You wake up bright and early on a sunny Saturday morning and want nothing more than to crush a workout class. You’re in your strength training and Pilates era, and your goal is to build functional muscle and strength. But will grabbing dumbbells or hitting the reformer get you closer to that goal?
Both modalities require your body to overcome some form of resistance to get stronger. “Strength training involves challenging your muscles with resistance through weights, machines, bands, or your body weight,” 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.
There are benefits behind both workouts: Research shows that strength training can help decrease pain, improve metabolic health, and better your functional movement, while Pilates can increase balance and correct posture. But can both modalities build strength and muscle—and which is better at it?
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