The Project: Kuwait

Pilates Expert Catherine Klaffer Breaks Down How Pilates Can Make You a Better Athlete and Enhance your Body and mind

March 01, 2019 Mahdi Aloun, Liam Glynn, Guest Catherine Klaffer Season 1 Episode 31
The Project: Kuwait
Pilates Expert Catherine Klaffer Breaks Down How Pilates Can Make You a Better Athlete and Enhance your Body and mind
Show Notes

Time Stamps:

1:41 – Catherine started ballet at age 9, but had to stop after about 10 years due to an accident. She then became involved in aerobics which led her into gym training, where she began training for and competing in fitness figure competitions. There is immense pressure in that sport to use performance enhancing drugs, but she never did. Instead, she committed wholeheartedly to body shaping through nutrition, diet, and exercise. Catherine is now a Pilates instructor at ARC.

7:40 – Catherine describes her diet leading up to fitness figure competitions.

9:34 – She is passionate about Pilates because of her experience trying other modalities and her recognition of the merits and benefits that Pilates provides over other workouts. She specifically trains her clients in studio Pilates, which uses various apparatus to aid in the training.

12:25 – Mahdi asks if there is any relationship between Pilates and CrossFit, and Catherine describes what Pilates is and what it is not.

14:18 – Pilates was created in 1902 by Joseph Pilates as a series of corrective exercises that focus the body, mind, and spirit, which he called “Contrology”. It was originally intended to be a workout for men to be able to control their breathing, and it had its most notable initial results in 1914 at the Isle of Man POW camp. In 1916, Joseph Pilates opened up a studio in New York City that mainly served dancers and artists. Originally, regular participants in Pilates knew the specific order of exercises and did their workout with very little interaction with each other or the instructor. 

20:31 – Mahdi mentions that Boston Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek recovered from a serious injury using Pilates, so he wonders about its integration with sports. Catherine explains that “how you stand is how you land” and that Pilates helps strengthen the muscles that keep the skeleton upright using specific tension. She also explains that strengthening the smaller muscles will in turn strengthen the larger muscles, improving the body’s resiliency.

24:16 – Liam has been doing a lot of accessory work lately, and he has seen what Catherine is describing in his own life. 

27:02 – In response to Mahdi’s question about how Pilates could make him a better athlete or give him a competitive advantage, Catherine explains that Pilates creates a balance where there is otherwise an imbalance. For instance, if you are right-handed, it is likely that the muscles on your left side are weaker and less developed, so Pilates would help both sides become equally stronger. 

29:07 – Liam talks about the benefit that he has noticed from his accessory work and lifting in a different plane of motion.

30:08 – While the Pilates classes at ARC are only for women, Catherine says that Fawzia has clinical Pilates that is open to men.

32:20 – One of the biggest misconceptions about Pilates is that it is only for healthy and strong people. In fact, anyone and everyone can benefit from Pilates, no matter your age or physical condition. Mahdi agrees, saying that his aunt has been doing Pilates and has made great progress in reducing neck pain.

36:27 – Catherine describes the perfect programming for an athlete as well-structured, including Pilates, cardio, yoga, and functional exercises. She recommends Pilates 3 times per week and never in the same day as another workout. There are group classes as well as private sessions available depending on your needs.

39:57 – Mahdi asks about specific Pilates exercises that he could inject into his other workouts, and Catherine says that after a private session, the instructor will be able to give you a few key exercises that will be beneficial for you.

42:05 – Catherine says that there aren’t any apps she could recommend, but she is a fan of Pi

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