Short answer: Yes. Pilates counts as strength training. It makes your muscles work against resistance (your body weight, gravity, bands or light weights) and keeps them under tension longer than most workouts do.
Isn't Pilates just stretching?
I hear this all the time from women over 40. Many assume Pilates is gentle stretching on a mat, only for the young and flexible, or too easy to do anything.
Meanwhile, fitness culture sends the opposite message: lift heavy or go home. No pain, no gain.
The women in my studio who build the most lasting strength aren't the ones lifting the heaviest weights. They're the ones who start with alignment, use smart resistance, and work with their bodies instead of against them.
How I found out Pilates was more than stretching
I didn't come to Pilates looking for strength. I came to it postpartum, needing to heal my pelvic floor, ease my back pain and rebuild my core.
Typical gym sessions were too much. They left me depleted, and as a new mom I had nothing left to give. Pilates helped my pelvic floor and my back. What surprised me was everything else. I lost the baby weight, my whole body got stronger and more toned, and I had more energy, not less.
That's what led me to become an instructor and, eventually, to build my online studio. If you're just starting out, my guide to Pilates for women over 40, walks you through the basics.
What counts as resistance training?
Resistance training is any exercise that makes your muscles work against resistance to build strength and endurance. That resistance can come from dumbbells and machines, but also from gravity, your own body weight, resistance bands or springs.
Try holding a plank for 60 seconds. Your body weight is the resistance. Add a band or a magic circle and the work goes up.
The difference with Pilates is how the resistance is used: slow, controlled movement and holds instead of moving heavy weight with momentum. Holding a leg lift for 30 seconds feels completely different from 20 quick leg lifts. Without momentum to help, your muscles do all the work.
How I build strength in my classes: Realign, Stabilize, Strengthen
Every class in my studio follows the same three steps.
Step 1: Realign
We start with mobility work that moves stiff joints through their range. This is where you start undoing the tightness that builds up from sitting, stress and old habits.
Step 2: Stabilize
Next comes stability work. It teaches your body to stop gripping for dear life. When the right muscles start doing their job, the overworked ones can finally let go, and tightness starts to release.
Step 3: Strengthen
Then we add load: light weights, a resistance band, a small ball or a magic circle. Or isometric holds using just your body weight, which are far more challenging than most people expect.
Because you've realigned and stabilized first, you're building strength on a better foundation. That means less pain and better results.
A simple example: the bridge
Start with a basic bridge, lifting and lowering your hips with control
Add marching, lifting one foot at a time while keeping your hips level
Add small pulses at the top to keep the muscles working longer
Add a ball or magic circle between your knees
Same exercise, very different level of work. That's how you keep getting stronger with Pilates: keep challenging yourself.
Why heavy weights aren't always the best place to start
When a weight is too heavy for your current control, your body finds a way to lift it anyway. Your neck takes over for your shoulders, or your lower back does the work your core should be doing.
I see it often. A new member has been using 10–15 pound dumbbells for shoulder work and has a sore neck to show for it. We drop to 2–5 pounds, and she looks a bit disappointed. Then we slow down, set up her alignment and hold. By halfway through class she's shaking, and she can feel her shoulders working instead of her neck.
Strength built on a stiff, misaligned body is strength built on shaky ground.
What Pilates strength looks like in real life
In my classes we train whole-body movement, not single muscles, with a lot of focus on the deep core: your pelvic floor, deep abdominals and breath. That's the strength you use to:
Carry groceries
Pick up your grandkids
Climb stairs
Sit tall at your desk
Get up from the floor with ease
Here's what one member told me after class:
“I was so stiff and sore this morning but after this workout, I am moving easily and pain free! Thank you so much, Christine. My overall health has really improved, thanks to your classes ”
Why I don't believe in "no pain, no gain"
Most women who join my classes arrive a little nervous. Many have been burned by programs designed for young, injury-free bodies. They pushed through workouts that hurt, then felt worse for days.
A workout doesn't need to feel like punishment to work. If you leave class feeling stronger, looser and more energized instead of wiped out and sore, that's not a sign it didn't work. It's a sign it did.
How to start building strength with Pilates
Choose the right class. If you're new, skip advanced, power and HIIT-style Pilates for now. Look for a certified instructor, ideally one with experience teaching women over 40.
Be consistent. Three or four 20-minute sessions a week will do more for you than one hour-long class every two weeks.
Build your foundation first. Most women skip straight to strength. Start with realigning and stabilizing, and the strength work goes better.
Frequently asked questions:
Can Pilates replace weightlifting completely?
It depends on your goals. Pilates can be enough if you want functional strength, muscle tone and a strong core without gym equipment, as long as you keep progressing. Add weights if you want to build a lot of muscle, lift competitively, or your doctor has recommended heavier training. Many of my members do only Pilates. Others do both.
Can I do both Pilates and weight training?
Yes, and many of my members do. Pilates pairs well with anything you love, whether that's lifting, biking, running or kayaking. Members often find it helps their lifting because they have better core control, alignment and body awareness.
How many times per week should I do Pilates to see strength results?
Three or four times a week, 20–30 minutes each. In my experience, short, frequent sessions beat one long class a week.
Do I need equipment?
No. Your body weight is enough to start. When you want more challenge, add a resistance band, a magic circle, light weights (1–3 lb to start) or a small ball.
Does Pilates help with weight loss?
Pilates builds muscle and can change how your body looks and feels over time, but weight loss depends mostly on what you eat and how active you are overall. Pair Pilates with balanced eating and some cardio you enjoy.
Will Pilates give me visible muscle definition?
With consistent practice, yes, though the timeline varies. In my studio, women usually notice better posture within a few weeks and feel stronger in daily life within a month or two. Visible definition takes a few months and depends on nutrition too. And no, you won't get bulky.
Is Pilates enough for bone health?
Pilates can be part of a bone-healthy routine, but it isn't the whole picture. If bone density is a concern, ask your doctor what kind of exercise you need. If you have osteoporosis or osteopenia, check with your doctor first, since some deep forward bends and twists need to be modified. Osteoporosis Canada has good exercise guidelines.
I'm a complete beginner. Can I start with Pilates for strength?
Yes. Every exercise can be modified, and there are no complex lifts to learn. My online studio has beginner programs that start with breathing, core engagement and basic movement, and you can browse the full class catalogue. You don't need to be strong to start. Pilates is how you get there.
Start with your foundation
The workout that works is the one you keep doing. If you're new, start with my free 5-Day Mobility Reset: five short classes, each under 15 minutes, that work through the first two steps of my method. You'll get stiff joints moving and release tightness in your spine, upper back, hips, neck and shoulders, then finish with standing balance.
It's the foundation most women skip, and it sets you up for strength work.
Start the free 5-Day Mobility Reset →
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Christine Kirkland is the founder of Christine Kirkland Pilates, an online Pilates studio for women over 40. She has taught Pilates for over a decade, and every class follows her three-step method: realign, stabilize, then strengthen. She believes strength training should make you feel capable, not broken.
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