Every Single Muscle You Work When You Do Pilates

Pilates is a great strength training workout, says Natural Pilates founder Laura Wilson. Not only is each move tougher than the next, but mat Pilates also uses props — like the Pilates ring — to target specific areas and increase the burn. Here, all the muscles Pilates works.

Abs

Pilates is all about the abs. A typical class hits all four layers of the core, Wilson says, including the transversus abdominis with planks, the internal and external obliques with bicycles and bird dogs, and the rectus abdominus with flexion moves like crunches.