Can Reformer Pilates Build Strength? What Progress Really Looks Like

If you’ve wondered whether Reformer Pilates can help you feel stronger, you’re part of a much bigger conversation. Strength-focused Pilates is one of the trends shaping the industry in 2026, with growing interest in resistance and how to keep progressing.

But what does that mean when you arrive for class? And does progress always mean adding another spring?

Can Reformer Pilates build strength?

Yes, Reformer Pilates can help develop strength, particularly when the exercises provide a suitable challenge for your starting point. It also gives you opportunities to practise muscular endurance: your ability to keep working through repeated movements or a sustained position.

Those are related, but different, qualities. Completing a longer sequence with control doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve increased the maximum load you can move. Both can be worthwhile achievements.

The results you notice depend on your experience, the exercises, how challenging they are and how consistently you practise. A beginner and someone who already lifts heavy weights may experience the same class very differently.

How do the springs work?

The Reformer uses springs connected to a moving carriage. Depending on the exercise, those springs can create resistance, provide assistance or help stabilise the carriage.

During footwork, for example, you push the carriage away against spring resistance. In other exercises, a lighter setting may make controlling the carriage more demanding because there is less support.

That’s why “more springs” doesn’t automatically mean “more advanced”. The right setting depends on the movement and what you’re working on. Follow your instructor’s guidance rather than matching the person beside you.

What does progression look like?

As an exercise becomes more familiar, your instructor can help you find an appropriate next step. That might involve adjusting resistance, changing the movement’s range, adding repetitions or choosing a variation that asks more of your balance and control.

These changes create different challenges. A slower movement can increase the time your muscles work, while a more complex variation may challenge coordination. Neither automatically replaces the need for greater resistance if increasing strength is your main goal.

You don’t need to change everything at once. A useful next step should still allow you to move with control and understand what you’re trying to achieve.

Do shaking, sweating and soreness mean it’s working?

They can be part of an exercise experience, but they aren’t a reliable scorecard for progress. You don’t need to chase shaking or leave every class sore to make your sessions worthwhile.

Look for changes you can repeat: the same exercise feels more manageable, you maintain your technique through the sequence, or you can use an appropriately increased resistance without losing control.

Some days you’ll choose a gentler option. Adjusting to your energy and recovery is part of building a routine you can keep.

Should you combine Pilates with weight training?

You can enjoy both. Reformer Pilates offers a way to work on resistance, movement control and coordination, while weight training gives you a straightforward way to track and progressively increase external loads.

If your priority is lifting much heavier weights or maximising muscle growth, a structured resistance-training programme may be a useful addition. Pilates doesn’t have to meet every fitness goal on its own, and research hasn’t established it as superior to other exercise for building strength.

A couple of things to try in your next class

1. Pay attention to one familiar exercise. Notice the spring setting, your control and how manageable it feels, rather than comparing yourself with someone else.

2. Ask when you’re ready to progress. Your instructor can help you choose a change that suits the exercise and your experience.

Find your own starting point

At Awaken Pilates & Yoga, our small group Reformer classes include options to adjust the challenge. You can start where you are and build familiarity over time, with instructors there to guide you.

Explore our studios in Yanchep, Ashby, Mindarie, Joondanna and Greenwood, and ask our team which class would suit your experience and goals.

You don’t need to arrive strong or confident. Give yourself space to learn, keep showing up and notice the progress that matters to you.