Women can achieve a lean “sleek” physique using conventional weight training equipment as you mentioned. My point was that there are too many people who don’t understand anatomy and physiology that are being mislead by false exercise claims. We trainers have enough of a battle with infomercials, “reality television” and unethical trainers giving the rest of us a bad name. The last thing we need are more individuals or organizations taking a credible form of exercise and applying false claims to trump it up. Especially since it does not need it.
All muscle is lean. Its tone and degree of hypertrophy will dictate the relative muscularity (bulk) on an individual, which can be regulated by the training program. Obviously with weights it is much easier to create a stimulus that will cause excess hypertrophy, what most women do not want. We (fitness professionals like you and me) know pilates training is not designed for “bodybuilding” or as a preferred method of producing muscular hypertrophy like weight training. We also know weight training is not solely for those two goals also. The average person may not know the difference and this is a point that should be emphasized about pilates. But as I mentioned stating that pilates can lengthen muscles is wrong and we as trainers need to call out others when they lie. Its no different than some tv ad telling viewers a crunch machine will turn fat into a six pack. Any false claim only hurts our profession, no matter what form of exercise it is targeted at.

I must say, I’m impressed.