Qualtiy over Quantity

With principles like control, precision, concentration, and centering, it is no wonder that Pilates is all about quality of movement.

Many forms of movement work off of sets and repetitions like 3 sets of 12 repetitions with increase in weight load.  These quantities of exercises are meant to exhaust or fatigue the muscle groups being used.  This is also why when lifting weights many trainers will work on one part of the body, i.e. Upper back, Chest and Arms.  Then the next day a different body part grouping, alternating the muscle groups but never focusing on full body development.

Pilates works on uniform body development. Working the entire body and all muscle groups in each session. The most amount of repetitions done for one specific exercise never exceeds 10 repetitions. There is no such thing as a set in Pilates, instead each exercise in the series flows from one to the next encouraging the entire body to become active, engaged, and developed.  The attention to form and quality is what allows Pilates to produce grand results without a lot of repetition and exhausting of the muscles. It also means that there does not need to be a rest period between workouts. When leaving a Pilates session many students comment on how "open", "tall", "free", and "strong" they feel.  There is not that feeling of not being able to move the next day that comes from other types of exercise.  Although you may feel an internal soreness from the deep connections of the work.  You can and should incorporate some amount of Pilates into your everyday routine.  This superior style of movement will allow you to lead a life full of quality and quantity.