If you're looking for a way to get stronger, improve your posture, and feel more connected to your body, you've probably considered Pilates. But there's one common question: Is mat Pilates enough to build strength, or do you need to lift weights to see results?
The short answer is yes — mat Pilates can absolutely help you build strength. The results depend on your starting point, how consistently you practice, and how you continue to challenge your body as you progress.
Whether you're new to fitness or looking to complement your existing workout routine, here's what to know about building strength through mat Pilates.
How Does Mat Pilates Build Strength?
Mat Pilates uses controlled movements, bodyweight resistance, and focused muscle engagement to strengthen your body. Rather than relying on heavy weights or gym machines, you'll use your own body as resistance while working on alignment, stability, and control.
Many mat Pilates exercises target the deep abdominal muscles, back, glutes, hips, and shoulders. These muscles help support your spine, stabilize your joints, and make everyday movements feel easier.
A typical mat Pilates class may include exercises such as:
- The Hundred: Builds abdominal endurance while coordinating your breathing and movement.
- Plank variations: Challenge your core, shoulders, and overall body stability.
- Glute bridges: Strengthen the glutes and muscles around the hips.
- Side-lying leg work: Targets the outer hips and glutes.
- Single-leg exercises: Develop control, balance, and strength while challenging your core.
The emphasis is on quality rather than quantity. Moving slowly and maintaining proper form can make an exercise surprisingly challenging, even without equipment.
What Kind of Strength Can You Build with Mat Pilates?
Mat Pilates can develop several important aspects of strength and physical fitness.
1. Core Strength and Stability
Core strength is one of the best-known benefits of Pilates. Exercises train the abdominal muscles and other muscles around the trunk to support your spine and control movement.
A stronger, more coordinated core can help you maintain better control during exercise and everyday activities, from carrying groceries to sitting at your desk.
2. Glute and Leg Strength
Don't underestimate the lower-body challenge of mat Pilates. Squat variations, bridges, lunges, and controlled leg movements can all help strengthen your glutes, thighs, and hips.
As exercises become more familiar, instructors can introduce variations that increase the challenge without necessarily adding weights.
3. Upper-Body Strength
Mat Pilates also works the shoulders, arms, chest, and upper back. Planks, push-up variations, and other weight-bearing exercises require you to support and control your body.
However, upper-body strength gains may eventually plateau if the exercises no longer provide enough resistance.
4. Muscular Endurance and Body Control
Strength isn't just about lifting something heavy. It's also about how long your muscles can work, how well they stabilize your body, and how effectively you control movement.
Mat Pilates is particularly useful for developing muscular endurance, coordination, balance, and body awareness — all valuable parts of a well-rounded fitness routine.
Can You Build Muscle with Mat Pilates?
Yes, mat Pilates can contribute to muscle development, especially if you're new to strength training or returning to exercise after a break.
Your muscles adapt to the demands you place on them. When an exercise challenges your muscles enough, your body can respond by becoming stronger and, under the right conditions, building muscle.
The key is progressive overload: gradually increasing the challenge as your strength improves.
In mat Pilates, this might mean progressing from a modified plank to a full plank, moving from two-legged to single-leg exercises, increasing repetitions, or improving control through a more demanding range of motion.
Over time, though, bodyweight exercises can become less challenging. If your goal is substantial muscle growth or maximal strength, you'll likely benefit from adding resistance through weights, resistance bands, or Pilates equipment.
Mat Pilates vs. Weight Training: Which Is Better for Strength?
Neither option is automatically better for everyone. The right choice depends on your goals.
| Fitness goal | Mat Pilates | Weight training |
|---|---|---|
| Core stability | Excellent | Excellent, with appropriate exercises |
| Muscular endurance | Excellent | Can be developed |
| Balance and body control | Strong focus | Can be developed |
| General strength | Effective, especially for beginners | Very effective |
| Maximum strength and muscle growth | More limited as bodyweight resistance becomes insufficient | Generally better suited |
| Flexibility and movement awareness | Often a central focus | Depends on exercise selection and technique |
Weight training makes it easier to increase resistance in small, measurable increments. This is particularly useful if your goal is to build significant muscle or increase maximum strength.
Mat Pilates offers a different combination of benefits, bringing together strength, mobility, coordination, breathing, and control in one practice.
You don't have to choose one or the other. Combining mat Pilates with strength training can be an excellent way to develop strength while also working on mobility, stability, and movement quality.
How Often Should You Do Mat Pilates to Get Stronger?
Consistency matters more than finding the perfect workout. For many beginners, starting with two or three mat Pilates sessions per week is a practical way to develop strength and learn proper technique.
You can adjust your schedule depending on your fitness level, recovery, and other activities. For example, a balanced weekly routine might include:
- Two mat Pilates classes to work on core strength, muscular endurance, and control.
- One or two strength-training sessions if you want to progressively build more muscle and overall strength.
- Walking or other enjoyable movement to stay active between workouts.
- Rest and recovery to give your body time to adapt.
If you're new to exercise, start at a manageable level and build gradually. You don't need to work out every day to make progress.
How to Get Better Strength Results from Mat Pilates
If building strength is your goal, a few simple habits can make your Pilates practice more effective.
Focus on Technique
Proper alignment and controlled movement help you target the intended muscles. Rushing through repetitions or sacrificing form to complete an exercise can reduce its effectiveness.
A good instructor can offer modifications and individualized feedback so you can work at the right level for your body.
Choose Classes That Challenge You
A class should feel accessible, but it should also give you opportunities to progress. Look for exercises that challenge your core, glutes, legs, and upper body, with options to increase or decrease the difficulty.
As you get stronger, ask your instructor how to progress safely.
Be Consistent
Strength develops over time. Attending classes regularly gives you the opportunity to practice movements, build endurance, and notice how your body changes.
Instead of expecting immediate results, pay attention to small improvements: holding a plank longer, feeling more stable during an exercise, or finding a movement that once felt difficult a little easier.
Support Your Training Outside the Studio
Adequate sleep, nutritious meals, and recovery all support your body's ability to adapt to exercise. If building muscle is a particular priority, eating enough and getting sufficient protein can also help.
Remember that progress looks different for everyone. Your starting point, training history, and overall routine all influence your results.
Is Mat Pilates Enough for You?
If your goal is to develop core strength, improve muscular endurance, move with greater control, and establish a consistent fitness routine, mat Pilates can be an excellent standalone practice.
If you want to maximize muscle size, build substantial upper-body strength, or improve your maximum lifting capacity, you'll probably want to incorporate progressive resistance training as well.
For many people, the most effective routine isn't the one that promises the fastest transformation. It's the one they enjoy enough to maintain.
Mat Pilates can be a great place to start — and a practice you continue to benefit from as your fitness evolves.
Try Mat Pilates at LX Portal in Lisbon
Looking for mat Pilates classes in Lisbon? At LX Portal, we offer a welcoming, light-filled studio where you can build strength, improve body awareness, and move at your own pace.
Our classes are beginner-friendly, with instructors who offer guidance, alignment tips, and personalized feedback to help you get more out of your practice. You don't need to be flexible or experienced to join us — just come as you are.
New to LX Portal? Try our 3-week unlimited Intro Pass for €30 and explore our classes, find your favorite instructors, and start building a routine that works for you.