Pilates guide
Pilates works your arms mostly by making them hold you up: in planks, push-ups, side bends and moves with your hands behind you. Classical classes add a standing series with light weights of about 1 kg, and on the reformer your arms pull straps against springs.
In small trials, Pilates made arms stronger and better at lasting in people who weren't doing much. We found no study that measured arm muscle growing with Pilates, and it doesn't burn fat from your arms: that comes off your whole body.
This guide covers where the arm work is in Pilates, what the studies found, how to use light weights and make the moves harder, how Pilates compares with weights, and how to look after sore wrists and shoulders. For a class to follow today, try our 20-minute Pilates arm workout.
Planks, the leg pulls, the side bend and the Pilates push-up put your weight through your hands, and the push-up works your triceps, chest and upper back. Classical classes add a standing series with light weights, and on the reformer your arms pull straps against springs.
Pilates improved arm endurance and grip strength in people who weren't doing much, especially older adults. Across 16 studies, it built strength about as well as other exercise, strength training included.
We found no study that measured arm muscle growing with Pilates. An exercise scientist expects beginners to gain a little muscle that then levels off, because most Pilates doesn't add load over time; muscle keeps growing when the work keeps getting harder.
Training one arm didn't take more fat off it than the other arm on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, and a review of 13 studies found no spot reduction. Arm fat goes when your overall body fat goes down.
Use fists or your forearms for sore wrists, leave out leg pulls, dips and overhead moves while a shoulder hurts, and learn reformer strap work with a teacher.
In the classical mat order, the leg pull front "will strengthen the hip extensors and shoulder girdle", the side bend "focuses on the abdominals, obliques and shoulder stabilizers", and the push-up "will work out your triceps, chest and upper back muscles". The leg pull back holds you up on your hands behind you, with the advice to "avoid hyperextending the elbows and the knees". Face down, swimming strengthens "the backside of the body".
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Classical schools teach a standing arm weights series. In one recorded class, the teacher says the weights are "about two pounds, hopefully, or three at the most" (about 1 kg) and that they're "recommended but not required". The series includes chest expansion, a boxing movement, a "zip up" and curls.
The Pilates Method Alliance says the ring gives "gentle resistance" and is "used in various exercises to target the inner thighs, upper arms, and chest". We found no study of what it does for the arms. Pressing your palms together, the palm press below, works the same way without a ring.
On the reformer, arm work uses straps. In one classical school's order, the basic level has no arm series; strap work such as "Long Box: Pull Straps & T" comes at intermediate level, on 1 spring, and "Strengthens muscles of back, shoulders and arms". The Pilates Method Alliance says exercises on the Wunda chair "engage the core, legs, and arms", and recommends learning equipment with a skilled instructor.
The biceps bend your elbow and the triceps straighten it; part of the triceps also crosses the shoulder, so it's stretched when your arm is overhead. Push-ups work the triceps and chest more than the biceps: in a trial in 18 men, push-ups set to the right difficulty grew the triceps and chest as much as a light bench press, and only the bench press grew the biceps. Mat Pilates has very little pulling, so rows or curls fill that gap.
In 50 active middle-aged men and women, 12 weeks of mat classes twice a week improved upper-body muscular endurance against a control group; the author called the exercises relatively low intensity. In 30 older women, in a trial from a research group whose several small, similar reports may share participants, elbow strength and arm function were better than in a control group after 12 weeks. Grip strength improved against control groups in 109 women over 60 and in 47 women with overweight or obesity doing reformer Pilates, and upper-body strength improved in 43 breast cancer survivors on hormone therapy.
When 3 trials in women were pooled, grip strength didn't change against controls (low certainty). It didn't change in 8 weeks of equipment Pilates in 32 young women, and in 24 women after the menopause it rose with equipment Pilates but not with mat Pilates and small props.
A 2022 review of 16 studies (689 people, average age 60, programmes of about 12 weeks) found Pilates built strength no better or worse than other exercise, strength training included, at low or very low certainty. A 2024 review of 24 trials in older adults found no clear strength gain against doing nothing. In 42 inactive women, a low-load, high-repetition group class improved grip and fitness where Pilates improved only flexibility (the groups weren't randomised), and in 34 older women a core resistance machine beat Pilates for trunk strength and leg power.
We found no study that measured arm muscle size after Pilates with a scan. Lean mass (muscle and other non-fat tissue) didn't change in pooled trials in women or in adults with overweight or obesity, and mat Pilates was no better than other exercise or no exercise for body composition across 10 studies.
In trials where every set was taken to failure (the point where you can't do another rep), light and heavy loads built similar muscle, across 21 studies and across 28 studies with 747 adults, while heavier loads built more maximal strength. The 2026 American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) position stand found muscle growth was helped by 10 or more sets per muscle a week, and training to failure didn't consistently change results.
In 18 men, push-ups set to the right difficulty (on the knees, for example) grew the triceps as much as a light bench press over 8 weeks. In 21 adults, triceps extensions with the arm overhead grew the whole triceps about 1.4 times as much as with the arm at the side over 12 weeks (19.9% against 13.9%).
Twice a week counts towards the NHS guideline of muscle-strengthening activity on at least 2 days a week, done "to the point where you need a short rest before repeating the activity"; adults over 65 should do activities that improve strength, balance and flexibility on at least 2 days. The UK Chief Medical Officers add that any strengthening activity is better than none.
Classical arm work uses about 1 kg, and the weights are optional. The NHS strength exercises start with light weights or filled water bottles: 3 sets of 5 curls with each arm. Our editorial starting point: pick a weight or band where 10 to 15 reps feel hard, do 2 sets, and add reps before you add weight, because light loads build muscle only when the last few reps are hard.
Go from push-ups at a wall to your knees, then your toes, then the Pilates push-up; lower more slowly; add overhead triceps extensions; and use heavier springs on the reformer. Pilates has little pulling, so add band rows: 3 sets of 10 to 15, stopping 2 to 3 reps short of failure, is the move page's dose (our editorial starting point).
From Pilates Anytime's description of the classical push-up, which also says to avoid sinking in the shoulders and hips. With osteoporosis, hinge forward with a flat back instead of rolling down, as the move page advises.
See the movement on the 3D figure: Push-up (Pilates)
We found no trial that compared Pilates with weight training for arm muscle. For strength, Pilates did about as well as other exercise, strength training included, in mostly older adults who weren't training before.
Muscle grows with load you keep increasing and enough hard sets: 10 or more sets per muscle a week helped in the ACSM overview. Light weights and bands work too, if the last reps of each set are hard.
An exercise scientist quoted by National Geographic says a sedentary beginner would see some early muscle development that then plateaus, because most Pilates lacks progressive overload, while reformer springs offer more of a strength-training effect. That's expert opinion, not a trial.
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Our suggestion: keep Pilates for control, endurance and the moves you enjoy, and add 2 sessions a week with weights or bands if you want bigger arms. Our guide to getting bigger arms has the plan.
In 104 adults who trained one arm for 12 weeks, MRI scans showed no more fat loss from the trained arm than from the untrained one. A 2022 review of 13 studies (1,158 people aged 14 to 71) found local training had no effect on local fat.
In Pilates studies where arms got smaller, body fat fell too: in 9 novices, arm girth fell 0.5 cm in 8 weeks as body fat fell by 1.2 percentage points, and in women with obesity doing mat and ball Pilates for 4 hours a week for 8 weeks, arm skinfolds fell along with weight. Our arm fat and Pilates for weight loss guides cover what reduces body fat.
Weight on your hands with your knees down, push-ups at a wall or on your knees, and light face-down work. The class below gives a starting dose for each.
Add these as the first moves feel easy. Leave out the leg pulls and dips while a wrist or the front of a shoulder hurts.
3D demoStraight-arm plank (high plank)Intermediate · No equipment
3D demoPush-up (Pilates)Intermediate · No equipment
3D demoLeg pull front (Pilates leg pull down)Advanced · No equipment
3D demoSide bend (Pilates)Advanced · No equipment
3D demoUpward plank pose (Purvottanasana)Intermediate · No equipment
3D demoLeg pull back (Pilates leg pull up)Advanced · No equipment
3D demoBent-knee bench dipBeginner · A bench or boxThe standing series, with weights of about 1 kg, filled water bottles or a band; the palm press needs nothing. Leave out overhead extensions with shoulder pain.
3D demoDumbbell biceps curlBeginner · A dumbbell
3D demoStanding overhead dumbbell triceps extensionIntermediate · A dumbbell
3D demoBand pull-apartIntermediate · A band
3D demoBand rowBeginner · A band + An anchor point
3D demoIsometric chest squeeze (palm press)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoOverhead triceps stretchBeginner · No equipmentStart with the 20-minute Pilates arm class twice a week. The push-up progression and the dumbbell workouts are the next step if you want more muscle.
A 20-minute Pilates class for your arms: planks and push-ups, side and back support, face-down work and a standing series with light weights or a band.
20 minBeginner16 movesA bench or box, A dumbbellA 30-minute intermediate mat Pilates class that follows the classical order, from the hundred to the push-up, with prep versions of the hardest moves.
30 minIntermediate22 movesNo equipmentA 20-minute Pilates ring workout for beginners: squeeze, press and balance with a magic circle, or a cushion and a belt if you don't have one.
20 minBeginner11 movesOther / check instructions, A bandWork up to full push-ups: wall, incline and knee push-ups, then the floor push-up and harder variations.
15 minBeginner8 movesA wall, A bench or boxA 30-minute arm workout at home with dumbbells: curls, hammer curls and concentration curls paired with overhead extensions, close-grip push-ups and kickbacks.
30 minBeginner8 movesA dumbbellAn upper body workout at home with no gym: push-ups, band rows, pike push-ups, face pulls, close-grip push-ups and Y-T-W raises, with dumbbell options.
30 minIntermediate13 movesA band, An anchor pointThe band and dumbbell plans add the load you keep increasing that builds muscle.
A free 4-week, 3-day Pilates plan for complete beginners. Two mat days and one wall day, with clear rules for when to move each exercise to its harder version.
3 training days25 minBeginner3 days a weekAn 8-week resistance band workout plan: three full-body sessions a week at home or away, with how to choose bands, add tension and anchor them safely.
3 training days35 minBeginner4 days a weekA 4-day dumbbell-only plan for home or gym: two upper and two lower days, every set, rep and rest, and how to keep progressing when the dumbbells max out.
4 training days45 minBeginnerIn the US, call 911 for 999, and use your doctor's urgent line or urgent care for NHS 111.
In many areas you can refer yourself to NHS musculoskeletal (MSK) services, such as physiotherapy, without seeing a GP first.
The NHS says not to make up your own strenuous exercises or use heavy gym equipment with shoulder pain, so leave arm weights and reformer straps until it settles or a physiotherapist guides you. A tingling, numb or weak arm, or a shoulder that feels like it's clicking or locking, can mean an unstable shoulder, sometimes with hypermobility.
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In one case report, both shoulders of a 41-year-old woman dislocated during an unsupervised reformer session as her arms moved out to the side and turned outwards. The Pilates Method Alliance recommends learning equipment with a skilled instructor: do that before strap arm work, especially with hypermobile or previously dislocated shoulders.
If you worry a lot about one part of your body, compare your looks with other people's a lot or check mirrors often, the NHS suggests seeing a GP (body dysmorphic disorder), and the same if you worry about your weight and shape while eating very little or exercising too much. Beat's eating disorders helpline is 0808 801 0677.
Tell the teacher about any wrist, elbow or shoulder problem. The NHS advises getting advice before its exercise videos if you have a health problem, an injury or any symptoms, and stopping straight away if you feel pain or become unwell.
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No exercise burns fat from the part you work. Arm fat goes when your overall body fat goes down.
Exercise can't change where a muscle attaches, so it can't make one longer, and there's no such thing as a long, lean muscle versus a bulky one. A leaner look comes from less body fat.
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We found no trial comparing them for arm muscle. Pilates built strength about as well as other exercise in mostly older beginners, but the research on muscle growth points to load you keep increasing.
Push-ups set to the right difficulty grew the triceps as much as a light bench press, and light loads build muscle when the last reps are hard. Heavier loads do build more maximal strength.
Yes, mostly by making your arms hold you up: planks, the leg pulls, the side bend and the Pilates push-up work your triceps, chest and shoulders. Classical classes add a standing arm series with light weights, and the reformer adds pulling with straps. Mat Pilates has very little pulling, so your biceps get less work.
"Toned" arms are visible muscle with less fat over it. Pilates can make your arms a little stronger and better at lasting, especially if you're new to exercise, but it doesn't burn fat from your arms, and it adds little muscle unless you make it harder over time.
A little at first if you're new, then progress tends to level off without more load. We found no study that measured arm muscle growing with Pilates. To build more, add weights, bands or heavier springs and keep the last reps of each set hard.
For strength in people who weren't doing much, mostly older adults, Pilates did about as well as other exercise, strength training included. We found no trial comparing them for arm muscle, and the research on muscle growth points to load you keep increasing. Many people do both.
You don't have to: classical arm work uses weights of about 1 kg, and teachers say they're optional. Light weights build muscle only when the last few reps of a set are hard, so pick a weight or band where 10 to 15 reps feel hard and go up over time. The NHS suggests light weights or filled water bottles to start.
The knee hover, planks, push-ups, the side bend and the leg pull back all use your body weight, and bench dips add more triceps work. Push-ups at a wall, on your knees or on your toes let you match the difficulty to you. Our 20-minute class works through them in order.
Not on its own: training an arm doesn't burn more fat from it, as MRI scans show, and a review of 13 studies found no spot reduction. In Pilates studies where arms got smaller, body fat went down too. Our arm fat guide covers what does work.
In trials, 2 or 3 classes a week improved arm endurance or grip strength within 8 to 12 weeks. The NHS counts Pilates as muscle-strengthening activity, on at least 2 days a week, if you work until you need a short rest.
The reformer adds pulling against springs, which the mat lacks. In one small trial in women after the menopause, grip strength rose with equipment Pilates but not with mat Pilates and small props. Learn the strap work with a teacher.
Make fists or go onto your forearms for sore wrists, and leave out leg pulls, dips and overhead moves while a shoulder hurts. The NHS advises against making up your own strenuous exercises or using heavy gym equipment with shoulder pain, and suggests seeing a GP if it isn't better after 2 weeks.
Squeezing the ring between your palms works your chest and arms without moving, and the Pilates Method Alliance lists the upper arms among its targets. We found no study of what the ring does for your arms, so treat it as one tool among several. Our ring guide has the moves.
Yes: in trials in older women, Pilates improved arm strength, arm function and grip compared with control groups. The NHS advises adults over 65 to do activities that improve strength, balance and flexibility on at least 2 days a week, and lists Pilates as a muscle-strengthening activity.
Exercise education, not a personal prescription, and clinical review of these guides is pending. If you are pregnant, have a health condition or have had recent surgery, check with a doctor, midwife or physiotherapist before starting, and stop for sharp or increasing pain. Health disclaimer.
