Is Pilates strength training? | Well+Good

But even if Pilates is your go-to workout, don’t give up on weightlifting and cardio right away: A regular Pilates practice can help improve overall strength and muscle, but there are limits to how much it can help, says Christine Sellers, NCPT, a certified Pilates instructor at Bridge Body Clinic and Training Center in Atlanta.

Even if your regular Pilates class leaves you drenched in sweat and shaking, your heart rate won’t be elevated for long, so you won’t get any cardiovascular benefits.

But the sweat and shivers are worth it: Pilates can improve your balance, mobility, and overall strength. But does it count as strength training? Yes and no.

Pilates can help you build strength and muscle, and is a great supplement to exercise, but experts say it’s not a substitute for regular weight training. Here’s everything you need to know about when to use Pilates as a strength training exercise, and when to combine it with other exercises.

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Is Pilates strength training?

“There’s no doubt that Pilates develops both muscle and strength,” says Abby Suskin, CPT, certified personal trainer, certified BASI Pilates instructor, and founder of Pilates With Abs. “Pilates is a form of resistance training, a type of exercise that develops strength and endurance against an external force.”

In traditional strength training, that force comes from free weights or a barbell; in Pilates, you can get that same resistance with your own body weight, a reformer spring, or a resistance band.

“A properly programmed Pilates class challenges and strengthens all major muscle groups through slow, sustained, low-impact movements,” Suskin says.

The bottom line? A regular, well-rounded Pilates program can help you build strength all over your body, especially if you use equipment like the Reformer.

Can Pilates help me build muscle and strength?

Because Pilates uses your own body weight, “depending on your strength level when you start, mat-based exercises can help you build strength and tone muscles,” Sellers says.

Traditional Pilates exercises like shoulder bridges and push-ups can also build strength through resistance at first, but once you reach a certain level of fitness, it becomes harder to build strength and muscle with these bodyweight-only exercises, because the increased resistance strengthens your muscles, and the benefits of Pilates even out over time, says Sellers.

Once you’ve mastered the basics, both Sellers and Suskin recommend adding light weights, loop bands, and other equipment to your mat Pilates exercises to increase resistance and challenge your muscles.

The Benefits of Pilates for Building and Strengthening Muscle

Pilates is great for building core muscles and strength — the deep abdominal muscles that support the spine, says Suskin.

“Pilates classes focus on core strength and endurance exercises, and the instructor will direct your breathing at specific points during the exercise to maximise activation of your core muscles,” she says.

Traditional Pilates exercises, such as the single-leg stretch and roll-up, target and strengthen the deep abdominal muscles, such as the transverse abdominis and obliques, improving overall posture and mobility and helping to prevent injury and back pain.

Pilates vs. Cardio

Although you’ll work up a sweat during a great Pilates workout, unfortunately, it doesn’t count as cardio, says Sellers.

“Aerobic exercise is any exercise that gets your heart rate up and keeps it up for an extended period of time,” she explains. “There are moments when your heart rate will increase during mat exercises, but usually not for long enough to get the full benefit.”

To get the most benefit from your heart and metabolism, Suskin says it’s better to do consistent aerobic exercise like running or cycling.

Pilates vs. Weightlifting

While Pilates can certainly provide strength benefits, weightlifting is the best way to build muscle, says Suskin.

“Strength is only one component of Pilates training, whereas the goal of weightlifting is to increase muscle size. [hypertrophy] “By gradually adding resistance and stress to your muscles over time, you improve your strength,” Suskin says. “If your goal is to build strength using body weight and light resistance, Pilates can definitely help with that,” she continues. But if you’re looking to increase muscle size, she recommends a traditional strength-training program.

Weightlifting is especially important as you get older, because lifting heavy weights not only improves your strength but also your mobility, which can help prevent injury, says Sellers.

With its emphasis on core strength and flexibility, Pilates “is a great way to not only complement strength training, but also prevent injury,” Suskin adds.

“Pilates develops both muscle and strength. It is a type of resistance training, which means it uses exercise against an external force to develop strength and endurance.” —Abby Suskin, CPT

Best Pilates moves for muscle building

1. Shoulder Bridge Leg Lift

According to Sellers, this Pilates classic strengthens your hips, quads, core, and arms while improving your balance.

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
2. Hold a light dumbbell in each hand, palms facing inwards, and arms at your sides.
3. Engage your glutes and core, press your feet through the air, and drive your hips up toward the ceiling until a diagonal line forms from your knees to your hips to your chest.
4. Extend one leg forward and reach the opposite arm overhead, keeping your hips raised and level.
5. Return your raised arms and legs to the ground.
6. Repeat 10 times on one arm and leg, then repeat on the other side.

2. Stretching both legs

Add a challenge to this core staple with lighter weights.

1. Lie on your back with your legs stretched out.
2. Hold a light dumbbell in each hand, palms facing inwards, and arms at your sides.
3. Use your arms to draw your knees toward your chest while lifting your head, neck, and shoulders off the mat.
4. As you inhale, straighten your legs to a 45-degree angle and reach your arms overhead, holding the position for three seconds.
5. As you exhale, return your arms and legs to the starting position.
6. Repeat 10 times.

3. Single-leg stretch

This arm and core burner works your internal and external obliques, biceps and triceps.

1. Lie on your back with your legs extended, your right hand behind your head, and your left arm extended to your side, holding a weight in your left hand.
2. Curl your head, lift your legs toward the ceiling and rotate your torso to the right.
3. Lower your left leg as you reach your left arm toward the outside of your right leg.
4. Lift your shoulder blades off the mat and hold the position for three seconds, then lower your head and return your feet to their original position.
5. Repeat 10 times on one side, then repeat on the other side.

4. Clamshell board

This total-body exercise combines clamshells and planks to target your glutes, hips, arms and obliques.

1. Lie on your right side and place your right forearm directly under your shoulder for support.
2. Hold a light dumbbell in your left hand, palm facing inwards.
3. Bend your knees and place your feet together.
4. Use your lower hips and forearms to lift your torso off the mat.
5. Bring your feet together, open your top hips toward the ceiling, and raise your top arms straight up overhead.
6. Lower your arms and legs and repeat 10 times.
7. Move to the other side.

5. Push-ups

This bodyweight exercise will build upper body strength by targeting muscles in your chest, arms, and back.

1. Start in a high plank position with shoulders stacked over wrists, pelvis tucked, and legs straight.
2. As you inhale, bend your elbows at a 45-degree angle to the side and slowly lower your body as low as you can toward the floor, without swaying your hips or losing your core connection.
3. Pause for a moment at the “bottom” of the push-up.
4. As you exhale, engage your core and press through your palms to press back up to the starting position.
5. Repeat 10 times.

6. Side plank

This exercise will strengthen your obliques, arms and hips while also improving your balance.

1. Lie on your left side with your legs straight and your feet flexed, legs stacked and your left forearm placed under your shoulder.
2. Exhale as you lift your hips, keeping your pelvis tucked under and engaging your core to support your hips, and hold the position for 10 to 30 seconds on each side.
3. Repeat five to eight times on one side, then repeat on the other side.

7. Spinal Extension

This prone (supine) exercise works the posterior chain, or the muscles at the back of your body.

1. Lie face down with your hands under your shoulders and elbows against your ribs, and your legs straight on the mat.
2. As you inhale, tighten your pelvis and strengthen your core.
3. At the same time, extend your arms straight out in front of you, with your biceps next to your ears.
4. As you exhale, lift your head, chest, arms and legs off the mat.
5. Hold this position as you inhale, then exhale as you lower yourself back to the starting position.
6. Repeat 10 times.

8. Rollup

A traditional Pilates move, the roll-up helps engage your spine and core.

1. Lie on your back with your legs straight and your arms raised above your head.
2. Inhale to warm up, then exhale as you curl your chin toward your chest and extend your arms straight in front of you, slowly curling your body into an active forward bend.
3. As you inhale, draw your belly button toward your hips and reach your fingertips toward your toes.
4. As you exhale, slowly lower each vertebrae down until you are lying face up on the mat.
5. Repeat 10 times.

9. Bridge

A staple in Pilates and strength-training classes, the bridge improves balance while strengthening your core, hamstrings, and glutes.

1. Lie on your back with your arms at your sides, knees bent, and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
2. Inhale, keeping your pelvis in line with your spine, and lift your hips and spine off the mat, engaging your glutes and core.
3. Exhale as you lower your hips and spine back down onto the mat.
4. Repeat 10 times.

Conclusion

Known for its slow, controlled movements, Pilates is great for strengthening your core and improving mobility and balance, and these bodyweight movements also help build strength in your arms, back, glutes, hips and hamstrings to some degree.

To build muscle, you need to increase resistance, so for best results, incorporate weights or other resistance-type equipment like those listed above into your Pilates exercises, as well as a traditional strength-training program at least twice a week.