{"id":620614,"date":"2026-08-04T21:26:18","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T21:26:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/620614\/"},"modified":"2026-08-04T21:26:18","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T21:26:18","slug":"is-strength-training-or-pilates-better-for-building-muscle-strength","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/620614\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Strength Training or Pilates Better for Building Muscle & Strength?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Estimated6 min read<\/p>\n

You wake up bright and early on a sunny Saturday morning and want nothing more than to crush a workout class. You\u2019re in your strength training and Pilates<\/a> era, and your goal is to build functional muscle<\/a> and strength. But will grabbing dumbbells<\/a> or hitting the reformer<\/a> get you closer to that goal?<\/p>\n

Both modalities require your body to overcome some form of resistance to get stronger. \u201cStrength training<\/a> involves challenging your muscles with resistance through weights, machines, bands, or your body weight,\u201d says Amy Kiser Schemper, CPT, a BowFlex fitness advisor. In mat Pilates, you move your body weight against gravity. In reformer Pilates, you use a machine with adjustable springs attached to a moving carriage, she adds.<\/p>\n

Meet the experts:<\/strong> Amy Kiser Schemper<\/a>, CPT, is an AFAA-certified pilates instructor and BowFlex<\/a> fitness advisor. Lindsey Bomgren<\/a>, CPT, is the founder of Nourish, Move, Love<\/a>. Amy Wilkinson<\/a> is a Pilates instructor in Brooklyn who completed her 600-hour teacher-training at Core Pilates NYC.<\/p>\n

There are benefits behind both workouts: Research shows that strength training can help decrease pain<\/a>, improve metabolic health<\/a>, and better your functional movement<\/a>, while Pilates can increase balance and correct posture<\/a>. But can both modalities build strength and muscle\u2014and which is better at it?<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what to know about the benefits of strength training and Pilates, according to fitness pros.<\/p>\n

Benefits of Strength Training<\/strong>It can help build muscle and strength.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cStrength training focuses on large muscle groups and principal movement patterns like squat<\/a>, hinge, push, and pull<\/a>, and involves lifting heavy loads,\u201d Kiser Schemper says. Specifically, strength training follows the principle of progressive overload<\/a>, or increasing weight, reps, frequency, or intensity of exercises, so your body will adapt and become stronger.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver weeks and months, this compounds into real muscle growth and functional strength,\u201d says Lindsey Bomgren, CPT, the founder of Nourish, Move, Love. Plus, increasing your strength can help make daily tasks easier. \u201cYou can carry groceries, lift kids, move furniture, and navigate life with greater confidence, less fatigue, and less injury,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re a beginner, you\u2019ll typically notice strength gains within about four weeks, Bomgren says. (Strength training can also help change your body composition<\/a>, or gaining muscle and losing fat<\/a> at the same time. However, it\u2019s a complex process that requires you to eat in a specific way and may take longer to achieve, adds Kiser Schemper.)<\/p>\n

Build muscle and lose fat with our exclusive body recomp guide<\/a><\/p>\n

Is building muscle your goal? If so, you\u2019ll want to feel pretty fatigued by the end of your lifting sets. To determine your effort, use rate of perceived exertion (RPE)<\/a>, or rate your effort on a scale of one to 10 (one being that it feels super easy, 10 being absolute failure). You should lift heavy enough weights or do enough reps so that your effort is in the seven-to nine range during your last few reps of each set, WH previously reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It may improve bone health.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The risk of osteoporosis, which is a condition that causes your bones to become brittle<\/a>, increases as you age<\/a>. But weight-bearing activities<\/a>, which require you to use your body weight to work against the force of gravity, can help fight it. This type of exercise\u2014like running, jumping, walking, and strength exercises like lunges<\/a>, squats, and pushups<\/a>\u2014place stress on your bones<\/a>, triggering them to be remodeled and produce more bone tissue, according to Kiser Schemper.<\/p>\n

Resistance training can also reduce the risk of fracturing a bone, per a 2025 review in the Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research<\/a>. The review looked at 17 trials to determine the optimal resistance training parameters for increasing bone mineral density in postmenopausal women. It found that resistance training three times per week can improve bone mineral density, specifically in the hips, neck, and spine.<\/p>\n

It may better your metabolic health.<\/strong><\/p>\n

By building muscle mass, your body will become more efficient at absorbing glucose from the blood, lowering insulin resistance, and increasing resting energy expenditure, according to a 2020 review in Comprehensive Physiology<\/a>. \u201cMuscles become more effective at using glucose,\u201d so your insulin sensitivity and blood sugar regulation often improve, Kiser Schemper says. Therefore, strength training can help reduce the risk of metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.<\/p>\n

Benefits of Pilates<\/strong>It may build (small amounts of) muscle.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cPilates can increase muscular endurance<\/a> and build a small amount of muscle in the beginning\u2014especially if you\u2019re starting a practice after being sedentary or are engaging muscles you haven\u2019t previously\u2014but those gains will likely plateau over time,\u201d says Amy Wilkinson, who\u2019s been a Pilates instructor in Brooklyn for five years. That\u2019s because Pilates exercises aren\u2019t usually done to failure and the modality doesn\u2019t incorporate progressive overload. (More on that later!)<\/p>\n

It can improve your alignment and lessen pain.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pilates can better your posture through strengthening the abs and back, says Wilkinson. The research backs these benefits: A 2024 review in the Archives of Rehabilitation Research and Clinical Translation<\/a> looked at 13 studies about the effects of Pilates on posture. It found that Pilates is beneficial for boosting posture, especially for those with back pain and conditions like scoliosis<\/a> (an abnormal curving of the spine). Additionally, a 2025 study in Medicina<\/a> had 57 healthy adults in their twenties either do six weeks of Pilates-based core stabilization training three times a week, or aerobic exercise. The group that did Pilates had better muscle function and coordination.<\/p>\n

\u201cStudies<\/a> also seem to indicate\u2014and I\u2019ve experienced this personally in my own practice\u2014that Pilates can also help alleviate low back pain better than a lot of other fitness modalities,\u201d says Wilkinson.<\/p>\n

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Credit: CourtesyIt might boost your flexibility and mobility.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pilates can increase your flexibility through the stretching involved in the practice, like mermaid (a side bend), and saw and spine-stretch forward (forward fold variations), says Wilkinson. A 2016 study in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies<\/a> tested the flexibility of 32 older women before and after doing Pilates two hours per week. After three months, their flexibility improved.<\/p>\n

Both strength training and Pilates can improve your mind-body connection.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mind-body connection<\/a> is the ability to feel your muscles working during an exercise. For instance, if you\u2019re doing leg lifts during Pilates or a glute bridge during a strength workout, you might be able to feel your muscles contracting. <\/p>\n

Tapping into your mind-body connection helps you focus on your breathing, muscle activation, movement quality, posture, and alignment during an exercise, Kiser Schemper explains. Many people also become better at noticing unnecessary tension, such as shrugging their shoulders, tightening their glutes or pelvic floor, or squeezing their jaw. Working on your mind-body connection can also improve coordination between your brain and muscles, she says, which can help you accomplish daily activities, like carrying a heavy box up or down a set of stairs without falling.<\/p>\n

Strength Training vs. Pilates: Which is better for building muscle and strength?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The key to growing muscle and strength is through progressive overload, and with strength training, it\u2019s easier to increase the variables like weight, reps, and sets, and make a workout harder, Kiser Schemper says.<\/p>\n

With mat and reformer Pilates, you can increase resistance. \u201cOn the reformer, where increasing spring load may make an exercise harder, you\u2019re eventually going to run out of springs, as most machines come equipped with just four or five,\u201d Wilkinson says. And while mat Pilates can technically be made harder by using hand weights, they shouldn\u2019t be too heavy, since that can lead to poor form and potential injuries. \u201cFrankly, you may also be blurring the line between Pilates and a regular old strength-training program at that point,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n

However, Pilates is a great complement (not substitute!) to your strength training routine. \u201cThey\u2019re the peanut butter and jelly of the fitness world,\u201d says Wilkinson. \u201cFor many, Pilates is the first time they\u2019ve learned to properly engage their core, which is vital to lifting heavy without causing undue stress or strain to the body.\u201d Plus, it\u2019s refreshing to mix up fitness modalities that work your body in a different way. \u201cAfter a week of strength training, it can feel so lovely to hit the mat or lie back on the reformer and mobilize the body in the various ranges of motion\u2014flexion, extension, twisting\u2014that we may not experience in our day-to-day life,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n

Transform your body with our Pilates x Lift hybrid workout plan<\/a><\/p>\n

Try two to four strength training sessions per week, one to three Pilates sessions per week, cardio exercise of your choice, and some movement that\u2019s just for fun, according to Kiser Schemper. That way, you\u2019ll keep your fitness routine challenging, sustainable, and enjoyable.<\/p>\n

\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Danielle Zickl is a freelance writer who has 10 years of experience covering fitness, health, and nutrition. She’s a graduate of Ithaca College. You can find her work here on Women’s Health, and in many other publications including PS, SELF, Well+Good, Runner\u2019s World, Outside RUN, Peloton, Men\u2019s Fitness, and more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"6 min read You wake up bright and early on a sunny Saturday morning and want nothing more…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":620615,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[278],"tags":[157996,157995,1273,262016,343,18,525,346,135,19,17,201411,262017,590,197338,262015,240005],"class_list":["post-620614","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-collection-strength","tag-collection-workout-advice","tag-content-type-how-to-service","tag-contentid-12eeaf2a-ada7-4032-bd3b-ea1641983cd3","tag-displaytype-standard-article","tag-eire","tag-fitness","tag-hasproduct-true","tag-health","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-issyndicated-false","tag-listen_time-585","tag-locale-us","tag-read_time-8","tag-shorttitle-the-benefits-of-strength-training-vs-pilates","tag-sponsored-false"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/117039359521282772","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/620614","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=620614"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/620614\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/620615"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=620614"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=620614"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=620614"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}