Ever asked yourself, is Pilates better than weight training? The workouts are currently trending on TikTok with thousands taking to the app to debate which sweat session is most effective. While strength sweat sessions have been popular for years, its low-impact counterpart is, without doubt, the most popular workout of the moment, skyrocketing in popularity last year and firmly cementing itself as a fitness mainstay. Case in point: while strength training had long been the number one workout to book on ClassPass, Pilates took the crown in 2023 with reservations up 92%.
It's probably not surprising, then, that search for the difference between Pilates workouts and weight training, plus the different benefits both sweat sessions can offer, is on the rise. So, question. Which exercise is "better" for you? Is there such thing as a "best" workout? Are people turning to Pilates exercises and away from strength training because it reaps better benefits, or are we just finding joy in workouts we can do from home that require minimal equipment? Good questions - all of which Rachel Lopez, a personal trainer and Pilates instructor at Blok and Third Space, and myself, Chloe Gray, a health and fitness editor and fitness trainer - have answered below.
