Pilates and Strength Training | The Perfect Combo
I’ve been reflecting recently on how my teaching style has evolved over the years, and how I would describe the type of movement practice I lead now. I’ve been teaching Pilates for over 10 years, and teaching my own mat format for the last five, and while my style has always been rigorous, I’ve really leaned into a more athletic style over the past few years, as I have incorporated more strength training into my own practice.
I think Pilates and strength training are such a healthy pair for physical wellbeing. With Pilates, you get the core strength, body awareness and control, and the flexibility that make you a more efficient mover. And with strength training, you can build more overall power and strength than you can with Pilates alone. My favorite classes are the hybrid options that challenge muscles, while still encouraging strength at the end range of flexibility. This type of focused, athletic Pilates is my favorite style to teach, which can be extremely effective for building strength, endurance and flexibility on its own, and leveled-up on by adding free weights.
This month, I’m going to focus on a balance of strength and stretch in every workout, specifically on that end-range-strengthening to keep exploring that perfect combo of Pilates and Strength.
