Pilates is making my shoulders big

[FaiIureToLunch]

I’ve been doing about two hours of Pilates a day for the past six months

In the last week I’ve noticed that my shoulders are suddenly much wider. I’m never going to stop Pilates so just need to live with it but is there anything I can do to offset this? I’m no longer able to get into my favourite coat although overall I’m in great shape.

2hours is quite a lot but if you enjoy it I wouldn’t worry.

Big strong shoulders👏🏻
what's not to like 💪🏻🤩

Well I look like a man which wasn’t the plan 🤣🤣

I already had big shoulders and am only 5”4

Also now a long legged round bottomed sylph however. So it’s not
all bad. I just so annoyed at my beefy shoulders.

My solution woulf be to beef up the legs to match the shoulders but obviously that won't work for you😁
If you want to reduce the amount of muscle that you are carrying then you probably need to do less of whatever it is which is creating the muscle.
(From the point of view of health and well-being, blood sugar control, not being insulin resistant, longevity, not being frail in old age etc, the more muscle you have the better)

Really?? You've built so much muscle doing body weight only exercise that your coat doesn't fit? Seems unlikely, but if true, it's great to be well muscled and I'm sure you look better overall as the muscle will have developed all over.

Is it that your posture has improved?
The exercises you're doing probably focusing on wrong muscle groups, you need to switch it up

I've literally never seen anyone develop bulk from Pilates. It's freaking hard to build bulk as a women lifting heavy weights.

Can't you just dial back the shoulder moves a bit?

Actually you’re right, it could just be that my posture has improved. I measured myself this morning and am standing an inch taller. I was quite round shouldered and but Neanderthal looking before.

I also can’t tolerate two pillows any more, I only feel comfortable with one so something has shifted. Posture wise.

I tried on three more coats this morning after posting and they all for fine across the waist and across the shoulders noticeably tight.

I tend to put on muscle very easily anyway. I just want a strong healthy body and improved posture so I’m trying not to care about the fact that I now seem to be wearing shoulder pads 😳

Do you do classes OP, or are you doing it at home ?
If a class then I would chat to your teacher about it. Pilates normally builds long, lean muscle not bulk.
If you are doing it at home, what are you doing ? As I would quite like to be more of a round bottomed sylph !!

No, I go to classes, like to do two a day plus weekly kettlebells and HIIT classes.
so about 16 classes a week.

Instructor is super fussy and tweaks everybody so it’s not form.

I will talk to her tomorrow.

Isn’t it more likely the kettlebells than the Pilates?

You need to be in a calorie surplus and lifting heavy weights to build muscle. It's extremely hard for females to build muscle

The kettlebells are the likely culprit here I would think?

Sure if they are 20kg +. If they are 3kg they won't build anything.

Have you thought about trying swimming?? Sounds like you’re the right body shape for it. Embrace it!

It's the kettlebells, not the pilates. kettles are ALL shoulderwork

Oh yes agreed, but if OP is doing 16 fitness sessions in an average week I’m going to go out on a limb and guess they aren’t doing 3kg 😂

I’m reading this in amazement you can do 16 classes a week?!

I thought I had done amazingly doing 4 a week throughout January!! I do have a 5 year old & work though.

Sorry, realise that doesn’t help with your actual question

16 a week classes is 😮. Was just reading about exercise addiction in the paper today. Your body needs rest days too ...

I don't know what exercises you are doing to make shoulders bigger. A warm up usually focuses on neutral spine, lateral breathing, navel to spine - all core. There are exercises that focus on transverse abdominal, upper and lower back, hip flexors etc. but I can only think of plank and reverse plank, maybe side exercises that put weight on the arm and might make shoulders bigger. Long time since I studied it though.

Maybe you could try to eat less protein if you don't want to change your exercise? I am trying to gain more muscle and am finding it is the protein that is the biggest factor in how much muscle I gain.

I do Pilates precisely because I have a shoulder injury and cannot do anything that requires me to use my shoulders... I can't believe you've built broader shoulders from Pilates either as it's not the right exercises for upper body in that way! I assume your other exercise classes are having the impact. Just buy new coats.

I'm jealous, I'm desperate to build muscle. What do you eat?

Don't you work or do any housework? What's your secret to finding time for 16 exercise classes a week??