Is Pilates Good for Strength Training?

Coming up with a workout program can be tough, especially when opinions about certain exercises are all over the place.

Pilates often finds itself in a gray area, praised for its core-focused movements but misunderstood when it comes to strength training. You may have heard claims about Pilates building “long, lean muscles” or being a “gentle, low-impact” workout. While these statements aren’t entirely unfounded, they don’t offer much insight into what exactly Pilates can do for strength training.

Can it develop true strength, or is it more of a complementary practice? Where does it fit alongside other training methods such as weightlifting or bodyweight exercises?

Let’s find out what Pilates can and can’t do when it comes to building strength.

Can Pilates Be Considered Strength Training?

Pilates can be considered a form of strength training, here’s why:

What Is Strength Training?

Strength training involves exercises that are designed to improve muscle strength by resisting force. This resistance could come from weights, your own body weight, resistance bands, or other equipment. The goal is to create enough challenge to stimulate the muscles and increase their capacity for force production over time (1).

Now apply this concept to Pilates, and you’ll see it fits the definition. It uses controlled movements, often against resistance, to strengthen muscles. Resistance in Pilates may come from your body weight, spring-loaded equipment such as the reformer, or small props such as resistance rings (2).

How Pilates Builds Strength

Pilates is reliant on precise movements and sustained effort to target specific muscle groups. The strength it builds can be categorized into several key areas:

• Core Strength

Pilates is best known for strengthening your core (2). Your core includes the muscles around your abdomen, lower back, hips, and pelvis (3). Movements such as the hundred, teaser, and plank challenge these muscles while requiring control and stability. A strong core plays an essential role in your everyday life, improving your posture and reducing your risk of injury (4, 5).

• Functional Strength

Pilates strengthens muscles in ways that carry over to real-world activities. It emphasizes alignment, balance, and working muscles through their full range of motion (6). 

For example, exercises such as sidekicks or lunges on the reformer mimic daily movements while engaging stabilizing muscles to ensure proper form. The strength built here enhances both movement efficiency and joint protection.

If you wish to free yourself from all the extra pounds that have been weighing you down for way too long, start using the BetterMe: Health Coaching app and overhaul your entire life!

• Stabilizing and Supporting Muscles

Traditional exercises often prioritize large muscle groups, but Pilates has a knack for activating smaller, stabilizing muscles. These include muscle groups such as your deep core muscles or those that surround your shoulder and hip joints. For example, the single-leg stretch quietly builds strength in these smaller muscles while also coordinating them with larger ones.

• Dynamic and Controlled Strength

Pilates places great emphasis on eccentric muscle contractions (7). This happens when a muscle lengthens while resisting a load, such as during the lowering phase of a movement (8). Many Pilates exercises, such as roll-ups and roll-overs, require this constant control through movements. This type of strength enhances your ability to smoothly transition between movements, whether in exercise or daily life.

Read more: How to Use the BetterMe Pilates Kit for Active Recovery

Is Pilates Muscular Strength or Endurance?

Pilates focuses on both muscular strength and endurance. Exercises are designed to strengthen muscles while also improving their capacity to maintain effort. This balance ensures you can develop both force and durability in your movements.

Building Muscular Strength

Muscular strength refers to a muscle’s ability to generate force (9). Many Pilates exercises focus on this by asking your muscles to resist tension (10). For example, when you perform a Plank or use resistance-based equipment such as the reformer, you engage muscles to stabilize your body and push against a load. These controlled, focused movements build strength over time, particularly in your core and stabilizing muscles.

Developing Muscular Endurance

Muscular endurance is a muscle’s ability to sustain effort over time (9). Pilates excels here (11). Exercises are often performed in sets or held for longer periods, requiring sustained activation of your muscles. Movements such as the hundred or side-lying leg lifts are great examples. They challenge your muscles to maintain form and control through repeated efforts or extended holds.

Does Pilates Build Core Strength?

Yes, Pilates is highly effective for building core strength. This focus on the core is one of the defining features of Pilates as a fitness method.

The core includes more than just your abs. It consists of several muscles that work together to stabilize and support your body. Pilates targets the following key muscle groups:

• Rectus Abdominis (the “six-pack” muscles) for bending your body forward (3).
• Transverse Abdominis, a deep muscle layer that pulls the abdominal wall inward and acts as a built-in brace (3).
• Obliques (on the sides of your abdomen), which help with twisting and side-bending motions (3).
• Multifidus and Erector Spinae, located along the spine, which are essential for back support (12).
• Pelvic Floor Muscles, which work with the core for stability and control in movements such as Pilates bridges (13).

Pilates strengthens the core through precise, controlled movements. Many of the exercises require you to engage your core muscles to stabilize your body (14). Movements such as the hundred or roll-ups challenge these muscles directly, while others, such as planks or side planks, work on core stability under tension.

In addition, Pilates uses intentional breathing techniques that further activate the core during each exercise. The consistency and variety of these challenges allow your core muscles to become stronger over time.

Read more: Wall Pilates for Back Fat: 9 At-Home Exercises

What Is a Good Pilates Strength Training Routine?

A well-balanced Pilates strength training routine targets multiple muscle groups. Below is a sequence that emphasizes core, upper-body, and lower-body strength.

Pilates Strength Training Routine

1. The hundred
2. Plank
3. Shoulder bridge
4. Side-lying leg lifts
5. Mermaid side stretch with resistance
6. Swimming
7. Teaser

Read on for step-by-step instructions for each exercise.

The Hundred

1. Lie on your back with your legs raised to a tabletop position (knees bent at 90 degrees).
2. Lift your head, neck, and shoulders off the mat. Stretch your arms alongside your body, hovering just above the mat.
3. Extend your legs out straight at about a 45-degree angle for more of a challenge.
4. Pump your arms up and down with small, controlled movements.
5. Breathe in for five counts and out for five counts.
6. Repeat for ten full breaths (a total of 100 arm pumps).

Plank

1. Start in a push-up position with your palms on the mat directly under your shoulders.
2. Extend your legs straight behind you, keeping your toes grounded and your body in one long line.
3. Engage your core to prevent sagging in your lower back or hips lifting too high.
4. Hold this position for 20-30 seconds, then lower down.

Shoulder Bridge

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the mat, hip-width apart.
2. Press your arms down by your sides.
3. Slowly lift your hips toward the ceiling, creating a straight line from your knees to your shoulders.
4. Squeeze your glutes at the top and hold for a count of three.
5. Lower your body down slowly, one vertebra at a time.
6. Repeat 8-10 times.

BetterMe: Health Coaching app helps you achieve your body goals with ease and efficiency by helping to choose proper meal plans and effective workouts. Start using our app and you will see good results in a short time.

Side-Lying Leg Lifts

1. Lie on one side with your legs stacked and your body in a straight line. Prop your head on your bottom arm.
2. Flex your top foot and slowly lift your top leg toward the ceiling, keeping it aligned with your hip.
3. Lower it back down with control, just above your bottom leg.
4. Repeat 10-12 times, then switch sides.

Mermaid Side Stretch with Resistance

1. Sit on one hip with your legs folded to one side, as if sitting “mermaid-style.”
2. Hold a resistance band in both hands with your arms extended.
3. Stretch your torso up and over toward the opposite side, keeping the resistance band taut.
4. Return to the center and repeat the movement 6-8 times on each side.

Swimming

1. Lie on your stomach with your arms stretched forward and your legs extended behind.
2. Lift your arms, chest, and legs off the mat, keeping your neck neutral.
3. Flutter your arms and legs up and down, as if swimming.
4. Breathe in for five counts and out for five counts as you move.
5. Continue for 20-30 seconds, then rest.

Teaser

1. Start by lying on your back with your legs extended straight. Hold your arms overhead.
2. Engage your core to lift your arms and upper body off the mat while simultaneously lifting your legs to a 45-degree angle.
3. Balance on your sit bones, creating a “V” shape with your body.
4. Hold for a count of 3-5 seconds, then slowly lower back down with control.
5. Repeat 5-8 times.

This routine provides a well-rounded approach to strength, targeting different muscle groups. Consistent practice will help build and maintain functional strength over time.

For an even more challenging workout routine, check out our guide – Full Body Pilates Workout.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the 3-2-1 Pilates strength method?

The 3-2-1 Pilates strength method is a structured approach to combining various Pilates exercises into a workout. It typically consists of three full-body exercises, two core-focused exercises, and one flexibility activity. The idea is to create a balanced routine that builds strength, improves core stability, and enhances mobility.

• Does Pilates make you look muscular?

Pilates can improve muscle tone and definition, particularly in the core, arms, and legs. However, it’s not designed to create bulky muscles. Instead, Pilates develops lean muscle by emphasizing controlled movement and consistent muscle engagement.

Pilates vs Strength Training – which is better for you? Explore the difference between these 2 exercises and how your fitness goals come into play when choosing between the two.

• Is yoga or Pilates better for strengthening?

Both yoga and Pilates can build strength, but they do it in different ways. Pilates focuses heavily on core strength and controlled movements that use resistance, such as springs or body weight (2). Yoga builds strength through weight-bearing poses and holding positions (15). The better choice depends on your individual goals.

• Is Pilates good for strengthening the glutes?

Yes, Pilates is excellent for strengthening the glutes. Exercises such as shoulder bridges, side-lying leg lifts, and clamshells directly target the gluteal muscles. Strengthening the glutes in Pilates supports posture, stability, and overall lower-body strength.

The Bottom Line

Pilates is undeniably a form of strength training. By targeting the core, smaller stabilizing muscles, and functional movement patterns, it develops a type of strength that extends far beyond the studio.

It’s important to recognize that strength shows up in many forms. Pilates may not be the go-to for maximal force production (such as lifting heavy baggage in one go), but it excels at creating sustainable, functional strength.