Whether you’re new to Pilates, or you’ve been practicing for years, adding a dumbbell can make all the difference when it comes to building strength and stability in your core.
Pilates can help increase core strength, improve your posture and flexibility, and reduce your risk of injury. Looking for a good place to start? I tried this spicy Pilates strength workout, and my abs were on fire — read on to find out more.
As a reminder, if you’re a complete beginner, it’s always a good idea to check in with a personal trainer to ensure you’re moving with good form. If you’re new to the exercises in the workout below, it’s a good idea to use just your body weight and focus on your technique.
If you’re more experienced, grab one of the best adjustable dumbbells and give this one a go.
What is the workout?
The workout is designed by fitness trainer Coach Kel, who specializes in Pilates and Barre workouts. Far from your typical Pilates workout, Kel adds a set of dumbbells to the exercises to increase the intensity.
In her caption, she writes, “Grab your 5-10 lb dumbbells for this quick and sweaty workout!” Select the weight that is right for you and your body—remember, the weight should make the exercises challenging but never impossible.
The workout consists of five different exercises. You’ll do each exercise for 30-40 seconds before moving on to the next. Complete three rounds in total for a 15-minute workout.
Here are the exercises:
- Dumbbell squat jumps: 30 seconds
- Mountain climbers with plank rotation: 40 seconds
- Plies with upright row: 40 seconds
- Arabesque rows: 40 seconds on each side
- Squat with a pulse: 30 seconds
Kel demonstrates all of the exercises here. Be sure to watch her form, and if you can, practice these exercises in front of a mirror so you can keep an eye on your own.
Move slowly and with control, and keep your core engaged throughout the workout, thinking about sucking your belly button in towards your spine.
What are the benefits?
This workout perfectly blends Pilates with HIIT exercises, meaning you’re more likely to elevate your heart rate and work up a sweat. As a fitness editor, I love nothing more than testing new workouts, and the addition of dumbbells and jumps in this workout sent my heart rate soaring. All of which means I burned more calories than I normally would in a 15-minute Pilates workout.
What’s more, the workout has several compound exercises, meaning you’re working more than one muscle group at a time. Compound exercises like the dumbbell squat jumps and plies with upright rows are great if you’re short on time, as you’re getting a lot more bang for your buck.
The workout has several compound exercises, meaning you’re working more than one muscle group at a time.
While I’d probably recommend this workout for those who are intermediate to advanced, it can easily be simplified or progressed. If you’re a complete beginner, lower the weight you’re lifting, or remove the weight entirely.
You might also want to modify the workout by removing the jumping elements — for the first exercise, complete the squats with your feet on the floor. To make the workout harder, move faster, or increase the weight you’re lifting.
As with any exercise, adding weight increases the intensity, forcing your muscles to work harder against the extra resistance. Strength training has several benefits, whatever your age — it can help sculpt strong muscles, improve your stability, and reduce your risk of injury.
This workout can be done from pretty much anywhere, and even using just your body weight, you’ll still feel the benefits. What are you waiting for? Unroll your yoga mat and give this one a go — just expect to feel that deep Pilates shake in your legs by the final round.
