The Complete Book of Pilates for Men: The Lifetime Plan for Strength, Power & Peak Performance [Paperback]

Daniel Lyon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 27, 2005

A comprehensive, take-anywhere exercise program designed to improve men's strength, flexibility, balance, and posture

Have years of office work wreaked havoc on your posture? Could your tennis or golf game use a boost? Do you appear or feel older than your age? Or do you carry yourself in a manner that expresses strength, power, and peak performance to everyone around you?

In recent years, Pilates has become a popular exercise program, especially among women. Many books on the subject show lithe female bodies stretched across their covers. Top Pilates instructor Daniel Lyon Jr. aims to break the preconception that Pilates only benefits and appeals to women. "This couldn't be further from the truth," he asserts. "Joseph Pilates was a cigar-smoking boxer, acrobat, and gymnast, and he developed his exercise program from that background for men first." Likewise, Lyon designed this book specifically with men in mind, as the number of male Pilates practitioners -- among them professional athletes, actors, businessmen, and other high-profile personalities -- has rocketed to about three million and continues to grow.

For athletes, working stiffs, and men recovering from injuries, Lyon offers the first comprehensive exercise program of its kind. He walks you through forty "traditional mat" exercises and more than sixty "reformer on the mat" exercises -- each one brilliantly illustrated -- in an inspiring self-guided program that adapts to all experience levels and requires nothing more than floor space, an exercise mat, and the desire to look and feel your best. Using the Pilates method of engaging the strongest parts of the body, or the "powerhouse" (Joseph Pilates's term for the abdominals, hips, lower back muscles, and buttocks), and integrating all other body parts from this core, Lyon's program targets trouble spots for men and helps them achieve strong, lean, masculine physiques.

The Complete Book of Pilates for Men will deliver quick and long-term results to any man who seeks optimal fitness and a competitive edge in all aspects of his life.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Former trader turned TriBeCa Pilates instructor Lyon argues men and women are different when it comes to the mat (men have more strength; women are more flexible). Guys tend to be especially tighter in the shoulders, back, legs and hips, so he has crafted a program for them. The idea is simple enough and the information is solid. There's a quick introduction on the history and basic principles underlying Pilates, followed by a section featuring 40 exercises of "traditional Pilates mat work" and another section with 66 more advanced "reformer on the mat" exercises. Accompanied by illustrations of Lyon in action, the exercises are well organized and easy to follow. The more material readers cover, however, the less convinced they'll be of the need for a book on the subject tailored exclusively for men. While it's true that Pilates classes generally have appealed more to women, the same can surely be said for yoga, aerobics and other comparable low-impact workouts. The gender angle makes for a catchy title and a clever hook, but ultimately seems like a bit of a stretch. (Oct.)
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About the Author

Daniel Lyon Jr.'s first Pilates class inspired him to leave his desk job as a trader. He trained with Joseph Pilates's oldest living protÉgÉ and has been a private Pilates instructor at reaLPilates @ Tribeca Bodyworks ever since. He was also a Pilates instructor for two years at Drago's Gymnasium. Lyon lives in New York City.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Regan Books (September 27, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060820772
• ISBN-13: 978-0060820770
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #44,827 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #11 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Exercise & Fitness > Pilates
  • #52 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Men's Health

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great book, March 23, 2006

By 

Linda S. Knapik "pilates4me" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Complete Book of Pilates for Men: The Lifetime Plan for Strength, Power & Peak Performance (Paperback)

I'm a pilates instructor of mat classes. I've been certified through 2 different organizations. This is a great book! I like the part on the reformer on the mat. It's well written and i also like reading on the differences between men and women with refrence to the exercises. Good purchase!

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pilates Finally Meets Men!, November 16, 2005

By 

Ren Mendoza "PhysiotheraPilates" (Manila, Philippines) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Book of Pilates for Men: The Lifetime Plan for Strength, Power & Peak Performance (Paperback)

Truly a remarkable Pilates resource specifically for men! I have been practicing Pilates for over a year now. The first time I bought a Pilates book, I felt a little intimidated because of the thinking of most people that Pilates was only for women. Most of the public did not know that Pilates is Joseph - a man! When I saw Daniel's book, I was captivated by the other advanced mat work exercises I had not seen before not to mention the reformer on the mat exercises! (quite challenging, I tell you!) I stood at the bookstore and read the book for almost 2 hours. The next day, I finally bought the book just this month. I have seen many Pilates books but they offer the same exercises, mostly modified and lack representation of the complete and original mat work of Joseph Pilates. I am a licensed physical therapist and I just decided to include Pilates even more in my fitness regimen for life, like air! Pilates is results-driven! Let's now hit the mat and burn that powerhouse!

33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very complete., December 18, 2005

By 

. (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Complete Book of Pilates for Men: The Lifetime Plan for Strength, Power & Peak Performance (Paperback)

This book incorporates some traditional exercises, (such as pushups) into a cohesive whole, where the trainee doesn't just do the exercise out of the clear blue, but rather, gets into position from their original, (standing, in this case), position, in a carefully thought-out manner. It's surprising to me how much difference it makes to account for the points between one's 'non-exercising' position, and getting into the exercise, both in quality of the movement, and the greater liklihood that one will continue to do the exercises over time.