Is Reformer Pilates Strength Training
When most people hear the word Pilates, they picture stretching, shaking, and maybe a few hundred tiny pulses.
And while Pilates has always been built around control, precision, and core strength, the word “Pilates” can sometimes make people underestimate how physically demanding it can be.
So the question is:
Is reformer Pilates actually strength training?
The answer depends on the type of reformer workout you’re doing.
What Actually Counts as Strength Training?
Strength training is any form of exercise that challenges your muscles against resistance to failure. That resistance can come from traditional weights, machines, body weight, bands, or yes…reformer springs.
The goal is the same: create enough demand on the muscle that it has to adapt.
That adaptation is what leads to improvements in strength, endurance, and muscle development.
How Does Reformer Pilates Build Strength?
A reformer uses springs to create resistance throughout movement.
Instead of simply moving through exercises, you’re working against resistance while controlling every inch of the movement.
The challenge comes from:
Slow, controlled movements
Time under tension
Spring resistance
Stability demands
Maintaining proper form while fatigued
That combination creates a very different experience than a typical bodyweight workout.
Is Every Reformer Pilates Class Strength Training?
Not necessarily.
This is where people get confused.
A traditional reformer Pilates class may focus more on mobility, flexibility, posture, and body awareness.
Pilates-inspired strength training incorporates all of the elements of traditional reformer Pilates but is designed to challenge the muscles through progressive resistance building lean muscle and muscular endurance.
The programming matters.
Where Core (LP) Fits In
At Core (LP) Berkley + Rochester Hills, we combine the precision and control people love about Pilates with the principles of strength training.
Our workouts are built around slow resistance, continuous tension, and intentional muscle fatigue.
The goal isn’t just to move through exercises—it’s to challenge the muscle enough that it has a reason to adapt.
Low impact doesn’t mean low intensity.
It means a different way to build strength. Learn More
