Last updated on February 4th, 2023 at 01:10 pm
This one week Pilates workout plan features full-body Pilates routines, cardio Pilates and Pilates videos for your abs and lower body. You can do all the classes at home, no equipment needed.
I tried a week full of Pilates workouts and it was pretty intense. I felt stronger and leaner (although let’s face it, my belly fat has not left me alone).
Pilates and Barre workouts somehow have this effect on me – I feel healthy, confident, a little bit sore, but in a good way and I walk taller.
What Is Pilates & Benefits
Pilates was created by a German guy named Joseph Pilates in 1920. He actually called it “
All exercises are performed with a very high level of muscle control. You always need to keep your core activated, your spine neutral and focus on your breath. Let me tell you, that’s not easy.
With Pilates, you do small isolated movements and train deeper muscles, something you won’t achieve with regular strength training.
The benefits you’ll experience when you do Pilates regularly include improved flexibility, core strength, increased strength and stability overall, better posture, enhanced body-mind connection and stress relief.
Pilates VS. Yoga
I love yoga, I love Pilates and to me they’re both quite different. When I was younger I thought: “Slow movements, lots of breathing, no music and pretty boring. Yoga is Pilates.”.
Today I actually feel the difference. Both types of exercise are great for your body and mind and they both put an emphasis on working with your breath, thus helping you get more present and calming you down.
However, I feel like Pilates makes me stronger from the inside out. It helps strengthen the core and improves posture, makes you feel like you’re in full control of your body and your muscles and helps you walk taller. Well, that’s how I feel when I do Pilates.
Yoga will also help you walk taller and feel great, but from what I’ve experienced it’s more about flexibility, stretching and stress relief. Which is pretty awesome as well.
Usually, yoga and Pilates are both low-impact, therefore perfect for beginners, people who can’t jump, have an injury and need to ease into exercise. I wouldn’t say you need to choose one or the other to be healthy. In fact, you can get the best results if you incorporate both into your workout routine.
Can Pilates Help You Lose Weight?
As with every other exercise, Pilates will help you lose weight if you combine it with a healthy diet. Pilates can strengthen and tone your body and it can improve your posture and help you work on your breathing.
However, if you’re eating unhealthy and too much, you probably won’t see serious weight loss results.
When it comes to weight loss diet makes 80% and that’s not a lie. You need to eat healthy whole foods, more vegetables and stop overeating.
In a way, Pilates can help with that, because it will make you more aware of your body, relieve stress and influence the other choices you make throughout the day.
For example, when you start your day with Pilates, it’s less likely you’ll want to eat donuts for breakfast after. It’s not impossible, but it’s less likely. Always think about how your current action affects what follows.
One Week Pilates Workout Split
I decided I wanted to do one workout every day of the week and I wanted a variety of workouts – not only Pilates for the abs and core. So I included:
- cardio Pilates workouts (because I want to lose some weight as well as tone up)
- full-body Pilates workouts
- Pilates workouts for your legs, butt and abs
As you can see – a little bit of everything to keep things interesting.
Now, a week with no rest was a little bit too intense for me, especially with the cardio Pilates. I felt like taking a break a few times. I didn’t. HOWEVER. If you feel like you need to take a break – a rest day, please do it.
One Week Pilates Workout Plan To Be Leaner And Stronger
Now it’s time to start with this one week Pilates workout plan. Remember to make it your own and to do what works for you! Pick the workouts you want to do and skip the ones you don’t feel like doing. I’ll be mentioning which one’s are my favorites as I go through the days.
Monday: Full-Body Pilates
20-Minute Full Body Pilates Workout via Dreamingreen
This is one of my favorite Pilates workouts on Youtube! It’s just 20 minutes, but it’s full body and intense, but not crazy intense. I really feel like I’m getting lean and strong every time I do this – I love it!
Tuesday: Cardio Pilates Workout
30-Minute Fat-Burning Pilates Workout via POPSUGAR Fitness
This was a tough one – one of the cardio Pilates workouts I talked about! It’s just 30 minutes and I find it’s a great way to start your day.
Wednesday: Strengthening, Toning & Stabilising Pilates
35-Minute Strengthening, Toning and Stabilising Pilates Workout via eFit30
This was a core and abs routine, very classic and really good. If you’re a fan of classic Pilates workouts, you need to try this one. You can do it in 35 minutes and you’ll be on the mat the whole time.
Thursday: Cardio Pilates
30-Minute Cardio Pilates Workout via POPSUGAR Fitness
Again, Pilates cardio – tough, but very rewarding! If you’re up for a challenge, get some light weights for this one.
Friday: Full Body Pilates
Full-Body Pilates Workout For Results via Boho Beautiful
Another one of my go-to’s – a challenging full-body Pilates workout. The highlight for me is the screams of my lower abs when I do the corkscrew exercise. Definitely don’t miss out on this one!
Saturday: Powerhouse Pilates
30-Minute Powerhouse Pilates Workout via eFit30
Let’s strengthen that powerhouse! It’s the key for better posture, better breathing, better everything. This Pilates video is another one of my go-to’s. It is a more classic Pilates routine – with many exercises for the abs, butt and for better posture.
Sunday: Butt and Abs Pilates
30-Minute Butt and Abs Pilates Bikini Workout via POPSUGAR Fitness
Get ready for summer with this challenging 30-minute Pilates routine. Of course, I needed to leave this for the end of the week, it was super tough. This routine works mostly the butt and the abs, but you’ll also feel like you’re doing cardio – it’s pretty intense.
My experience
I hope you enjoyed this 7-Day Pilates workout plan! I loved it, but for me, the cardio exercises were a little bit too much. However, if you’re really fit they might be easy for you. I’m intermediate and I found them tough. But it’s definitely something I can challenge myself to work more on!
Originally published in November 2018 and last updated in February 2023.
