Why Reformer Pilates Is the Perfect Addition to Your Gym and Martial Arts Training
When you think of strength, power, and resilience, you might picture heavy weights, high-intensity cardio, or full-contact martial arts. But what if one of the smartest additions to your training routine involved a machine with springs, gliding platforms, and seemingly graceful movements?
Reformer Pilates might not look intense at first glance—but don’t let the calm exterior fool you. At Hammer’s Gym, we believe that integrating Reformer Pilates into your fitness or martial arts regimen can unlock new levels of performance, recovery, and injury prevention.
What Is Reformer Pilates?
Reformer Pilates is a form of Pilates performed on a machine called a reformer. The reformer uses a combination of springs, pulleys, and bodyweight resistance to challenge your core, stability, and mobility often all at once.
Unlike mat Pilates, the reformer adds extra resistance and allows for a greater range of motion, making it highly adaptable for athletes, gym-goers, and martial artists alike.
1. Core Strength That Translates to Everything
At the heart of Pilates is literally your core. Reformer Pilates teaches you how to activate and control deep stabilizing muscles that traditional weight training often misses. A stronger core improves:
- Lifting mechanics in the gym
- Striking and grappling stability in martial arts
- Postural alignment and balance in daily life
And unlike crunches or planks, Pilates builds functional core strength through dynamic, full-body movement.
2. Improved Mobility and Flexibility
In both strength training and martial arts, mobility is often the missing piece. Reformer Pilates emphasizes lengthening muscles while strengthening them, creating long, lean muscle tone and improving range of motion.
Whether you’re trying to hit deeper squats, prevent shoulder impingement, or land a higher kick, the mobility gains from regular reformer sessions can be game-changing.
3. Injury Prevention and Longevity
Reformer Pilates strengthens stabilizing muscles and improves movement patterns, making your body more resilient to injury. It’s especially helpful for:
- Preventing overuse injuries common in martial arts (hips, shoulders, knees)
- Enhancing recovery by encouraging blood flow without high impact
- Balancing out the asymmetries that can develop from lifting or striking
4. Enhanced Mind-Body Connection
Martial artists already understand the value of discipline and body awareness. Reformer Pilates takes that connection to another level. You’ll learn how to move more mindfully, control your breath, and stabilize through subtle adjustments—all of which translate back to the mat or the gym floor.
5. Active Recovery That Works
Rest days don’t have to mean doing nothing. Reformer Pilates offers a way to stay active, improve your body mechanics, and aid recovery—without adding unnecessary stress to your nervous system. It’s the perfect low-impact complement to high-intensity training.
Ready to Add Reformer Pilates to Your Routine?
At Hammer’s Gym, we’re not just about brute strength or explosive power we’re about building balanced, functional athletes who move well, feel great, and perform at their best. That’s why we soon be offering Reformer Pilates classes designed to complement your gym or martial arts training.
If you’ve never tried it, now’s the time. Your joints, muscles, and future self will thank you. We have reformer pilates class starting soon at Hammer’s Gym. So if you would like to try out a class let reception know or give us a call!
