Why Strength Training Makes You Better at Pilates (And Why Pilates Won’t Replace Strength Training)
Pilates has exploded in popularity over the last few years, especially among women looking to feel stronger, improve posture, move better, and build core stability.
At Iron and Mettle, we actually think Pilates can be an incredible complement to strength training. Many of our members do both, and when combined correctly, the two methods support each other extremely well.
But there’s an important distinction that we try and teach our clients:
Pilates can support strength training, but it does not replace strength training.
If your goals are to build muscle, increase bone density, improve long-term strength, prevent muscle loss as you age, or become physically resilient, progressive resistance training matters the most.
Here’s why these two forms of exercise pair so well together, and why they are not interchangeable.
How Pilates Helps Strength Training
One of the biggest benefits of Pilates is that it improves body awareness and movement control.
Many people start strength training without fully understanding how to stabilize their core, control their pelvis, or properly engage certain muscle groups. Pilates teaches these foundational movement skills extremely well.
Pilates can improve:
Core control
Breathing mechanics
Pelvic positioning
Shoulder stability
Coordination
Mobility
Tempo and movement quality
All of these qualities transfer directly into lifting weights.
Someone who regularly practices Pilates often develops better movement awareness, which can help them learn lifts faster and move more efficiently in the gym.
For example:
Better core bracing can improve deadlifts
Improved shoulder stability can help bench press performance
Better pelvic control can improve squats and lunges
Increased spinal awareness can help reduce compensations during lifting
Pilates also teaches control under fatigue, which is an underrated skill when training with weights.
How Strength Training Helps Your Pilates Practice
The relationship works both ways.
A lot of people assume Pilates limitations are caused by mobility or coordination, but often the missing piece is strength.
Many Pilates exercises require:
Core endurance
Hip stability
Upper body strength
Grip strength
Isometric control
Posterior chain strength
Strength training builds all of these qualities.
As you become stronger in the gym, Pilates movements often feel more controlled and less exhausting. You may notice:
Better plank endurance
Improved stability during unilateral movements
More control during reformer work
Better posture and positioning
Less shaking during holds
Improved movement confidence overall
Building muscle and increasing strength gives your body more physical capacity to perform Pilates movements efficiently.
This is especially important for women who feel like Pilates never gets easier despite attending classes consistently for years.
Sometimes what’s missing is not more Pilates. It’s more strength.
Where Pilates Falls Short
Pilates is excellent for:
Mobility
Stability
Coordination
Core endurance
Movement quality
Muscular endurance
But it is not designed to maximize muscle growth or absolute strength in the same way progressive resistance training is.
To significantly increase muscle mass, strength, and bone density, the body needs progressive overload, meaning resistance gradually increases over time.
In practical terms, your body must continually adapt to greater physical demands.
That is where barbells, dumbbells, cables, and heavier resistance become important. Muscles burning, shaking, or feeling fatigued does not automatically mean you are building substantial strength or muscle.
Why Strength Training Matters So Much for Women
This becomes even more important as women age.
After age 30, women gradually begin losing muscle mass if they are not actively strength training. Bone density also declines over time, especially during perimenopause and menopause.
Research consistently shows that resistance training helps:
Preserve muscle mass
Improve bone density
Support metabolism
Improve insulin sensitivity
Reduce fall risk
Improve balance and coordination
Maintain independence later in life
Pilates can absolutely be part of a healthy routine, but relying on Pilates alone may leave gaps in overall strength development, especially if resistance stays relatively light.
That is why more women are beginning to combine Pilates with structured strength training rather than treating them as competing methods.
You Don’t Have to Choose Between Pilates and Strength Training
Fitness does not need to be an either/or conversation.
Pilates and strength training develop different qualities, and together they can create a very balanced approach to health and fitness!
Pilates improves:
Movement quality
Mobility
Stability
Coordination
Body awareness
Strength training improves:
Muscle mass
Bone density
Force production
Physical resilience
Long-term strength
At Iron and Mettle, many of our members combine strength training with Pilates, walking, hiking, yoga, or running. We encourage movement variety because different forms of exercise support the body in different ways.
The Best Long-Term Approach
If your goal is to feel strong, capable, athletic, and resilient for years to come, strength training should likely be your foundation.
Pilates can absolutely support that foundation and make you better at it.
But it should not completely replace it.
For many women, the sweet spot is combining both:
Strength training to build muscle, strength, and bone density
Pilates to improve mobility, control, and movement quality
That combination often leads to people feeling their strongest both inside and outside the gym.
At Iron and Mettle, we focus on evidence-based women’s strength training in a supportive, body-neutral environment designed to help women build real-world strength for life outside the gym!