While Pilates isn’t a high-calorie-burning workout on its own, having more lean muscle does help your body burn more energy—even at rest.

The movements are smaller and more precise than yoga flows. There is also greater emphasis on core control and stability during Pilates exercises. Finally, instructors play a bigger hands-on role in manually cueing proper form and alignment.

This is in contrast to contracting and shortening the muscles. This lengthening work (known as ‘eccentric’ training) encourages long and strong muscles. This may help to strengthen without adding muscle bulk.

Yes, Pilates-based strength training can aid in weight loss and muscle toning when combined with a balanced diet and regular exercise.

After graduating from The Citadel, I began working with middle and high school football teams to develop functional strength and conditioning programs. Soon after, I began coaching amateur and professional MMA athletes.

We are more than happy to help anyone and point you in the right direction. Our biggest belief is that education is key. The more you understand about your injury, illness and movement, the more you are likely to improve.

Start by positioning yourself on all fours, with your hands directly under your shoulders and knees under your hips.

This contributes to a firmer, more defined appearance even without significantly increasing muscle bulk.

This is where a healthy diet comes into play. By consuming the right amount of calories and nutrients, you can support your body in reducing overall body fat and revealing the toned muscles that Pilates helps to build (2).

If you are doing Pilates with equipment, such as the Reformer or Trapeze Table, you may often be working the muscles in a way that they are lengthening under tension.

Combined with a balanced lifestyle, Pilates is a smart, sustainable way to reshape how your body looks and feels.

​While studying and developing functional strength methodologies, I  was introduced to The Pilates Method. This was a truly eye-opening experience. After a couple of months of working with a classical Pilates teacher, yoga muskegon mi I was amazed at how my body felt, looked, and responded to all other activities.

When people talk about wanting to get "toned," they’re usually looking for more muscle definition without added bulk. That look comes from building lean muscle while reducing body fat.

GRIT is different because our founder is a male, a former college athlete, and a former professional athlete personal trainer. GRIT is a masculine space, and our community comes here to handle business. We don't care about your size, knowledge, or outfit.