19th and early 20th century training. This does not diminish its value, but it simply serves to place his training methods in a far more balanced light.

After all, there are still those who state categorically that

(http://bodymind.net/q&a.htm):

<<The very idea of coordinating or balancing body and mind was itself little-appreciated in the early 20th Century by most physical fitness gurus. At the end of the 20th Century, the concept of introducing ’spirit’ into the exercise equation still stretches the limits of appreciation of many fitness trainers and students.>>

This could not be further from the truth, as we have noticed in examining the fitness world into which Pilates was born. If anything, the fitness leaders of that time were more holistically inclined than the average fitness instructor of today (e.g., see Webster “The Iron Game”, 1976).

In his 1945 book of exercises, entitled “Return to Life Through Contrology”, Pilates wrote that “Contrology is complete coordination of body, mind, and spirit. Through Contrology you first purposefully acquire complete control of your own body and then through proper repetition of its exercises you gradually and progressively acquire that natural rhythm and coordination associated with all your subconscious activities.” Again, absolutely nothing new at the time. These words simply repeat what Sandow and several of his colleagues had said way before Pilates methods were being taught.

An oft-repeated claim is this: “You will feel better in 10 sessions, look better in 20 sessions, and have a completely new body in 30 sessions.” ( Joseph H. Pilates). If we examine this, it is equivalent to 10 weeks of three times a week of periodised modern strength training, which, in the same space of time easily can produce the same results as Pilates. If it doesn’t, then there is something seriously wrong with your training!

SOME PILATES RESEARCH

While searching for some published research on Pilates methods, I found this website and thought “at last, something!”, but my initial hopes waned the moment that I read these articles.

http://www.pilates.uk.com/research/

These articles are fixated on comparing ‘normal springs’ with the ’special’ Pilates springs used on his ‘Reformer’ machine and offer no information whatsoever on the allegedly special physiology behind Pilates. In addition, here some extracts that reveal significant defects in the calibre of the research:

<<Gravity versus Springs. Gravity provides a constant external resistance throughout the range of motion of the exercise. Springs (and other elastic media) provide an increasing external resistance as they lengthen. Unfortunately this coincides with shortening of the muscle and a reduction in generated force.>>

***While the acceleration due to gravity is fairly constant over the surface of the earth, any movement against gravity involves acceleration, which means that resistance changes throughout the range of motion. Although springs offer resistance which increases directly with extension, training against gravity with or without weights can also increase resistance anywhere in the range of movement where you try to accelerate the limb or load. Movement at every stage of joint motion involves muscle shortening, so what this remark has to do with “coinciding with shortening of the muscle” is anyone’s guess.

<<Since spring tension increases steadily with length: the area under the force-distance curve is almost triangular. With gravity, the resistance is constant, making the area a complete rectangle.>>

***This last sentence reveals that the author has never undertaken any biomechanical research, nor does he appear to know that, if the Force-Time curve is a complete rectangle, the acceleration and deceleration phases to and from some apparently constant peak force are vertical lines and the acceleration in each case must be infinitely large. Even if the curve is obtained on an isokinetic dynamometer, the acceleration and deceleration phases cannot be vertical lines.

<<The difference between the two (the upper triangle) represents the extra work, which has been lost. Put another way, exercise against gravity can provide up to twice the benefit, in terms of ‘work done’, compared with exercise against springs.>

***How does work become “lost” in the elastic resistance case? If we wish to be pedantic, and the movement starts and ends in the same place, then no external work is done, be it against gravity or springs. If we wish to consider internal metabolic work, then his analysis is inappropriate and incorrect. Even if we can calculate it accurately in both cases, the work done depends on the magnitude of the external resistance, not simply on what arrangement is used to produce the resistance. More significant is the fact that there are action-specific neuromuscular programmes that will distinguish between the training effects of springs and inertial resistance.

<<For example, on a Reformer, the spring is slightly extended at the start of the movement (possibly by 15 cm or so). The carriage can then travel up to 70 cm, or more, depending on the exercise and the flexibility of the individual, representing a possible 3-fold increase in resistance, from one end of the movement to the other. Imagine lifting a weight of 10 Kg from the floor, which gradually increases to 30 Kg as it comes to chest height, then back to 10Kg again as you lower the weight back to the floor. Clearly, this does NOT reflect ‘real life’. >>

***Without indulging in another scientific analysis of further inaccuracies in this extract, it is interesting that training on most Pilates machines, especially the gliding seat, spring-resisting ‘Reformer’, ironically also fail to reflect what happens in ‘real life’! The author continues to proliferate the misbelief that the only necessary and sufficient condition for general and rehabilitative conditioning is sport specific movement. Were this to be true, the use of all forms of resistance and supplementary training would be entirely redundant.

SOME PILATES WEBSITES

http://www.eye.net/eye/issue/issue_04.17.97/fitness/macri.html

The following site proliferates the myth that Pilates training somehow produces a Pilates-specific type of longer, leaner muscle and that all strength training aims at increasing hypertrophy:

http://www.fitnesslink.com/mind/pilates.shtml

<<By learning the proper stance and correct body alignment, the client soon feels and looks taller and leaner. The muscles are stretched and strengthened uniformly, resulting in long, sleek muscles rather than bulk.

The idea of stretching and lengthening runs contrary to the methods used by most of today’s fitness professionals who believe that the only way to “tone” muscle is to increase the muscle diameter. But students of Pilates swear by his method and have even admitted to feeling taller, leaner and “better” after only a few sessions.>>

The proof in the above article? – Anecdote, hearsay and belief, relying on the very misleading idea that all strength training must involve bodybuilding bulking methods.

“Pilates based” training at home:

http://www.gocarolinas.com/living/health/fitness/1999/06/0628_pilates.html

This site includes an old ‘ab exercise’, the supine leg flutter, at which Pilates himself would cringe. At least the author states that “This really isn’t a Pilates exercise — it’s borrowed from the military — but it’s a fabulous ab-shaper.” Actually, the abs are contracted isometrically in this exercise and serve to stabilise the pelvis, rather than to exercise the abdominal musculature in the full range and manner that Pilates would have recommended. This is but one example of many Pilates teachers simply bastardising what Pilates originally taught and sometimes misrepresenting what the grand old man preached, so don’t think that if you attend a so-called Pilates class or “Pilates based” class that you are receiving the kosher article!

http://www.shapeshift.com/Articles/time.htm (Some Time Magazine rave trivia on Pilates)

Some final Pilates sites:

http://www.the-method.com/

http://www.pilates.uk.com/

http://www.shapeshift.com/articles.htm (Popular Glossy Magzine articles on Pilates)

http://www.shapeshift.com/Articles/mnf.htm (Pilates for Weightlifters and Athletes – filled with many errors about pelvic stabilisation and use during heavy lifting

In every single case where Pilates is compared with other forms of conditioning, it is measured against typical bodybuilding training and never against scientific strength training that has been used for many years in Russia and Europe to produce the world’s greatest athletes in many shapes and sizes, all depending on the specific needs of their sports.

Thus, there are some athletes who make Pilates adherents look thoroughly out of shape, just as there are others who make Pilates folk look like pictures of perfection. There are many slender, aesthetically built athletes who are considerably stronger, faster, more coordinated and more flexible that even the most seasoned Pilates practitioners, while there are bulky bionic-looking athletes whose all-round shape and performance is easily overshadowed by some Pilates fans.

It is apparent that far too many Pilates disciples seem to think that all resistance training is some narrow type of bodybuilding training which many years ago gave birth to that myth that all weight trained athletes are bulky, slow, inflexible and prone to injury. This sort of extrapolation from one small aspect of strength training to prove the merits of Pilates work betrays a serious lack of understanding and a very biased view of modern strength training.

In fact, if Pilates teachers were to learn more about what advanced strength training is about, they could raise Pilates methods to far greater heights. If any of them are genuinely curious to learn some of the methods of integrated West-East strength science, then let them examine references such as the following:

Zatsiorsky V “Science and Practice of Strength Training” 1995

Siff MC & Verkhoshansky YV “Supertraining” 1999

Bompa T “Theory and Methodology of Training” 1983

Yessis M “Secrets of Soviet Sports Fitness & Training” 1987

Dr Mel Siff

You may recall that I submitted an entire article analysing Pilates methods
and requesting any Pilates practitioners to submit any scientific studies
that prove that Pilates methods enhance core stability and functional
sporting performance, and to validate claims that it is superior to weight
training and many other methods of physical conditioning.

Although I received a good few hostile attacks on my person, not a single
respondent was able to produce a single reference to validate the host of
anecdotal claims being made by neoPilatean practitioners. Possibly someone
on this list may be able to do so.

For those who may not have read them, my different articles on Pilates appear
on these websites:

http://www.worldfitness.org/exer0022.html
http://www.stumptuous.com/siffonpilates.html

Lest we end up discussing a host of unsubstantiated commercial or personally
biased claims about Pilates methods, please ensure that all future articles
on the topic offer analysis based upon solid scientific principles or actual
referenced studies. Does that suit everyone?

Dr Mel C Siff
Denver, USA

*** The following websites will give you plenty of information on all aspects
of biomechanics:

http://www.per.ualberta.ca/biomechanics/bwwnofrm.htm (Biomechanics Worldwide)
http://isb.ri.ccf.org/ (International Society of Biomechanics)

Dr Mel C Siff
Denver, USA