What happens when Reformer Pilates meets Strength Training - The training duo your body has been waiting for 💪🏼

You've probably stood at the crossroads: should I do Pilates or lift weights? Stretch or strengthen? Flow or force?

At Soulhub however, that question doesn't quite apply.....

Let's break it down - the science, the truth, and the Soulhub edge.

The Truth about Reformer Pilates as a method of Strength Training - Misunderstood. Underestimated. Essential.

Strength training, or resistance training, is a form of exercise designed to build muscle strength, endurance, power, or size by making muscles work against an external force - such as free weights, resistance bands, or your own body weight.

Joseph Pilates never set out to build muscle (hypertrophy). He built a system - one centred on six core principles: centering (what he called the 'powerhouse'), concentration, control, precision, breath, and flow.

His goal was not bulk. It was mastery of movement.

At Soulhub, our reformer pilates classes aren't your typical, 'gentle-pace' pilates classes. 

While they are rooted in Joseph's principles, they simultaneously layer in free weights, fun props, challenging spring tension, dynamic movement patters, and full-range loading that you'll feel every bit of it, whilst still providing all of the pilates-unique benefits 🌟

Here's what reformer Pilates is actually doing to your body:

•    Retraining how you move - correcting compensations across your spine, joints, and movement patterns so your body works smarter and safely, not harder

•    Increasing range of motion and mobility - building muscular control through full ranges, including end ranges where injury is most likely and where everyday life actually takes place - not just the mid-range that most gym exercises hit

•    Building muscular endurance - training your body to sustain, stabilise, and support over time - not just move a heavy weight for a few reps

•    Training your nervous system - through intentional breath and focused movement, Pilates sharpens coordination, body awareness, and the mind-muscle connection. This carries over into everything you do - on the reformer, in the circuit room, and in daily life

That last point is big. Research published in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies found that regular Pilates training significantly improved muscular endurance, flexibility, balance, and posture - outcomes that translate directly into how you feel and function in daily life.

For back pain - one of the most common complaints we hear from new Soulmates - a Cochrane Review found strong evidence that Pilates is more effective than minimal intervention for reducing pain and improving function in people with chronic lower back pain.

Pilates ISN’T strength training in the traditional sense because:

·  It doesn't create the progressive mechanical overload needed to drive significant muscle hypertrophy (growth in muscle size)

·  It doesn't target the type II (fast twitch) muscle fibres that respond to heavy resistance loading

·  It's not designed to increase bone density or trigger the hormonal responses that come from heavy compound lifting

Think of it this way: Pilates makes your body smarter. Traditional strength training makes it stronger. You need both.

So, stop asking pilates to do the wrong job. Train it for what it actually is - a system that teaches your body how to move better for life.

Soulhub’s Strength Circuit Room

Our self-led strength circuit room is designed to complement your reformer work – it’s where you build the capacity to live strongly - more muscle, stronger bones, better metabolism. Especially powerful for women over 35.

The science is clear:

·  Boosts your metabolism, even at rest: Resistance training increases resting metabolic rate by an average of 7%, meaning your body burns more fuel around the clock - not just during your workout

·  Protects and builds bone density: Bone responds to load. Strength training is one of the most effective tools for preventing osteoporosis - critical for women approaching and moving through menopause, when bone density naturally begins to decline

·  Improves cardiovascular fitness: Circuit-style resistance training - moving between exercises with minimal rest - delivers meaningful cardiovascular benefits alongside the muscular adaptations. Alcaraz study found that circuit resistance training produced significant improvements in VO2 max and cardiovascular efficiency, comparable to moderate aerobic training.

·  Supports mental health and mood: Just 2x strength sessions per week has been shown to significantly reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. Strength training isn't just a physical investment. It's an emotional one.

Better together - the combo that changes everything

Pilates makes your body smarter. Strength training makes it stronger. Together, they make you unstoppable.

The reformer gives your strength training a better foundation:

•        Better movement patterns = reduced injury risk under load

•        Greater body awareness = more effective muscle activation

•        Improved mobility = fuller range of movement in every lift

Strength training amplifies your Pilates performance:

•        Greater muscular capacity = more control and endurance on the reformer

•        Stronger bones and tendons = better joint integrity through precision movements

•        Higher baseline strength = faster neuromuscular improvements

In short:

Pilates makes you better at strength training. Strength training makes you better at Pilates.‍ ‍

And both make you better at life.

The Soulhub Membership Advantage

 Here's the part we love. Every single Soulhub membership includes access to BOTH studios - reformer pilates AND the strength circuit room. You're don’t have to choose one or the other. You get both.

What that looks like in practice:

•        2x per week? That’s 2x reformer + 2x circuit. That's 4 workouts for the price of 2.

•        Unlimited? Build a full program across both studios - your body will thank you.

You don't need to choose between moving beautifully and getting strong. At Soulhub, you do both - under one roof, on one membership - living up to our claim to being your one-stop fitness and wellbeing shop.

Book and buy via the SH app 📲