If you relish the burn of a dedicated strength workout, chances are you've given both Pilates and weight training a try. But how do they stack up against each other? Does Pilates really “count” as strength training? How do you know which is best for your goals? 

If you’re curious about which of these two modalities might be a better fit for you, Peloton instructor Rebecca Kennedy has some helpful advice. Here’s everything you need to know about Pilates vs. weight training, including health benefits, goal-based recommendations, and the power of teaming them up.

What Are the Benefits of Pilates?

There’s a reason everyone you know has been hopping on the Pilates train lately. From strengthening your core to promoting flexibility, this low-impact exercise method packs a punch. The primary goal of Pilates is to support muscle balance and postural alignment through small, slow, and precise movements.

“Pilates is like taking a magnifying glass to every muscle fiber,” Rebecca explains. When done correctly, it can have a massive impact on your physical and mental well-being, improving strength and mobility and even reducing stress. “Pilates is gentle on the joints and truly relies on your kinetic chain alignment and breathwork, which are typically overlooked in other core workouts,” she says.

Although Pilates won’t leave you with the muscle gains of a heavy weight-training session, it will have an impact on how you move through life and feel in your body. According to Rebecca, additional Pilates benefits include:

What Are the Benefits of Weight Training?

Weight training, strength training, resistance training—call it what you want; this exercise modality is a classic for a reason. In a nutshell, weight training helps to improve your strength and endurance by increasing muscle mass, strengthening connective tissues, and boosting neuromuscular function. Lifting heavy weights causes microscopic tears in your muscle fibers. As your body works to repair these tears during recovery, you build new tissue, resulting in muscle growth you can both see and feel.

But the benefits don’t stop there. Weight training can also help improve mental, metabolic, cognitive, and bone health (which is especially important as you age). According to Rebecca, additional weight training benefits include: 

Pilates vs. Weight Training: Which Is a Better Workout for You?

Intrigued by both Pilates and weight training but don’t know which to choose? According to Rebecca, you can’t go wrong with either—and really, you should consider both worth adding to your routine.

“It’s not Pilates versus weights. It’s not a competition. To me, it’s not about which is better because they’re both incredible for different reasons,” she says. “I like to say Pilates is strength training’s best friend. They’re peanut butter and jelly, left and right shoes. Pilates supplements and complements strength training to help you lift safer and have better control, proprioception, body awareness, balance, stability, and muscular endurance.” All these factors are crucial to building strength and getting the most out of your workout routine, she notes. 

Diplomacy aside, certain fitness goals will benefit more from a Pilates- or weight training-centric routine—and some dovetail nicely with both. Here’s how each modality ladders up to several common goals and preferences, whether you’re a beginner or looking to build serious muscle.

For Flexibility

When it comes to improving flexibility, Pilates takes the cake. This perk comes thanks to the method’s signature slow and controlled movements, which ask you to engage the muscle while lengthening (i.e., stretching) it. “[Increased flexibility] is a passive byproduct of loading a muscle in a stretched position,” Rebecca explains. This improves the mobility of your muscles and joints, allowing you to move more efficiently and with less effort.

Now, that’s not to say weight training doesn’t do a thing for flexibility. (Functional muscles need to be both strong and flexible, after all.) A 2021 research review published in Healthcare (Basel) found that stretching and strength training were equally effective at improving range of motion. Researchers aren’t exactly sure why or how to get the best mobility benefits from resistance training, but it does appear to improve your joint flexibility to some degree—although perhaps not as much as Pilates will.

For Building Muscle

If you guessed weight training is better for muscle gains, you’d be correct. “In order to build muscle, you need progressive overload,” Rebecca says. Progressive overload is a method of training that involves gradually increasing the demand on the body by adding reps, weight, time, or intensity. This philosophy hinges on steadily increasing the amount of stress you’re putting on your muscles, in turn promoting muscle growth and strength gains. This is easily done when resistance training, since you can pick up heavier weights week after week. 

Pilates, on the other hand, is predominantly bodyweight, so it’s great for increasing muscular endurance (a muscle’s ability to sustain repeated contractions over time), Rebecca says. It can also build muscle (especially if you’re a beginner), but only up to a certain point; once you become strong enough, bodyweight Pilates moves may not be sufficiently challenging to induce muscle growth. So, if your overall goal is to continue building muscle beyond what Pilates can provide, strength training is the way to go.

For Core Strength

Although centering—focusing on your core—is one of the founding principles of Pilates, both weight training and Pilates are ideal options for people looking to fire up their midsection. According to Rebecca, both modalities play a pivotal role in building functional and targeted core strength, as well as stability, posture, alignment, and muscular control.

For Improving Bone Density

It’s no secret that chronic conditions such as osteoporosis (weakening of the bones) and sarcopenia (progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength) increase in probability as you age. It’s an inevitable part of life, but studies have shown that combating these conditions is possible with the help of weight training. Resistance exercise is highly beneficial for preserving bone and muscle mass, according to 2018 research published in Endocrinology and Metabolism. The authors note that bones must be exposed to loads exceeding those experienced during daily living activities to stimulate bone density growth—and that’s where strength training comes in.

Compared to Pilates, “strength training applies more mechanical stress on bones and muscles, which is required for bone adaptation,” Rebecca says. Lifting weights helps stimulate osteoblast activity (cells that create and release proteins to harden bones) and the secretion of hormones like growth hormone and testosterone, which help promote bone and muscle growth, she explains. If you’re hoping to avoid injuries and maintain strong, healthy bones, weight training should be your modality of choice.

For Cardiovascular Health

Neither Pilates nor weight training are considered true aerobic modalities, but they both have the ability to stimulate the cardiovascular system, depending on intensity. Strength training, however, edges out Pilates in this particular race. “Your heart rate generally gets slightly elevated while lifting, and has more stress applied to it overall,” Rebecca explains. “Pilates is generally slower and keeps the heart rate relatively low, focusing on slow, controlled breathwork connected to movements.” 

If maintaining a healthy heart is your ultimate goal, be sure to incorporate aerobic (aka cardio) exercise—such as walking, running, hiking, or cycling—into your routine too. Some of the most notable benefits of cardio include lower blood pressure and cholesterol, a stronger heart, and improved circulation, which helps reduce your risk for hypertension (high blood pressure) and cardiovascular disease.

For Beginners

Ding, ding, ding, we have a tie. Although both modalities require mastering exercise technique (and may beget a learning curve), Pilates and weight training are excellent options for people just starting out on their fitness journeys. “They serve different purposes,” Rebecca says, “and have wonderful exercises that help beginners get an effective workout and build a strong foundation while still meeting them where they are.” Guided workouts, like the ones you’ll find on the Peloton app, are a great place to start since they provide instructor-led programming that allows you to hone your skills at your own pace. 

For a Quick Workout

If you’re watching the clock, strength training—as opposed to Pilates—will deliver faster results in a shorter amount of time. According to Rebecca, you can still feel the effects of an intense full body lift even if you only have 15 minutes to spare. Pilates, she explains, typically requires additional time under tension to be effective, allowing users the space they need to breathe and move through each exercise with intention.   

For Working Out at Home

Luckily, you don’t need to choose between weight training and Pilates when planning out your living room sweat sesh. “You don’t need much space or equipment for either [modality],” Rebecca says. On the Peloton app, for example, you can take on-demand strength and Pilates classes with or without added equipment.

For Overall Health

If she had to pick between the two, Rebecca says strength training would be her choice for overall health. “If you were to choose just one, weight training casts a much wider net of health benefits,” she says. 

It’s worth keeping in mind, though, that the best workout routine for health and longevity doesn’t stick to one type of training but takes a well-rounded approach. There’s a reason the US Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion’s Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend adults do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week (think: 30 minutes a day, five days a week), plus at least two days of strength training for every muscle group. And although it’s not a part of the official recommendations, flexibility or mobility work is another great ingredient for a balanced routine. Finally, keep in mind that consistency is king; finding a workout you enjoy and actually want to do is key to showing up day after day.

How Can Pilates and Weight Training Complement Each Other? 

The secret behind the symbiotic relationship between these two modalities lies in their differences. While Pilates focuses on improving posture, flexibility, and core strength, weight training aims to build muscle, strengthen joints, and improve bone density. The flexibility, core strength, and connection to your breath can help you move more safely, efficiently, and in a greater range of motion. These improvements allow your muscles to function at full capacity while resistance training, leading to more strength gains and quicker recovery times while lifting. “Pilates and strength training are a match made in heaven,” Rebecca says. “They’re the gift that keeps on giving.”

If you’re curious about the best way to incorporate both Pilates and strength training into your workout routine, take it from an expert. “I suggest using [Pilates] as a warmup or as a non-lifting day workout,” Rebecca explains. “You’ll focus on the smaller accessory muscles and stabilizers without fatiguing the neuromuscular system.” A quick 10-minute Pilates flow before a 30-minute weight training session is all you need. When used as a warmup, Pilates will help “get you into proper alignment and connect you with your breath while also prepping your balance, which you’ll rely on during your strength workout,” she says.

About one to two times a week on non-lifting days, Rebecca recommends doing a 20- to 45-minute Pilates mat workout, especially if your lifting days are heavy hitters (45 minutes or more). “A little goes a long way here,” she says, “and remember, the things you learn in Pilates can and should be directly applied to your lifts.” When your body is craving a recovery day, Rebecca says Pilates is a great way to take a breather and have a stretch while still moving your body.

The Takeaway

One more time for the people in the back: Pilates and weight training bring out the best in each other. There’s no need to choose between the two, and when practiced in tandem, they have the unique ability to compound your results. Although Pilates and weight training each offer their own benefits and may vary in how well they serve different health goals, both are effective ways to challenge your body—and together, they can help you make major strides in your overall fitness.