If you have looked at my Instagram account, you probably already know I am a huge fan of the Tracy Anderson Method, and have been for many years.
Who is she?
Tracy was an aspiring and talented ballet dancer who struggled throughout dance school because she didn’t have a typical ballerina body. She tried many fitness methods to reshape her figure but nothing seemed to work.
Years later, she got the opportunity to meet a doctor who treated injured high level athletes and specialized in working their body’s smaller muscles in order regain balance in their affected areas. She worked with him, ran a lot of her own tests and studies, and eventually decided to apply his principles to fitness. Over time, she has built what is probably the world’s largest database of fitness content to help people bring balance to their body. There is a great Podcast with Paleovalley where she talks about this.
What is her method?
She has a two-pronged approach: on the one hand, she has developed thousands of mat-based moves to design her “muscular structure” workouts. They are really incomparable to any form of floor exercise I can think of. Their aim (and Tracy’s objective in general) is to help you balance out the muscles in your body. For example, someone who solely runs will only develop the muscles that are used when running – and that creates imbalance because a lot of muscles are being ignored while others are being overworked. Tracy’s moves involve mobilizing more muscles in more directions than any other fitness method without necessarily isolating other parts of the body. They are very dynamic (lots of compound moves) and really challenge your balance and strength. The workouts change every 7-10 days – so you are not doing the same moves over and over again. If you do her metamorphosis dvds, you will see that in almost 4 years she barely repeats any move, which in itself is pretty incredible.
The second part of her method is cardio in the form of dance. Why? Because it activates every part of your body in a dynamic, constantly-changing way. She advises not to sub dance with other sports because they will unbalance the body and go against all the hard work that is done with her muscular structure. Having said that, walking, hiking and other such everyday activities are totally fine.
In short, the recipe is to do muscular structure 5-6 times a week and dance cardio a few times a week depending on your weight loss goals. The daily session can take anywhere between 30 minutes and 2 hours. Personally, I do her online streaming class every day and dance a few times a week.
Is it for you?
Over the years, I’ve introduced many friends to the method and here are a couple of things I’ve realized about people who like and succeed with TAM:
- They are willing to commit to one workout method
Tracy advises to commit to 5-6 times sessions a week. Ironically, a lot of “TAMmers” are really busy ladies who have jobs, children and little time on their hands. Some will add in running and other workouts but mostly, they are focused on the method. - They like working out from home
It is the perfect method for us folks who don’t want to waste time going back and forth to a gym. Having said that, the TAM Instagram and Facebook community is huge and you can engage with other “TAMmers” all over the world looking for advice, inspiration or encouragement. Many post their workouts a couple of times a week just as a way to share their journey and stay motivated. - They are after a lean, balanced look
Might as well say it right off the bat: if you are looking to get a six-pack, built up quads and biceps, this is not for you. TAM will give you a body that is very toned all over and super lean, but it will not give you the same build as spinning, cross fit and other workouts, which tend to focus on larger muscles. - They like challenging their mind-body connection
The moves are sometimes complex, so if you are the type of person who likes to switch off and just push hard during a workout (nothing wrong with this – many people prefer that approach), then TAM isn’t for you. By the same token, improving the mind-body connection is one of the pros of this method (see below).
How you will benefit
Weight: if you are overweight, you will drop the pounds for sure, but don’t forget that nutrition is also a huge (really huge) key to weight loss success.
Size and shape: if you don’t really have weight to lose, which was my case, you can maintain your weight but your body shape will definitely change. In my case, I used to have a very thin upper body and was bottom-heavy because I used to do spinning, long distance running and a lot of other leg-intensive cardio workouts. Over time, my body balanced out – my quads and glute max are slightly smaller but all my other glutes and leg muscles are way stronger which had a slimming effect – I lost 1 or 2 sizes while maintaining the same weight. Also, my stomach, arms and back are definitely stronger than back in my running and spinning days.
Mind-body connection will greatly improve: I didn’t initially have this objective but it’s been the best part. Because you will perform so many strange moves and learn new dance choreographies, TAM will definitely make you better at knowing how to move your body in space. You might not notice it at first but after a few years of doing this I can say for sure that my coordination and proprioception are far better than when I was 25 doing long-distance running and attending daily spinning classes. My body just feels more nimble, agile and in many ways younger. In fact, her method is great for the brain and longevity.
Emotional well being: A lot of people say that their TAM workouts are a form of meditation. In neuro-pilates I learned that the brain’s motor cortex is the place that commands your muscles to move. It also happens to be in the frontal lobe, which is an area where our consciousness, mood and emotions live. So when you work the motor cortex (and believe you me, TAM forces you to focus on what muscles to command when, where and how), it does tend to rub off on other parts of the frontal lobe, which could explain why we come out of the workouts in a better mood.
A few testimonials
But don’t take my word for it. Below are some of TAM aficionados in the UAE:
Mouna (@mounietam), 38, Abu Dhabi
“I have been fairly active through the years; mostly with Ashtanga yoga and running but have been disappointed with the “look” of my body, especially after having had 2 babies. The Tracy Anderson Method has truly changed it like nothing else. It is stronger, more streamlined and athletic. The method also challenges the mind, and at the risk of sounding reverential, feeds my soul too. TAM also taught me the power of consistency, which is the often overlooked trait needed to succeed.”
Gaia (@gaiatam), 39, Dubai
“In August 2013, I was visiting a friend of mine in Geneva and remember thinking she was so lean and fit. I asked what her secret was and she introduced me to the Tracy Anderson Method. When I got back home in Milan, I ordered her Metamorphosis DVD series and started my journey. Last year, I started her streaming program and never looked back. The benefits of the method are huge and hard to explain a few words because it impacts the entire body! I am an avid exerciser of all sports, but TAM makes me feel stronger. My hips and legs are finally toned, my posture has vastly improved thanks to all her deep core work and my back problems are practically gone even though I spend many hours a day in a car and office.”
Mennat (@mennat_tam), 32, Abu Dhabi
“As a teenager, I battled with weight issues. Though, I practiced one form or another of sports throughout high school, visited the gym regularly during university years, the extra weight just hung on to me for dear life. I didn’t think anything apart from starving myself would do the trick to make me feel good about my body. I stumbled upon a Tracy Anderson video on You Tube in 2011, the ’Tracy Anderson Arms Webisode’. The more I researched Tracy’s method, the more I liked what I read. My problem area has always been my lower midsection, down to the hips and glutes (bum area to be exact). One video of Tracy’s leg series and I knew this is what my body needed to wake up those muscles and burn off the fat! Three years later, I completed 2.5 years of Hipcentric Metamorphosis DVDs, had a baby, and now follow the streaming program. I can confidently share that I have managed to change the overall structure of my body, never going back to those ‘darker days’ weight. Tracy has given me the tool to get to where I always envisioned myself. Thank you Tracy Anderson!”
More information
If you are interested in know more about the method, just try it out. She has loads of videos on Youtube and her latest content is available on her website, including her insanely popular streaming program. Do it religiously for a month and you will see results for sure. You should also look up all the instragrammers who post their TAM workouts using #tamily #tracyandersonmethod #tracyanderson and #tarealtime, they are all pretty inspirational.
