From the producers of the “leggings legs” trend comes yet another unnecessary label for women’s bodies. Introducing the latest hot item on the internet, the Pilates arm. Following Miley Cyrus’ stunning performance at the 2024 Grammy Awards, it was her toned arms (rather than her first Grammy win) that took social media by storm. One reformed Pilates instructor went so far as to create a TikTok about Cyrus’ “Pilates arms,” saying that Pilates gives those who follow it an easily identifiable “copy-and-paste physique.”
“This is a Pilates arm, that was my first reaction immediately when I saw this photo,” she said in the video, referring to a full-body photo of Cyrus. “I teach a lot of classes, day in and day out, and so many people in my classes have the exact same arms.” He added that Pilates is the perfect alternative for building muscle strength, as doing so tends to make his arms “super thick”.
The term “Pilates arms” took off, and suddenly TikTok was flooded with other creators suggesting specific workouts to help people achieve the style. But while Pilates may be a great fit for one creator’s lifestyle and fitness goals, tying an exercise routine to a specific body type can be dangerous. (Of course, lifting weights doesn’t automatically make you look fat.)
To be fair, Cyrus is certainly a fan of Pilates, having been spotted at a Pilates studio in 2013. But the reality is that while Pilates may help you build arm strength, no single exercise can “tone” any specific body part. .
In fact, you can’t actually “tighten” your muscles at all. Muscles can grow and shrink, but they never become stiff or soft. When people talk about “toning,” they usually mean a combination of strength training, which makes the muscles bigger, and general fat loss, which makes the muscles more visible. (It’s worth noting, according to the University of Sydney, that your body also has no control over where it loses fat.) These facts make this elusive “Pilates arm” a little harder to sell. Become.
Pilates uses low-impact, resistance-based movements to improve strength and flexibility, but results vary depending on your lifestyle, genetics, and level of consistency. It’s a great workout for a dozen different reasons, but it doesn’t give everyone the same Grammy-winning arms.
Still, with almost 500,000 likes, the concept of “Pilates arms” clearly resonated with viewers, but that’s part of the problem. It’s good to have goals. Taking certain exercises or classes may help you reach your goals. But when we say arms might be visible, we’re doing people a disservice. that’s right If you’re interested enough to try a particular workout, like Cyrus.
According to information she’s shared publicly, Cyrus’ health routine includes Ashtanga yoga, Pilates, lots of outdoor exercise, a previously vegan diet (which she’s currently “experimenting with”), and training from a personal trainer. Professional support included. Fitness is essentially part of her career and requires a lot of time, energy and money, which not everyone has access to. Not to mention the many different factors that influence body composition, including gender, age, race, nutrition, physical activity, and hormonal status.
The bottom line is that even if we all had the means to exercise and eat exactly like Cyrus, we still wouldn’t look like her. And that’s fine. If you’ve got arms, you’ve got Pilates arms, and that’s worth celebrating.
