The launch of a Pilates brand by Tendulkar’s daughter raises some interesting questions.

Do consumers of fitness and wellness services understand the distinction between brands, exercises, outcomes and adaptations?

Category A
Here are brands:
*Pilates
*Hyrox
*Crossfit
*Ironman
*Yoga
*Orangetheory
*Metabolic conditoning

Category B
Here are categories of training based on outcomes you want to achieve. You can mix and match stuff from C to achieve all the outcomes associated with the categories below:
*Bodybuilding
*Powerlifting
*Strongman training
*Power or speed based training
*Improve tolerance for staying in lengthened positions with or without load
*Improve tolerance for staying in shortened positions with or without load
*Improve a joint’s capacity to articulate through its range of motion

Category C
Here are the activities you could undertake
*Stretches
*Machine based training
*Compound lifts
*Asanas
*Calisthenics
*Plyometrics
*Isometrics
*Exercises that are planned and controlled movement meant to move joints in a fixed and controlled path to create a certain capacity
*Sprinting or other conditoning based tools

Category D
Here are the outcomes you produce
*A muscle that can produce more force
*A tendon that is stiffer or displays more laxity
*A joint that can travel through more range with stability and comfort. This involves a whole host of soft tissue including ligaments, mensicus etc.
*A heart that can pump out blood efficiently at different intensities of activity and different types of activities
*Bones that are denser and stronger
*A brain that can quickly produce the necessary movement to produce an outcome


Takeaway

Most people start with category A and never ask the right questions. Brands do not result in outcomes. Brands use some mish-mash of things in Category B and category C to hopefully produce a desirable mix of different outcomes from Category D.

In reality, you need to start with Category D and work your way up.

Here’s my experience with how clients see it:

They sign up for a yoga class or a Pilates class. They sign up for Hyrox event. Or an orangetheory class.

Whereas the category B stuff does not lend itself to a ‘class’ as readily. There are no bodybuilding classes or powerlifting classes. Deadlifts or back squats may feature in a program that preps you for Hyrox. But powerlifters lift to solely better their Big 3.

Services like starting strength are putting a ‘brand’ to the tools of powerlifting. Much like Ashtanga, Hatha, Iyengar bring their twists to yoga. But a yoga class is instantly recognizable. And the adaptation they seek is consistent. That explains the wide success and perception of accessibility and utility of yoga.

Bodybuilding is a much messier field. Hypertrophy or bigger muscles is the adaptation and outcome they are chasing.

The exercise selection wildly varies. The tempo wildly varies. The rep ranges that are considered effectively widely vary. The use of free weights, motors, pulleys, cams and levers also varies. Basically to produce growth, bodybuilders have a zillion options. And there can be no ‘bodybuilding’ class. Even if it would immensely improve joint and cardiovascular health.

And let’s take my service. Folks have called it a boot camp or group class. That’s the generic term. It’s strength and conditioning. We unapologetically love compound lifts and things like dips, pull ups, weighted push ups. But we throw in work to improve power, isometrics, jumps and sled pushes or drags. If I had the space, I would gladly include sprints too. And when clients need some placebo relief, we will throw in stretches.

So what the hell do we call our hour? Some muscle is packed on. Some capacity for strength is produced. Some capacity for producing power is inculcated. Tolerance for operating in deep ranges of motion is built. And we are unafraid of using whatever tools or moves we need to achieve this. There is no framework or syllabus other than this is a useful adaptation and the outcome will benefit the client.

All of this is not to say that yoga teachers don’t use jumps, throws or strength training. It’s just not the norm. And yoga, as is practiced by majority of practitioner’s, does value tolerance for lengthened positions more than the capacities I have mentioned. There are speedier yoga classes but I have not seen a joint or muscle group systematically targeted for a specific adaptation or outcome. This isn’t a knock. It’s just what I’ve seen in the real world.