Pilates Proven: Olympians' Key to Peak Performance

Discover how top Olympians use Pilates to boost performance and maintain peak physical condition.

Pilates: The Secret Training Tool for Olympic Athletes

Once a well-kept secret among elite athletes, Olympic training with Pilates has surfaced as a cornerstone in the training routines of Olympians seeking an edge in their respective sports. Pilates is known for its focus on core strength, flexibility, and total body awareness, which has been a game-changer for men and women alike during the Olympic games. It's not just about the physical gains in this type of cross-training for athletes; Pilates benefits include mental discipline, resilience, and a deep mind-body connection, crucial for Olympic-level performance.

The versatility of Olympic training with Pilates makes it an ideal cross-training for athletes, as it complements the rigorous demands of high-stakes competition. Its emphasis on injury prevention and postural alignment is particularly beneficial for athletes who subject their bodies to repetitive movements, helping them to maintain balance and reduce the risk of injury. 

Cross-Training Benefits: How Pilates Complements High-Performance Sports

In the high-pressure world of sports, Pilates emerges as a powerful cross-training ally, bridging the gap between strength and mobility and offering unparalleled cross-training for athletes. Elite athletes understand that to perform at their peak, their bodies need to be well-oiled machines with a capacity for explosive power and graceful precision. Pilates provides this balance, enhancing core stability, which translates into better control and efficiency in any physical activity.

Moreover, Olympic training with Pilates doesn't discriminate between genders; men and women reap equal rewards from its practice. The controlled movements and resistance training inherent to Pilates are vital for building functional muscle that serves athletes both in and out of their sporting arenas.

Below are some of our favorite Pilates exercises for cross-training:

Side Plank with Clam: 

Exercise Description:

Lie on your side, hips, knees, and ankles stacked with knees bent. Prop your upper body up with your bottom elbow and place your top hand on your hip. Exhale to press into your knees and elbow to lift your hips off the mat, while you open the knees keeping your ankles together. Inhale to lower with control to the mat.

Pilates Benefits:

Shoulder, oblique, and hip strengthening.

Olympic training with Pilates: 

Ideal cross-training for athletes who participate in cutting sports like Soccer and Basketball.

Reverse Abs:

Exercise Description:

Attach one medium spring. Kneel on the carriage with your knees near the shoulder rests, hips square, and hands on either side of the frame toward the ropes, slightly in front of your shoulders. Shift your weight forward as shoulders come over wrists and pull carriage away from the home position to keep hips bent at 90 degrees. From here, exhale to pull carriage toward hands by flexing hips while keeping spine neutral. Inhale control carriage back to hips bent at 90 degrees.

Pilates Benefits:

Strengthen your lower abs and shoulders. 

Olympic training with Pilates: 

Ideal cross-training for athletes who participate in jumping sports like Basketball and Volleyball.

Ab Curl with Thigh in Strap:

Exercise Description:

Attach one medium spring. Lie sideways across the carriage, hands supporting your head in an ab curl and legs in table top. Place the long loop around the thigh closest to the ropes, near the knee. Holding the ab curl continuously, inhale to open the thighs in a “V”, then exhale to close the thighs.

Pilates Benefits:

Challenge your abs and inner thighs. 

Olympic training with Pilates: 

Ideal cross-training for athletes who participate in all forms of movement, though Equestrians find particular benefits from this exercise. 

Case Studies: Elite Athletes and Their Pilates Routines

Take basketball legends like LeBron James and Kevin Durant, or the WNBA's sharpshooter Kelsey Plum; these towering figures on the court turn to Olympic training with Pilates to maintain agility and prevent injury. On the tennis courts, Novak Djokovic's unparalleled endurance and flexibility can be partly credited to his Pilates practice. Meanwhile, golfer Rory McIlroy and surfers Carissa Moore and Rio Waida harness Olympic training with Pilates to perfect their swing and ride, enhancing balance and core control crucial for their sports.

The pool sees champions like Freya Anderson slicing through water with Pilates precision, while on the track, sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and track and field star Gabby Thomas sprint to victory with power and poise from Pilates training. Equestrian Laura Kraut, rugby's Portia Woodman, and athletes from every discipline have turned to Pilates to maintain competitive advantage and longevity in their careers, leveraging Pilates for performance.

TLDR List:

• Basketball: Legends like LeBron James and Kevin Durant, along with WNBA's Kelsey Plum, use Pilates to maintain agility and prevent injury.
• Tennis: Novak Djokovic credits part of his endurance and flexibility to Pilates.
• Golf: Rory McIlroy maintains balance and a perfected swing technique with Pilates. 
• Surfing: Carissa Moore and Rio Waida enhance their balance and core control through Pilates.
• Swimming: Freya Anderson slicing through water with Pilates precision.
• Track and Field: Sprinters like Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Gabby Thomas benefit from Pilates training.
• Equestrian:  Laura Kraut tacks Pilates onto the end of her workouts to increase core strength for riding.
• Rugby: Portia Woodman, among others, maintains competitive advantages and career longevity with Pilates.

Train Like a Champion: Join the Flexia Online Studio

Whether you’re an elite athlete training for the Olympics or looking to start a workout routine for the first time, the Flexia Online Studio offers the opportunity to train under the guidance of certified Pilates instructors. No matter where you are on your fitness journey, you can access hundreds of diverse classes to cater to your specific goals and needs. Online Pilates classes in the Flexia Online Studio bring the trusted guidance of a Pilates studio into your home, with smart sensors to keep you on track during your workout, making it convenient to incorporate this training method into your regime.

Achieving your personal best requires dedication, and with Flexia Smart Reformer and Flexia Online Studio, you're not alone. Join a community committed to showing up at their best and find out how Pilates can transform not only your athletic performance but your overall well-being.

Ready to bring your Smart Reformer home? Learn more about our connected reformer metrics here and tap here to shop. 

For more questions about our Smart Reformer, visit our Knowledge Base (our searchable FAQ), book a demo with us, or send an email to hello@flexiapilates.com

Olympian Photo Credit:

LeBron James

Kevin Durant 

Kelsey Plum

Novak Djokovic

Rory McIlroy

Carissa Moore

Rio Waida

Freya Anderson

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce

Gabby Thomas

Laura Kraut

Portia Woodman