I hate to break it to you, but in 2025 the internet is still as obsessed (if not more) with Pilates. You only need to scroll, walk down your local high street, or have a quick flick through a magazine to spot the ever-escalating buzz about the low-impact practice. But while it's known for levelling up your flexibility, toning your body and boosting your all-important posture, we're often asked: does Pilates build muscle?
After speaking to experts and looking at the research, the general consensus seems to be that yes, Pilates can help you build muscle (but it does come with a few caveats). That's because Pilates is technically a type of strength training exercise, that uses either your body weight as resistance or any extra Pilates equipment, like Pilates balls, Pilates bars, resistance bands and/or a Reformer machine to put your muscles under some added tension.
