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Can Pilates Really Make My Muscles ‘Long and Lean’?

Posted: Sep 16, 2025 in In the News

This article originally appeared in The New York Times on September 16, 2025.

Q: I’ve heard that Pilates can give you long, lean muscles. Is there any truth to this claim?

It’s a promise that has been around for nearly as long as Pilates itself: Through highly controlled, low-intensity resistance exercises and stretches, the workout can help people develop lengthen and “tone” their muscles, reshaping their physiques to resemble those of professional dancers — or giving them what some have called a “Pilates body.”

If bigger muscles are your goal, you are more likely to achieve them by lifting heavy weights, since heavy lifting causes relatively more damage to your muscle fibers, which can lead to more growth as your body repairs them, said Cedric Bryant, an exercise physiologist and chief executive of the American Council on Exercise...

Read the full article here.