Why I Take Pilates Reformer Classes When Strength Training Is My Priority
If you know me, you know that strength training is the foundation of my routine. I want to build and maintain muscle, feel capable in everyday life, and keep getting stronger as I get older.
But I also take Pilates reformer classes, and I love them.
I sometimes hear people talk about Pilates and strength training as though you have to choose between them. That’s never been how I see my own workouts. They both challenge me, but I use them for different reasons. Here’s why I make room for reformer classes while keeping lifting at the top of my list.
1. What Is Reformer Pilates?
A reformer is a piece of equipment with a moving carriage and springs that create resistance. During class, you might push or pull against that resistance, hold a position, or control the carriage as it moves.
The springs don’t always make a movement harder; they can also help support it.
The challenge depends on the exercise, the setup, and how you perform it.
What I notice most is how much attention the class asks of me. I’m thinking about my position, my balance, and whether I can control the movement from beginning to end. Sometimes an exercise looks simple until I actually have to do it slowly and stay steady!
2. Why It Challenges Me Without Heavy Weights
I especially feel reformer classes in my lower body. My legs may be working continuously through a series of controlled movements, or I may have to hold a position longer than I’d like. There’s no rushing through the difficult part.
That sustained work is one reason I enjoy the class. I can challenge my muscles without making every workout a heavy lifting day. I finish feeling like I worked hard, even though the workout looks different from my usual strength session.
You may hear this called time under tension, meaning the time your muscles spend working during an exercise. It isn’t unique to Pilates. We can use slower movements and pauses when lifting weights, too. Reformer class simply gives me another way to experience that kind of work.
3. Strength Training vs. Pilates: How I Think About Each One
There is overlap between them. Both can involve resistance, and both can challenge your muscles. I would never tell someone that a Pilates workout “doesn’t count.”
The difference is how I use each one to support my goals.
In my strength workouts, I deliberately train movements such as squats, hinges, rows, and presses. I choose a weight, track what I did, and adjust the challenge as I get stronger. When my goal is to build muscle and increase my strength, this is the foundation I return to consistently.
In a reformer class, I’m working on controlled movement against resistance while also paying attention to balance, coordination, and how I move through each exercise. It gives me a different challenge that I enjoy alongside lifting.
I don’t expect one class to do everything my strength workouts do. I also don’t need it to. It has its own place in my routine.
4. I Like Being the Student
Most of my workday is spent thinking about other people’s workouts. I’m watching form, choosing modifications, adjusting the challenge, and deciding what comes next.
When I take a reformer class, someone else has planned the session. I get to listen, move, learn, and pay attention to my own body. I enjoy being coached.
Sometimes I even leave with a better way to explain a movement to a client. But just as often, I leave happy that I spent an hour doing something for myself.
5. Your Workouts Can Have Different Purposes
Your routine doesn’t have to be made up of only one type of exercise. You might love walking, cycling, Pilates, dancing, or another class. You can enjoy those things and still prioritize strength training.
I encourage my clients to think about what they want their workouts to help them do. If building muscle and getting stronger are important goals, make room for consistent strength work. Then ask what other movement you enjoy and can fit into your life.
For me, lifting weights supports my strength goals. Reformer Pilates challenges my control and gives me a class I look forward to. I like having both.
Final Thoughts
I take Pilates reformer classes because I enjoy them and because they challenge me. I feel the work, especially in my lower body, and I appreciate the chance to slow down, focus, and be the student for a change.
Strength training remains my priority. Pilates has a place beside it.
What kind of movement do you enjoy alongside your strength workouts?
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