3 min readEnhancewell
The news these days is full of us-versus-them arguments. The message is clear: if you’re not with us, you’re against us.
Today, we’re wading into one of the sports world’s most highly contested debates, and some of you aren’t going to like our stance.
From Facebook to Reddit and everywhere in between, the internet is arguing about whether Pilates is considered strength training. As Pilates professionals who have devoted our careers to the practice and helping our clients gain strength, you might be surprised that we are with the “Pilates is not strength training” camp.
Wait! Don’t click away, and don’t cancel us. We’re going to share more about our stance that Pilates isn’t strength training, from a physiological standpoint, with support from guidelines written by the premier strength and conditioning association in the US.
What Are Strength Training Guidelines?
Before we get bogged down in the “is it, isn’t it” debate based on how we (or our muscles) feel, let’s look to the experts. The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) published a handy dandy strength and conditioning manual that says, “The field of strength training and conditioning is driven by research-based information that allows for the proper utilization of sets, repetitions, volume, and rest periods to elicit desired physiological adaptations.”
It describes a three-phase program based on Hans Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS). The three GAS phases are:
Alarm – From homeostasis, an athlete incurs a stressor. The alarm stage is characterized by a decline in physical capabilities and performance abilities, as well as indicators of fatigue.
Resistance– In this phase, the body temporarily adapts to cope with the demands of the stressor, increasing the athlete’s previous homeostatic level.
Exhaustion – Without rest, the athlete will reach the exhaustion phase and experience the return of alarm symptoms at a higher level.
How Does Pilates Differ?
While Pilates will absolutely increase muscle tone and build strength, the load is never high enough to be considered strength training. Instead of training to the point of exhaustion over a few sets of reps, Pilates focuses on enhancing endurance as you perform under load over the course of many repetitions or a flow.
Pilates focuses on good form under tension, prioritizing the engagement of many muscles over a large quantity of compound movements. You’ll always be able to complete more reps in Pilates than in strength training without reaching exhaustion.
How Pilates Can Benefit Your Strength Training
Just because Pilates is not considered strength training doesn’t mean it’s not a vital component to your strength training regimen.
6 Benefits of Building Strength Through Pilates
When you use Pilates to complement your strength training, you can:
- Prevent injury
- Improve form
- Increase endurance
- Enhance body awareness
- Build core strength
- Boost flexibility
There really is no downside to Pilates!
Disagree with us on our “not strength training” verdict after reading the article? No problem! We still think you’re great. No matter which side of the debate you fall on, we think adding Pilates to your strength training with weekly classes at Enhancewell Collective is a great idea.