Pilates Versus Weightlifting
If you’ve spent any amount of time on the internet paying attention to women’s exercise trends, you have probably experienced the slew of people trying to tell you that pilates and/or weightlifting are THE workouts to help you finally reach your goals. As a Gen Z TikTok user, I’ve consumed so much content surrounding pilates and weightlifting that I, of course, had to find out for myself if the hype was worth it. For some context- I prioritized both of these workout styles for over a year each, so I feel well-equipped to examine both of these options with you today. Let’s explore some of the benefits and drawbacks to each of these so that you can make an educated decision about which workouts will suit you best.
Pilates
Pilates is a fitness system that involves a series of controlled movements usually performed on a yoga mat, reformer machine, or cadillac. It was developed in the early 20th century by Joseph Pilates, who was inspired by his gymnast father. Originally, pilates was created to rehabilitate injured prisoners using minimal equipment. The six core pilates principles are breathing, concentration, centering, control, precision, and flow. It is generally a slower-paced workout that emphasizes core strength, flexibility, and bodily awareness.
Pros:
Core strength- Pilates focuses on utilizing the deep core muscles to stabilize the spine (with added bonuses of alleviating back pain and improving posture). Since learning how to properly activate my core and pelvic floor muscles, I carry this knowledge with me in all other forms of exercise, and am even more mindful of my core stability during my usual day-to-day activities.
Mobility and flexibility- Pilates incorporates a lot of stretching, lengthening, and controlled movements that increase your range of motion.
Great for injury recovery and those new to working out- Pilates is low impact and generally low intensity, and helps you to strengthen your muscles and joints without too much stress on them.
At-home videos- For the baddies on a budget, there are tons of free options online for all skill levels with varying amounts of equipment. At minimum, you need a yoga mat, and this alone can be more than enough for you to still crank out a good workout. There are even people who do pilates in their bathroom with a space heater turned on high to create their own hot pilates experience! Personally, I love using YouTube to find pilates videos to follow along with. Some of my favorite channels are IsaWelly (more for beginners), Lottie Murphy (beginner/intermediate), Move With Nicole (all levels), and my new go-to girl, Pilates By Izzy (advanced).
Cons:
Unrealistic expectations- Most online pilates content showcases women who are naturally very lean, who also sell the idea that pilates alone will make you lose weight and achieve that toned, long, lean body. The reality is: these women have genetics working in their favor, many of them eat extremely restrictive diets, and are bound to be naturally thin. Pilates is not a miracle worker for shedding fat.
Learning curve- If you haven’t mastered proper technique and form, you aren’t working the muscles effectively and you run the risk of injury.
Cost- In person pilates classes, whether private or group-style, are often quite pricey and are therefore inaccessible to many. There is also the issue of the at-home reformer machine, which can run you anywhere from a couple hundred to a couple thousand bucks. Yikes!
My experience:
I took small group classes (4 people) from December 2023 to April 2024, and won a giveaway for two free private one-on-one sessions at this small studio, which helped me immensely. I then took a front desk job at a big pilates chain in the summer of 2024, where I took larger group classes (12 people) 5 days a week. I was able to take more advanced classes at this studio, which was a huge contribution to my noticeable increase in strength (especially core) and mobility. However, the most significant increase in these areas came when I started challenging myself with more difficult and more equipment heavy classes (use of light dumbbells, ankle weights, and yoga blocks) on YouTube.
One thing I will say for beginners- I HIGHLY recommend taking at least one in-person pilates class to start out with (preferably private) so that your certified instructor can help you perform the exercises correctly. Proper form is the number one priority in pilates, and once I had a few private lessons under my belt, it completely changed the game for how the movements felt in my body. The simplest of motions now feel like much harder work because I’m no longer neglecting to engage the correct muscles.
Weightlifting
Weightlifting is a somewhat self explanatory exercise- people lift weights via dumbbells, barbells, or machines. People lift weights to build physical strength, develop a muscular/athletic physique, and to promote overall health and wellness. It is believed that weightlifting predates written history, but we know that it was prevalent in Ancient China and Greece when men lifted stones to prove their manhood. Now, we see weightlifting continuing to become more popular amongst both men and women.
Pros:
Increased strength and muscle mass- lifting weights is the best way to build and maintain muscles. Every time you lift, you are slightly damaging your muscle tissue and allowing it to grow back stronger (which is why rest and recovery are so important!).
Improved metabolism and weight management- Your body starts to burn more calories at rest, and burn fat during and after your workout.
Bone density- Women are at a much higher risk of developing osteoporosis, or lower bone mass. Regular strength training, even at a low intensity, has been shown to slow bone loss by stimulating the cells that form your bones.
Cardiovascular health- While lifting is not necessarily characterized as a cardio exercise, it is effective in improving heart and lung health. Strength training lowers cholesterol and blood pressure, which decreases your risk of heart disease.
Cost- Some commercial gyms have memberships that are less than $15 per month, which is extremely affordable compared to pilates classes. Also, many schools, workplaces, and apartment complexes offer complimentary access to their gyms.
Cons:
Male dominated- Things are changing as of late with more women getting into the gym, but gyms are still predominantly filled with men which is… a turn off to say the least. Honestly, I’m good to coexist with anyone, especially in a space where we have shared goals of working out; but in my two years of going to a public gym, a lot of men went out of their way to make me feel uncomfortable for taking up space and wearing what I was comfortable in.
Soreness- Going harder on the weights leads to more sore muscles. Again- emphasis on rest and recovery! I learned this lesson the hard way trying to do heavy weights for my legs more often than I needed to.
Increased risk of injury- Just like with pilates, you run the risk of hurting yourself if you don’t perform the exercises correctly with proper form. I recommend getting a trainer to start out with, or going on a deep dive of TikTok videos breaking down how to properly do each movement (like I did!). Little cues to fix your form will transform your whole workout.
Time- Weightlifting, especially when trying to develop a workout split that hits all the different parts of the body, can be extremely time consuming.
Cost- I had to put cost as a pro and a con because a gym membership still might not be in the budget for everyone. It is also worth considering that for those who want to build a home gym or even just have a few weights around the house, weights get pretty pricey and it’s not cheap to have a decent selection.
My experience:
I did mostly lower-body focused weightlifting 3-4x per week from September 2021 to December 2023, starting out in the tiny gym with minimal equipment offered by my college apartment complex. I then moved to a larger commercial gym with more equipment, which allowed me to use heavier weights and made a huge difference in my gains. I loved how my body looked and how strong my legs felt, but I never felt fully satisfied with my results because I struggled to eat enough to sustain the heavy lifting and have maximum muscle growth for how hard I was working. I also did not appreciate being stared at or approached by men. I even had to report a guy to my gym at one point because he was persistently making uncomfortable comments to me, which the gym management did not take seriously, so they lost me as a member.
Overall…
I took what I needed to know from each of these forms of exercise, and have now have found a good balance of the two that works for me. Currently, I do both pilates and weightlifting at home. I will typically do a pilates YouTube video about 2x per week and lift weights around 3x per week, along with sprinkling in some cardio from biking, outdoor walks, or indoor walks on my walking pad (also a game changer). When I am consistently following this plan and eating right, I feel great! I have never felt stronger and more mobile than I do right now.
For my readers wondering what’s best, here’s what I think. It greatly behooves you to incorporate both types of workouts into your week because you get the best of both worlds in terms of benefits. You can’t expect speedy miracles from either of these exercises, especially if you don’t eat a healthy diet. They say that bodily transformation is 80% what you eat and 20% working out, so just be sure to manage your expectations. I say: try it all, take care of yourself in every capacity, and have fun with it! Get into a routine that is sustainable and tailored to you as an individual. Your dream body is sure to follow.