Pilates Makes You Stronger
by Studio Le TigreLately, a great deal of conjecture has been made about Pilates being unsuitable for increasing strength. Unsurprisingly, most of these accusations are being levied either by those peddling some new fad exercise, or by old-school bodybuilders and powerlifters, and without any evidence to back it up.
What Does The Research Say?
Numerous studies have proven that Pilates is, in fact, a safe and effective means of increasing strength. In a 2022 study by Bagheri et al. titled “The Effect of Pilates Exercise on the Muscle Strength of Female Students”, the researchers found that two sessions of Pilates per week over as little as four weeks was sufficient to produce a significant increase in both upper and lower body muscle strength.
The Long & The Short of It
Now, if your goal is to become a body-builder, Pilates alone will not yield the results of muscular hypertrophy that you’re looking for. However, that hasn’t stopped at least two Mr. Olympia Winners from incorporating Pilates into their training regimens to stay healthy and mobile, and to prevent injury. “If you get an injury, then you’re gonna start losing all the gains that you had” says six-time Mr. Olympia title-holder Dorian Yates, who does Pilates for at least an hour per week.
According to the National Rugby League, Pilates has also been described as the “secret weapon” to strength and rehabilitation. "I'd recommend Pilates to anyone who's got a weak back or hips or lower-ab problems. It's helped me tremendously and I can feel it in my running because I'm running more freely and not pulling up so much.” says South African Professional Rugby Player James Segeyaro.
Other notable athletes who swear by Classical Pilates include Lebron James and Cristiano Renaldo, as well as four Olympians with 9 Olympic gold medals between them, among many others.
