Reformer Pilates vs Weight Training
A very common question is what are the benefits of reformer pilates? Should I be doing that in addition to weight training and are the effects the same or different?
What is pilates?
Pilates in general is a low-impact form of exercise that is gentle on joints and promotes mobility/flexibility, strength and stabilization and alignment.
It incorporates breathing, control, concentration and coordination amongst a multitude of other things.
Reformer pilates are pilates exercises performed on a reformer, a specialized piece of equipment that uses spring resistance to create stabilization and tension for a full-body workout.
A common misconception is that reformer pilates is always more challenging than mat pilates.
However, this is not always the case and largely depends on what type of exercises and the spring load that is chosen.
Springs can provide tension like weights do in weight-training but they can also provide further stabilization to the body.
Imagine doing the bird dog exercise on the mat. If you haven’t done a bird dog before, it is when you're on your hands and knees (shoulders stacked over wrists and hips over knees) and you’re raising your arm and opposite leg off the ground while trying to maintain a neutral spine.
This exercise targets many muscle groups, balance and coordination. It may be difficult to keep your spine in neutral and feel stable as your body can shift in many directions.
A similar exercise can be done on the reformer with a moderate spring load. This spring load can create stabilization and help keep your spine neutral, similar to how your muscles are forced to create stabilization to keep you from falling out of your bird dog on the mat.
This aspect of additional stabilization that a reformer can provide can help individuals focus on other areas of their body that they may specifically want to target/if there is a specific injury.
Once the exercise is easier, progressions and less stabilization can be used to make the exercises more challenging. Heavier spring tension applied to certain exercises can also enhance similar features to weight training.
Muscles trained with pilates vs muscles trained with weight training
Pilates tends to target the small muscles in the body like the deep core/pelvic floor and stabilizing muscles in the joints.
Weight training tends to focus on the larger muscles with goals of building muscle strength and size.
A more specific comparison of pilates and weight training is elaborated on below.
Pilates
Intensity: Low-moderate
Focus: Core strength, stability, flexibility, posture, body awareness, mind-body connection, relaxation, breath
Muscle groups engaged: Whole-body, engaging multiple muscle groups, working on control
Good for: Prehab or rehab, strengthening with weight-bearing restrictions (reformer pilates can be non-weight bearing), improving posture and alignment
Weight Training
Intensity: Moderate-high
Focus: Muscle strength and muscle mass, bone density, joint stability, mental health effects
Muscle groups engaged: Targets specific muscle groups and can lead to muscle hypertrophy
Good for: Building muscle mass and increasing strength
Both pilates/reformer pilates and weight training are useful forms of exercises that can be incorporated into your physiotherapy program or exercise routine.
Depending on your situation and goals, fundamental principles from either may be used. Both pilates and weight training can be used in conjunction to complement your daily activities and physical activity you already engage in to maximize the benefits from each form of exercise.
If you’re interested in learning more about pilates vs. weight training and how these can be incorporated into your life, please let your physios know.
How to book physio pilates at Resilience Physiotherapy located in Toronto
If you’re interested in a physio pilates session and have questions please don’t hesitate to shoot us an email, book a complimentary call or book a Clinical Pilates Assessment on Jane, our online booking site. We are conveniently located in the Toronto Annex area and would love to work with you.
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Written by Jessica Chiang, Registered Physiotherapist