Reformer Pilates vs. weights for women

Which is better?

That depends entirely on what you mean by better.

Better for learning control through a changing spring load? Reformer Pilates. Better for making load simple to measure and progressively heavier? Weights. Better for moving your spine, coordinating your whole body and exploring range? Reformer. Better for developing maximal strength and giving bone a clear loading stimulus? Weights.

Comparing the two as if one must replace the other is a little like comparing lenses on a camera. A portrait lens does not make a wide-angle lens useless. Each lets you see and do something different. Together, the camera becomes more versatile.

What Reformer Pilates does especially well

The Reformer gives you support and resistance at the same time. Springs, straps, the moving carriage, Towers and Jumpboards create feedback. You learn where you are in space, how to organise your trunk and how to produce force without losing the rest of yourself.

Pilates research suggests benefits for flexibility, muscular endurance, balance and some measures of strength. The evidence varies in quality, and “Pilates” describes many different programmes, which makes broad claims difficult.^[1] A 2019 trial in older women found that Pilates and muscular training produced different strength adaptations. Pilates performed better for some isometric hip and trunk measures, while muscular training did better for isokinetic strength. Both improved functional performance.^[2]

A newer Reformer trial reported improvements in strength, endurance and body composition after eight weeks. It included only 47 women with overweight or obesity, so it is interesting rather than definitive.^[3]

What weights do especially well

Weights make progression visible. A six-kilo dumbbell can become eight. A landmine deadlift can become heavier. The same lift can be tracked across months. That clarity is useful when the goal is muscle, maximal strength and bone loading.

Resistance training builds strength across a wide range of loads. Heavier training has the clearest advantage for maximal strength, while muscle can grow with lighter or heavier loads when sets are sufficiently challenging.^[4] It is also one of the most reliable exercise tools we have for protecting physical function as we age.

For bone, the distinction matters. A review of Pilates in postmenopausal women found no significant improvement in bone mineral density, while also noting that only a few low-quality studies were available.^[5] By contrast, progressive resistance and impact-based programmes have a stronger and more consistent evidence base for bone. Pilates can still support balance, control and confidence, all useful parts of fall prevention. It simply should not be asked to do every job.

How they complement each other

• Reformer teaches options. You explore rotation, flexion, extension, lateral movement and coordination.
• Weights build measurable capacity. You practise producing force against progressively greater resistance.
• Reformer gives feedback. Springs and the carriage tell you a great deal about control and symmetry.
• Weights prepare you for life. Lifting, carrying, pushing and pulling are not gym tricks. They are human tasks.
• Both can be adapted. Bodies are not all the same, and good coaching does not pretend they are.

The goal is not to become good at one method. The goal is to build a body with more choices.

What could a balanced week look like?

For many women, two strength sessions and one or two Reformer classes per week is a very good base. If you are new, start with one of each. Build the habit before you build the volume. Add walking, rest and the recovery work your life actually requires.

There is no single perfect split. Training history, symptoms, time, goals and enjoyment all matter. The best programme is specific enough to create change and flexible enough to remain part of your real life.

At Soma Co., you do not have to choose a camp. Our Movement Lab and Strength Lab share the same values: evidence, inclusion, intelligent coaching and progress without punishment. Our Unlimited Studio Memberships make it simple to build the complementary routine that gives you the benefits of both.