Pilates and weight training are often pitted against each other, with people in either camp claiming one is better than the other. But I've been combining both types of workouts for the past couple of years, and I'm feeling stronger than ever. In fact, the two styles of movement complement each other well.
Qualified personal trainer, Pilates instructor and founder of Ormskirk-based Pilates studio The Wellness Tribe, Rachel Lennon, teaches a popular class that combines principles of lifting weights with Pilates.
"I've always combined Pilates and strength training," she says. "In Pilates, you're building a strong core, improving your balance and posture, so that when you go to the gym, your core engagement is better while squatting and balancing is easier when you do lunges.
"It doesn't have to be one or the other," Lennon says, adding: "I wish more people knew how beneficial they are together." Here is a Pilates-inspired dumbbell workout Lennon has put together so you can reap the benefits of lifting weights and Pilates.
What is the dumbbell workout?
Lennon recommends using light to medium weights, which could be three or four kilogram dumbbells for beginners, or opt to go heavier if you're more experienced with lifting weights.
Superset 1: Dumbbell goblet squat x slow renegade row
Dumbbell Goblet Squat
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold one dumbbell against your chest with both hands. Keep your elbows pointing down, chest lifted, shoulders pulled back, and core muscles engaged to maintain a strong, upright posture.
- Push your hips back and bend your knees at the same time. Inhale as you lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor, or as low as your mobility allows, while keeping your heels flat on the ground and your knees tracking in line with your toes.
- Pause briefly at the bottom of the squat while maintaining a neutral spine and keeping the dumbbell close to your chest. Exhale and drive through your heels to stand.
- Complete 15 reps
- Next, hold the squat position for 10 seconds, then complete 15 pulses, moving your hips up and down an inch.
Slow renegade row:
- Start in a high plank position with a dumbbell in each hand, placing your hands directly beneath your shoulders and your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart.
- Engage your core, squeeze your glutes and keep your body in a straight line from your head to your heels.
- Inhale, and as you exhale, pull one dumbbell toward your lower ribs by bending your elbow and driving it close to your body. Avoid twisting your shoulders or rotating your hips as you lift the weight, focusing on using your back muscles rather than momentum.
- Lower the dumbbell to the floor in a slow, controlled motion, maintaining a strong plank position throughout.
- Repeat the rowing motion with the opposite arm, completing six reps on each arm.
- Complete the squats and rows back-to-back, then repeat the superset four times.
Superset 2:
Glute bridge:
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor about hip-width apart. Place a dumbbell horizontally across your hips, holding it securely with both hands.
- Inhale, and as you exhale, press through your heels and roll up through the spine to lift your hips toward the ceiling until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Pause briefly at the top of the movement.
- Lower your hips back to the floor in a slow, controlled manner until they lightly touch the ground.
- Complete 15 reps. On the final rep, hold the top position for 10 seconds, then complete 15 pulses, moving the hips up an inch, then down an inch.
Deadbug:
- Lie on your back and lift your feet off the floor so that your knees are hovering over your hips and your legs are at a 90-degree angle. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and raise your arms toward the ceiling
- Inhale slowly and straighten one leg toward the floor while lowering the opposite arm behind your head, keeping your arm straight.
- Pause briefly. Exhale to bring the leg and arm back to the starting position.
- Switch sides.
- Complete 10 reps on each side.
- Complete both exercises back-to-back, then repeat the superset four times.
The benefits
"To get the benefits of Pilates when lifting weights, slow down your movement and add pauses and pulses," Lennon explains. "Instead of repping moves out, prioritize form and move with control."
A recent Harvard study found that a varied exercise routine is key and that people who engaged in the highest variety of exercises had a 19% lower risk of premature death.
Pilates has plenty of benefits for alignment, balance, posture and mobility and lifting weights is key to longevity, as it improves muscle mass and bone health. "I think the biggest reason strength training is so important is so we can be mobile and strong in the future and we can bend down, pick things up and play with our grandkids in the future," Lennon says.
It's worth noting that these routines don't conform to the classical Pilates repertoire, which is 34 bodyweight moves. But many contemporary Pilates routines are simply inspired by the principles of the workout, using slow, controlled, core-focused movement, rather than following the method pioneered in the 1920s.
"To get the benefits of Pilates when lifting weights, slow down your movement and add pauses and pulses," Lennon explains. "Instead of repping moves out, prioritize form and move with control."
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