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 \u2013 and 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 ‘Strength training focuses on large muscle groups and principal movement patterns like squat, hinge, push, and pull, and involves lifting heavy loads,’ 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 ‘Over weeks and months, this compounds into real muscle growth and functional strength,’ says Lindsey Bomgren, CPT, the founder of Nourish, Move, Love. Plus, increasing your strength can help make daily tasks easier. ‘You can carry groceries, lift kids, move furniture, and navigate life with greater confidence, less fatigue, and less injury,’ 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, or gaining muscle and losing fat 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 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), 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.<\/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, which require you to use your body weight to work against the force of gravity, can help fight it. This type of exercise \u2013 like running, jumping, walking, and strength exercises like lunges, squats, and pushups \u2013 place 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>. ‘Muscles become more effective at using glucose,’ 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 ‘Pilates can increase muscular endurance and build a small amount of muscle in the beginning \u2013 especially if you\u2019re starting a practice after being sedentary or are engaging muscles you haven\u2019t previously \u2013 but those gains will likely plateau over time,’ 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 stabilisation training three times a week, or aerobic exercise. The group that did Pilates had better muscle function and coordination.<\/p>\n
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