I’m weak! After holding out on the Facebook craze for many years I’ve finally decided to embrace it and use it as a platform for delivering Pilates information to my local clients as well as the rest of the world

Face book makes it super easy for me to post videos, pictures, articles and for you to communicate your Pilates questions and concerns. At the moment for my local clients I have uploaded videos on the basics like the Zip & Hollow and how to find Neutral Spine in all positions. I intend to add many more including more exercises and video responses to any questions I regularly get asked.

Before you panic and say you haven’t got a Facebook account that’s not a problem you can view all the videos and content without signing up. However if you wish to post a question you’ll have to sign up.

If you already have an account you’re more than welcome to add me as a friend (you’ll then be informed of any new content I add) and if you like my pages feel free to click the Like button

So why not click on the link below and check it out? See you on the inside

Pilates In Hull Meets Facebook

Carol J Bartram
(Pilates Instructor)

Pilates Meets Facebook is a post from: Pilates For Beginners

Well after all this is my website so if I want to give myself a shameless plug then I can right?

As well as being a Pilates Instructor I’m also a Personal Trainer.  Now I live in the UK so the likelihood of anyone reading this post and living near enough to me to want my Personal Training services is highly unlikely although I live in hope

But in the event that you require a Personal Trainer Hull then the following link is you.  Even if you don’t live near me you may want to take a look at my site anyway.  My blog posts many weight loss and fitness related articles and frequently asked questions you may be interested in.

In fact if you have a health and fitness related question you’d like answering then I’d be delighted to receive your question and as and when time allows I’ll do my best to answer them.

If I had to choose which I liked best Pilates or Personal Training I’d have to pick Pilates which is why I spent the vast majority of my time writing Pilates and Pilates related articles instead of focusing on my off-line business!

I still believe the Internet is one of the best ways of teaching and educating people in the very best ways to look after their bodies.

If I can just motivate a few people to look after themselves better then all my hard work will have been worth it.

Never take good health for granted look after yourself and do a little bit each day to help maintain the only body you’ll ever have.

Carol J Bartram
(Pilates Instructor)

A Shameless Plug! is a post from: Pilates For Beginners

Well least it is for me.  Rumour has it that some people are doing Pilates naked. Yup that’s right doing Pilates with no clothes on.  Now call me old-fashioned but I really don’t like the idea very much.  I’ve had some bad experiences whilst people are fully clothed nevermind naked.

Why people insist on coming to a Pilates Class wearing baggy shorts for example is beyond me.  I always instruct new clients to wear close-fitting garments so that I can more easily see what their spine is doing and assess their posture.

It never occurs to me that people would turn up wearing shorts.  It doesn’t take too much imagination to see what might happen in side lying for example.  Particularly with a male client.  I shudder just thinking about it.  Talk about the last turkey in the shop!

Let’s hope this new trend doesn’t take off but I can assure you I for one will always teach Pilates fully clothed.

So do your Pilates instructor a favour think about what you’re going to wear to a Pilates class.  Pilates is all about developing core and structural strength and stability not about how good you look on the mat. Leave your vanity at home wear sensible reasonably tight fitting clothing and as little makeup as you feel comfortable with the next person to use your block will surely appreciate it.

A New And Disturbing Way To Do Pilates. is a post from: Pilates For Beginners

Ever since I saw an advert that claimed pole dancing was the latest fitness trend and that it would release my inner goddess I wanted to train as a pole dancing instructor.  Now you may be wondering what’s strange about that?  Well it wasn’t Carol that wanted to do it it was  me Bob!

I got Carol to ring the training company asking for the course details se and asked her to book me  a place on the next one. All was well until when asked who was attending she gave my name. Silence on the other end of the phone you then did you say Roberta? No Robert I reply. Ahh Robert would that be a man then? Yup says I my husband would like to add Pole Dancing to his skill set along with Exercise To Music and Pilates Matwork.

I’m sorry Madam the course is only for ladies. I explain that the Website says nothing about it being ladies only. It’s implied madam we don’t allow men on the course.

Now this course was being run a good bit away from us so in the end we thought we’d leave it for a later day. My guess is they can’t refuse me a place because that would be sexual discrimination wouldn’t it?

Maybe it was the thought of a pair of hairy legs upside down on a pole that frightened them or maybe they were worried I’d turn up in a leopard skin leotard trust me now that is scary

Robert Bartram
(Pilates Instructor)

Pilates, Pole Dancing And Me! is a post from: Pilates For Beginners

Most people when they take up a new exercise regime are usually looking for a particular outcome.  Working out, cardio exercise and strength training are usually taken up by people who want to lose weight.  In a lot of cases once they have reached their weight-loss goal they stop or  reduce the amount of exercise they do.

Pilates on the other hand I believe is different.  In my opinion Pilates is a lifetime’s journey after all to continue to get the benefits that Pilates will give you it needs to be done regularly and forever.

I get many people starting Pilates because of an existing complaint or injury usually involving an element of pain.  For example a lower back problem that they’ve had for many years sometimes decades that just won’t go away.  They hear that Pilates is an excellent way to help strengthen and reduce their pain.

So they start with enthusiasm hoping that Pilates will help hand in a lot of cases Pilates will work its magic.  As their core and pelvic stability improve the pain they suffer produces and in some cases disappears completely.

Now you’d think these people would stay in class to ensure they maintain the benefits they have received wouldn’t you?  A few do but most after about nine months to a year stop coming.

Can you guess what happens?  They lose most of the benefits they received and after a period of time the pain comes back.  I know because after six months or so these people come back.

Doing Pilates is a bit like brushing your teeth it’s not something we necessarily want to do but if we want to stop our teeth from rotting we really don’t have a choice

Robert Bartram
(Pilates Instructor)

Pilates Moves – The Long Run is a post from: Pilates For Beginners

I think of all the “Ates” Yogalates was probably one of the first.  As the name suggests it is a combination of Yoga and Pilates.  I find this one barely strange because if one researches Pilates and how Joseph Pilates created his exercise system it’s obvious that he borrowed exercises from many different disciplines including Yoga.

Many of my Pilates clients who have done Yoga before often say they can recognize many yoga poses in what we do.  Now from what I know about Yoga most poses are held for much longer than we hold Pilates moves.  In fact when people ask me the difference between Yoga and Pilates I find the easiest way to get people to understand is to say that yoga is static and Pilates is movement based.

The emphasis is also different I believe Yoga focuses more on strength and flexibility whereas Pilates focuses on the core strength, postural muscles and stability.

In a perfect world I think people would benefit fantastically from doing both disciplines.  Being biased if I could only do one I would pick Pilates because I believe that as an all round exercise system that prepares you to do your normal daily activities better Pilates wins.

I spent a lot of time in class explaining to people that the main benefit of Pilates is to give them better awareness of their posture outside of class.  After all most people do only one class a week and although that’s good it’s what they use out of class that enables them to progress quickly.

Yogalates – What Is It? is a post from: Pilates For Beginners

Why is it that Pilates Instruction always gets the blame? It’s very odd but I get this a lot. It goes something like this.

At the beginning of all my Pilates classes I ask everyone if they have any injuries I need to know about. I then listen and decide whether they can do the class or I ask them to see a physician and get cleared before they can join in.

Often though the conversation goes something like this. Bob my shoulder hurts when I move it like this.

Ohh says I did you do anything to it? Nooo it’s just started hurting this week. Funny thing is before I started to do Pilates it was OK. I sigh and ask them if they’re sure they haven’t done anything different. They reply no they haven’t.

I ask them what other exercise they’re doing at the moment. They reply I do this class and Body Combat twice a week could this movement have anything to do with it. (she demonstrates a very poor right hook)

I inform her that yes in all probability that’s the class in which she injured her shoulder and that it was highly unlikely she did it in her Pilates Workout.

What interests me though is why she would blame a therapeutic Pilates class as the culprit and not the crash, bang and wallop Body Combat class?

If you have an explanation I’d be pleased to hear it

Robert Bartram
(Pilates Instructor)

Pilates Instruction Always Gets The Blame! is a post from: Pilates For Beginners

We all do it. I do it but then I know what I’m doing

I’m talking about video sharing sites of course. I use the video sharing sites to get ideas for my Pilates classes. I’m always on the look out for new exercises and more importantly new teaching points to help my clients get the best from my classes.

But do you know what you’re doing? Would you know whether a particular Pilates Workout was safe for you to do? The likelihood is you don’t and that’s a problem. Some of the videos I’ve seen would be perfectly safe for most people but some in my opinion are lethal particularly if you have an existing injury, weak core or postural problem.

In  my classes not only would I have screened you for injuries but I would modify (make safer) any exercise that would be contraindicated for you (risk of injury). But the Pilates you see on the Internet gives no such modifications and in most cases you are not even asked to get cleared for exercise by your health professional.

Call me paranoid but I think it’s a recipe for disaster and I’m sure a lot of people are going to injure themselves trying to do an exercise that isn’t appropriate or safe for their level. What’s worse is that Pilates could get a bad name because of it. After all in the general public’s mind Pilates is therapeutic it’s supposed to make you better not worse isn’t it?

Watch the following video and you’ll see what I mean.

Robert Bartram
(Pilates Instructor)

Pilates Workouts – What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You is a post from: Pilates For Beginners

A question I get asked frequently is “Why an I not benefiting from Pilates?” Translated this means I’ve been coming to class for six weeks why hasn’t my posture / back pain / strength / flexibility improved.

I sigh inwardly and patiently explain that it’s not possible to correct years (sometimes decades) of Poor Posture in six weeks and that if they stick with Pilates they will get the promised benefits.

In my experience about 10% take my advice and continue on the Pilates journey. That means sadly 90% will give up before Pilates has had a chance to improve their quality of life.

I blame in no small part the media who continue to promise us a quick fix for all that ails us if we just hand over our hard earned money. Everything from fast weight loss to inner calm no hard work necessary just hand over your cash.

Well life isn’t like that and I’m afraid if you don’t do the drills you won’t get the skills (or benefits). Anything worthwhile is always worth persevering with so if you’re thinking of taking up Pilates remember the tortoise will always beat the hare and start with the idea that it will take some time and effort. It’ll be worth it I promise you.

Why is Pilates like brushing your teeth? Take a look at this video and discover more.

Robert Bartram
(Pilates Instructor)

Pilates Classes – Why Am I Getting No Benefit? is a post from: Pilates For Beginners

I’m always trying to persuade more guys to come and give Pilates a try, pleading with them that it will do wonders for their posture and flatten their stomach, making them taller, straighter and – well, more manly

It’s like talking to the wall.
In the male mind, Pilates does not class as “real” exercise and is the province of ladies of a certain age “pretending” to exercise.

Tell that to some of the world’s top athletes, including the New Zealand All-Blacks, all of whom do Pilates on a regular basis to boost performance and reduce the likelihood of injury. Pilates also focuses the mind, which is a useful tool for motivation before competition.

I know there are mostly girls in class, but come on, guys – be brave and give Pilates a try; the girls’ll be dead impressed, and you’ll be amazed at the difference Pilates can make to your life.

Carol J Bartram
(Pilates Instructor)

Pilates For Men – Do Real Men Do Pilates? is a post from: Pilates For Beginners

As part of the Pilates For Beginners team I thought I’d take the time and introduce myself. I’m Bob the ugly bald half as you’ll see from the video

I got into Pilates late in life at aged 47 and if I could go back in time that’s one of the few things I’d change. I wish I’d started earlier, much earlier. The earlier you start the earlier you’ll get the benefits and for the younger amongst you even if you have no problems at the moment trust me without Pilates you probably soon will!

In our sit behind a desk world developing bad posture and muscle imbalances is almost certain. When young we can shrug these off but as we get older (in our 40’s)  they come back and sometimes cause us pain.

Take a look at the video below and discover how I managed to reverse some fairly bad posture and how by continuing to practice Pilates I keep them at bay.

Robert Bartram
(Pilates Instructor)

Pilates For Beginners – Pilates Instructor Bob’s Tale is a post from: Pilates For Beginners

As you know I’m on a quest to discover all the Pilates “Ates” variations. I’ve found more than I believed possible and I’m going to list them here. If you find one I’ve not listed leave a comment and add it.

Mamalates

Pilates for mothers who have just had a baby and want to regain their pre pregnancy weight and shape. A great idea.

Poolates

Pilates in the water. Designed for people who can’t easily do regular matwork. This Pilates alternative is recommended for injury rehabilitation patients and people who are very overweight.

Equilates

For those interested in improving their riding Equilates might be just the thing. Touted as Pilates on horseback this Pilates variation is specifically designed to give you a better seat and enhance communication with your horse.

The “Ates” Dictionary is a post from: Pilates For Beginners

I often get asked the question: Will Pilates Help Me Lose Weight?
Yes, it will, BUT only if you do other exercise as well and reduce your calorie intake – I don’t mean that you should diet, as diets don’t work other than very short-term.

If you cut down on your food intake drastically, as people do when they go on a diet, you will certainly lose pounds in the first week, but it won’t be pounds of fat.

It will be mainly water and muscle tissue, and muscle tissue is the LAST thing you want to be losing. Added to that your body will declare a state of siege; it will hoard all your fat like a miser hoarding gold and increase your appetite to the point where you will mug the sparrows in your garden to get the stale bread!

I mean cut down on the junk and fatty foods that most of us eat. A good idea is to keep a food diary for a week, and then have a good, hard look at it – often this is all it takes to pinpoint weak spots and bad habits. One lady I knew simply didn’t realise she was eating 21 slices of cake in a week; every time she had a cup of coffee, she had cake. It was more a habit than a mad desire for the cake!

So, eating habits make up part of the weight loss puzzle. Now to add some exercise – namely a Pilates session or two. Pilates is a system of exercises that will tone your deep muscles, straighten your back and make your legs look longer. Any session with a properly qualified instructor will give you an effective, full-body balanced workout, strengthening you from top-to-toe from the inside out.

Doing Pilates works the muscles deep inside your body that lie next to your skeleton, and are bypassed by most other types of exercise. If you focus on workouts exclusively for your superficial muscles, such as your quadriceps and hamstrings, without taking time to work the muscles underneath, then you can become like a tree with strong branches, but a weak trunk.

A tree with a weak trunk will blow over in a high wind, and a person with a weak core will never get good results in toning up and will be prone to injury.

If you do Pilates as part of a regular exercise program and also include cardiovascular exercise like cycling, brisk walking or swimming and also do some sessions with weights, then that is a brilliant combination that will give you fast, effective results and a balanced body.

Ladies, you don’t need to use heavy weights, and you won’t build big, bulky Man-Muscles! Testosterone, the hormone predominately found in men, needs to be present for muscle – growth to that extent.

Adding Pilates  to your workout routine is easy as Pilates Exercises are mainly done using bodyweight, so can be done anywhere with very little or no equipment, and you are never too old or too young to add Pilates to your weight-loss plan, whether you are male or female, retired athlete or couch potato.

Carol Bartram
(Pilates Instructor)

Pilates For Beginners – Can Pilates Help With Weight Loss? is a post from: Pilates For Beginners

In my quest to bag all the “Ates” I’ve uncovered another one. Mamalates. This “Ates” is all about getting mothers into shape after having a baby. Pilates and crèche combined

The idea is to get post-partum mothers get back into shape as quickly as possible after having their baby. I have to say it’s a great idea and one that I recommend to all my Pilates mothers to be.

The quicker (after you’ve been cleared to exercise by your health professional) you get back to Pilates Class the better. The problem I’ve found is that most of my Pilates clients have good intentions and say they’ll return as quickly as possible after the birth few ever do.

New baby and new responsibility conspire to leave them short of time. They usually come back to class eventually but often leave it a year or two.

That’s a pity because I know from experience if they were to have come straight back to class they would regain their pre pregnancy weight and shape very quickly. Leave it a year or to and it takes much much longer.

Bottom line if your pregnant and do Pilates get back to it as soon as you can. After all you’re worth it aren’t you?

Robert Bartram
(Pilates Instructor)

Mamalates – I’m Intrigued! is a post from: Pilates For Beginners

In my quest to deliver even better quality Pilates videos I have been working on Chroma-Key technology. This involves filming Carol with a solid colour in the background. With some technical magic it’s then possible to remove the background and place her inside another video clip.

That’s how in our Beginners Pilates Workouts videos I’m able to incorporate her in the Power Point presentation.

Well that’s the theory. See what happens when you don’t place the screen properly and I leak into the video by mistake.

So for your viewing pleasure here’s the gruesome outtake

Outtake – Is Your Posture Giving You Pain? is a post from: Pilates For Beginners