Pilates vs Strength Training: Do You Need Both?
Updated: Oct 6
By Katherine, Lead Instructor, Certified Pilates Instructor
Pilates can build some strength, but it is not a complete substitute for progressive strength training. A 2022 systematic review found no significant difference in strength between Pilates and other exercise, though the certainty of that evidence was low to very low (Pinto et al., 2022). For bone health, progressive resistance training has the stronger evidence, so many adults benefit from combining the two.
Key takeaways
Across 11 trials, Pilates and other exercise types produced no significant difference in muscle strength, but the evidence was rated low to very low certainty (Pinto et al., 2022).
Progressive overload (gradually increasing the demand on your muscles) is what drives long-term strength gains. Pilates can apply it through harder variations and, on the reformer, adjustable springs, but it takes deliberate progression.
For bone density in postmenopausal women, the strongest evidence is for progressive resistance training and combination programs. Pilates has not been shown to improve bone density, though it has not been directly compared with them.
Canada's 24-Hour Movement Guidelines call for muscle strengthening at least twice a week plus 150 minutes of aerobic activity (CSEP). In our judgment, Pilates can contribute to the first, but not usually the second.
You do not have to choose. A simple week pairs Pilates for control and movement quality with resistance work for load and bone.
What does each one actually do?
Pilates is a method of controlled, precise movement built around breath, trunk control, alignment and smooth transitions. Resistance comes from your body weight, small props, or on the reformer, adjustable springs. If you want the full picture of the method, our guide to what Pilates is and how it works covers it, and the broader evidence on its effects is summarized in the benefits of Pilates and what the research actually shows.
Strength training (also called resistance or weight training) means working your muscles against a load, such as free weights, machines, bands or heavy body-weight movements, with the load planned and increased over time. The goal is to build maximal force, muscle size, or both, and the main design principle is progression.
Put simply, Pilates emphasizes how you move and control your trunk and joints, while strength training emphasizes how much load you can move.
Is Pilates as good as strength training for building strength?
For many everyday goals, Pilates can contribute to strength. The best direct evidence is a 2022 systematic review of 11 randomized trials with 689 participants (average age about 60) comparing Pilates with other exercise types. It found no statistically significant difference between Pilates and other exercise for dynamic, isometric or resistance strength. The authors rated the certainty of that evidence as very low to low, and the included trials were of moderate methodological quality, mainly limited by inadequate blinding and incomplete intention-to-treat analysis (Pinto et al., 2022).
Read that carefully. "No significant difference" is not the same as "equally good." The comparison groups were a mix of exercise types, including stretching, yoga, balance training and strength exercises, and heavy lifting programs were not isolated. So it does not show how much strength Pilates adds on its own, or that it matches a well-designed lifting program.
A second review looked at core strength in people with chronic low back pain and found Pilates was "not inferior" to equivalently dosed exercise for trunk muscle thickness, which the authors describe as emerging evidence (Franks et al., 2023). Again, that is parity with other exercise, not a claim that Pilates builds core strength better than other approaches.
What is progressive overload, and where does Pilates fit?
Progressive overload means gradually increasing the demand on a muscle so it keeps adapting. You can do that by adding load, repetitions, sets, time under tension or exercise difficulty. The American College of Sports Medicine's position stand on resistance training suggests, for people new to lifting, loads in the 8 to 12 repetition maximum range (the heaviest weight you can lift 8 to 12 times) two to three days a week, with load increases of about 2 to 10 percent once you can complete one to two more repetitions than your target on the current load (ACSM, 2009).
Pilates can use the same principle, in different clothing. On the mat, you progress by moving to harder variations, slowing the tempo, extending lever length or adding props. On the reformer, springs make the load easy to change, so one exercise can be made lighter or heavier within the same session. Our guides to reformer Pilates and reformer versus mat Pilates explain how that works in practice.
Here is the honest difference. A barbell or machine lets you add a precise, measurable amount of weight at a time, and keep adding it for years. Pilates progression is usually more about complexity and control than about maximal load. For someone who wants to lift heavy, or whose goal is to keep adding measurable load, a dedicated strength program is the more direct route.
What about bone density?
For postmenopausal women, progressive resistance training has the stronger evidence for bone health. A Cochrane review of 43 randomized trials found that exercise slows bone loss modestly, and it identified progressive resistance strength training for the lower limbs as the most effective approach for hip bone density (Howe et al., 2011). Pilates has not been shown to improve bone density: a 2021 systematic review of Pilates and yoga found no statistically significant improvement versus controls (Fernández-Rodríguez et al., 2021). In plain terms, we would not present Pilates as a bone-building program on its own. If you have osteoporosis, low bone density or a previous fracture, check with your doctor before starting any new program, and see our guide to Pilates and osteoporosis for which movements are typically modified. Bone health is also a common concern through midlife, which we cover in Pilates for perimenopause and menopause.
Can Pilates replace the gym? A decision guide
This is a judgment framework based on the evidence above, not a prescription.
Pilates alone may be enough if:
In our judgment, you are new to exercise and want to build baseline strength, control and body awareness.
Your main goals are posture, core control, movement quality or a low-impact routine you will keep doing.
You are returning to movement after a layoff, and want a supported, adaptable way to start.
Add resistance training if:
You want to keep progressing in measurable strength, or build noticeably more muscle.
Bone health is a concern (for example, after menopause or with a family history), because progressive resistance training has the stronger evidence.
You already do mostly walking, running or cycling and want a balanced week.
Add aerobic activity if:
You rely on Pilates alone. Strength work, in any form, covers only one of the two physical activity recommendations in Canada's guidelines (muscle strengthening and aerobic activity).
Safety note: If you have a health condition, are pregnant or have not lifted before, check with your doctor or physiotherapist and consider technique instruction before adding heavier loads. Stop and seek advice for sharp, radiating or joint pain, dizziness or chest discomfort.
How do you combine Pilates and strength training in a week?
The Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for adults aged 18 to 64 recommend at least 150 minutes a week of moderate to vigorous aerobic activity and muscle strengthening using major muscle groups at least twice a week (CSEP). The guidelines do not mention Pilates by name. In our judgment, a challenging class can contribute to the strengthening target, but classes are generally paced for control rather than sustained effort, so we would not count on Pilates alone for the aerobic target.
A few sample weeks, to adapt to your own schedule and health:
Strength-focused: two resistance sessions, one Pilates session for mobility and control, plus brisk walking, cycling or swimming on other days.
Pilates-focused: two Pilates sessions, one short resistance session with weights or bands, plus regular aerobic activity.
For more on how to schedule Pilates across your week, see how often you should do Pilates.
Pilates and strength training with us in Markham
If you are curious how Pilates fits alongside your current training, our Small Group Pilates Class is a reformer class for a maximum of three people (55 minutes, drop-ins welcome), so you get close attention. We are located in Markham and welcome clients from across York Region. You can book a class here.
Frequently asked questions
Will Pilates make me bulky?
Building large muscles generally takes progressive resistance training with enough volume, over months or years (ACSM, 2009). In our judgment, Pilates is not usually programmed that way. If you want more muscle size, a resistance program with progressive loading is the more direct tool.
Is reformer Pilates closer to strength training than mat Pilates?
The reformer's adjustable springs make it easier to increase resistance in small steps, so it can feel closer to resistance training. We did not find a trial that directly compares reformer and mat Pilates for strength, so this is a practical observation rather than a proven difference. See how the two formats compare for more.
Can I do Pilates and lift weights on the same day?
Nothing in the guidelines we reviewed forbids it. What matters is your total workload and recovery. If you do both on one day, you might keep one session lighter.
Do I need weights if I do Pilates three times a week?
It depends on your goals. In our judgment, challenging sessions, particularly with progressive spring loads on the reformer, may contribute to the muscle-strengthening target. The guidelines do not mention Pilates, so check that you work major muscle groups at least twice a week. If bone density or heavier measurable progression is a goal, adding progressive resistance training makes sense, and you will still need aerobic activity for the cardio part of the guidelines.
Sources
Pinto JR, Santos CS, Souza Soares WJ, Silveira Ramos AP, Scoz RD, Teixeira de Júdice AF, Alves Ferreira LM, Baltazar Mendes JJ, Amorim CF (2022). Is pilates better than other exercises at increasing muscle strength? A systematic review. Heliyon, 8(11), e11564. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e11564
Franks J, Thwaites C, Morris ME (2023). Pilates to Improve Core Muscle Activation in Chronic Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review. Healthcare (Basel), 11(10), 1404. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37239690/
American College of Sports Medicine (2009). American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 41(3), 687-708. https://doi.org/10.1249/mss.0b013e3181915670
Howe TE, Shea B, Dawson LJ, Downie F, Murray A, Ross C, Harbour RT, Caldwell LM, Creed G (2011). Exercise for preventing and treating osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2011, Issue 7, CD000333.pub2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21735380/
Fernández-Rodríguez R, Alvarez-Bueno C, Reina-Gutiérrez S, Torres-Costoso A, Nuñez de Arenas-Arroyo S, Martínez-Vizcaíno V (2021). Effectiveness of Pilates and Yoga to improve bone density in adult women: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS ONE, 16(5), e0251391. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0251391
Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology. Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Adults aged 18-64 years. https://csepguidelines.ca/adults-18-64/
Comments