After years of cardio dominating the fitness conversation, exercises that build strength are now widely recognized as crucial to health and well-being. But figuring out which workout offers the most benefits can be even more challenging than the exercises themselves. Are traditional muscle-building moves like weightlifting or squats more effective, or are you better off with a gentle option like Pilates, which promises long, lean muscle? Here’s what experts think.
If the goal is to develop total-body strength specifically, resistance training is “the single best approach,” according to Alexander Rothstein, EdD, NSCA-CSCS, ACSM-EP-C, program coordinator of exercise science at New York Institute of Technology.
“It truly improves almost everything,” said Alicia Sanchez, PT, a personal trainer and online coach based in the UK. “Beyond muscle, [resistance training] strengthens bones, joints, and connective tissue, making daily activities like carrying groceries or climbing stairs easier and safer. It teaches the body to move efficiently, building functional strength that’s useful in real life.”
One 2022 study found that people who performed just 30 to 60 minutes of strength training a week were less likely to die prematurely, and another 2023 scientific review found that it could also improve mobility to prevent falls, improve cognition, and improve metabolic health.
While Pilates offers many of the same general health benefits as other forms of exercise—it gets you moving, elevates heart rate and mood, engages certain muscle groups, and improves mobility—its strength-building benefits are less clear. There is limited high-quality research supporting many of its claims, said Lauren Colenso-Semple, PhD, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and researcher who focuses on female physiology, exercise, and nutrition.
“A lot of the marketing around Pilates promises dramatic body composition changes, like fat loss, visible abs, [and] ‘long lean lines.’ This is extremely misleading, because changes in body composition require fat loss, muscle growth, or both,” she told Health. Those types of transformations generally require a calorie deficit and resistance training.
Most resistance training programs emphasize building strength during the concentric, or “shortening,” phase of a movement—such as lifting a weight during a curl. Pilates, by contrast, typically emphasizes both the concentric and eccentric, or lengthening, phases, Rothstein said. As a result, Pilates can carry over well to daily life, where muscles routinely work in both ways.
Still, the workout may not provide results as efficiently or effectively as traditional strength training, which uses heavier loads and fewer repetitions per set to push the body to adapt to the stress of the workout.
While experts agreed that resistance training exercises like weightlifting and squats usually offer the most benefits, some factors can tip the scale.
For one, you want to make sure the exercise is challenging enough. As a general rule, choose weights that leave you able to complete only one or two more repetitions, at most, by the end of a set. “If I have more reps left ‘in the tank’ [at the end of the set], the resistance of the dumbbell, barbell, machine, etc. is too light,” Colenso-Semple said.
It’s also important to consider your specific situation: The exercise that works “best” for one person might not be ideal for someone else. If you’re largely inactive, or alternatively, on your feet all day, a Pilates class might feel like a better fit, Sanchez noted, since it typically targets underused muscles and can help people feel more connected to their bodies. “It all depends on the person, their situation, and their goals at that moment,” she told Health.
In general, experts agreed there’s room for both traditional strength training and Pilates in a well-rounded routine. Rothstein suggested 30 to 60 minutes of strength training two to three days per week, and an additional two to three days of Pilates. “Together, they help the body feel safer, more agile, and physically prepared for daily tasks, sports, or real-life movement,” added Sanchez.
Above all, however, the most important factor in maximizing the health benefits of exercise is enjoyment. “All physical activity is beneficial for physical and mental health,” said Colenso-Semple. “If we enjoy a particular type of exercise—Pilates, running, cycling, lifting weights—we’re more likely to do it long term.”
