Is pilates strength training?

Pilates and Strength Training

You may have seen more information lately about the importance of strength training, aka resistance training, and building muscle as we age. There has been much debate over Pilates and it’s role in strength training and you will see many opinions both supporting Pilates as resistance training and those against it. The real answer? Like anything, it depends. Let’s break it down. If you are new to fitness, or it’s been a long time since you’ve been active, Pilates is a great starting point. At this level, yes, it would be considered strength training. The springs on all of the apparatuses provide resistance, and on Balanced Body reformers (in our studio) the springs actually correlate to different exertion. Therefore, you are working with weights. If you are just beginning, light weights are the most appropriate, so Pilates and strength training align. The maximum weight of all the springs on is approximately 140lbs, so as you progress with your strength and fitness, there is still progressive overload (a key concept in strength training) that Pilates can provide.Conversely, if you have been strength training for a few years and you are looking to maximize the weights you lift, then Pilates will likely fall short for you for strength gains. However, Pilates can still improve your stability and proprioception (awareness of the position and movement of the body), as well as your flexibility. If you are muscular and strong, Pilates can still challenge you and likely in new ways.

Here is another common issue these days: tech neck and poor posture. One of the foundations of Pilates is to improve posture. While you may be aware of the larger muscles that keep you upright and contribute to athletic performance, many of the postural muscles are smaller. For example, the muscles in the shoulder girdle, or rotator cuff, are small. If you want to strengthen and train them, you cannot start heavy. When you progressively gain strength there, you may still not “go heavy” as you would with larger muscles. Here is another area that Pilates contributes to strength training, and probably the most overlooked -- increasing the strength of your small but important muscles.

Often you will see “strength and stability” paired together, and for good reason. Without stability, you will not be able to support the heavy weights you will be lifting as you increase your load. Lifting heavy requires stability and Pilates trains stability. Each Pilates apparatus allows for different ways to move vertically, horizontally, and transversally. Additionally, increasing your own body-mind connection and movement awareness is key when you are looking to make sure you do an RDL instead of dead lift.

So we’re back to the question of Pilates: is it strength training? As you can see, it is and it isn’t – it depends on you.