Strength Training, Pilates, or Yoga: Breaking Down What Consistently progresses pole training
Let’s be real – pole dancing demands everything from your body.
Balance, strength, flexibility, coordination, endurance – and let’s not forget grip strength from the gods. So it’s no wonder pole athletes are constantly asking:
“Should I be doing strength training, pilates, or yoga to get better on the pole?”
If you've been trying to juggle three different workout styles while also perfecting your inverted V, this post is for you. We’re breaking it all down – what each modality offers, when to prioritize what, and how to cross-train smart without burning out.
Oh, and yes, we’re bringing receipts – aka real research at the end. 📚
Why Cross-Training Matters for Pole Athletes
Before we pit them against each other, let’s zoom out.
Cross-training = using different types of exercise to support your main discipline (pole, in this case).
It helps you:
Avoid injury from repetitive stress
Address muscle imbalances
Build capacity for more advanced skills
Improve your overall performance and recovery
But not all cross-training methods are created equal – so let’s look at each one in the context of pole performance.
💪 What Is Strength Training?
Strength training, also called resistance training, uses external load (like dumbbells, barbells, or resistance bands) to build muscle strength, improve joint health, and increase movement efficiency.
It includes exercises like:
Squats, deadlifts, lunges
Pull-ups, rows, push presses
Core work with progressive overload
Mobility-focused lifts through full range of motion
🧘 What Is Yoga?
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual practice that combines breath control, stretching, balance, and static holds to improve flexibility, mobility, mindfulness, and recovery.
Common yoga styles used by athletes include:
Hatha or Vinyasa (flow sequences)
Yin (deep stretching and longer holds)
Restorative (relaxation-focused)
🧘♂️ What Is Pilates?
Pilates is a low-impact training method that emphasizes core activation, stabilization, posture, and mind-muscle control.
It’s often done on a mat or with spring-loaded resistance using equipment like the reformer.
Pilates focuses on:
Small, precise movements
Muscle activation and alignment
Functional strength, particularly around the core and hips
💥 Strength Training: The Powerhouse of Pole Performance
If you want to get strong, confident, and injury-resistant on the pole, strength training is your best friend.
🔥 How Strength Training Supports Pole:
Builds real strength: You need pulling power, pushing strength, and stability under load for advanced tricks. Resistance training gets you there. [1]
Improves mobility and flexibility: Strength training done through full range of motion under progressive load actually enhances mobility and flexibility. Think deep goblet squats, Romanian deadlifts, and overhead presses with control. [2]
Strengthens connective tissue and bone: External resistance increases bone density and strengthens tendons and ligaments – critical for impact resilience. [3,4]
Prevents overuse injuries: Balances muscle groups and improves joint mechanics so you can train longer and harder on the pole.
✨ When Pilates and Yoga Might Be a Better Fit
There are times when yoga or Pilates might deserve more of your attention – temporarily.
Injury rehab or early post-injury return: Pilates can reintroduce controlled movement and activation without heavy load.
High-stress seasons: Yoga helps calm the nervous system and supports mental health.
Deload weeks or travel: Both are excellent when equipment isn’t accessible or you need a break from heavy loading.
So while strength is king, Pilates and yoga absolutely deserve their seat at the table. 🙌
🧘 Yoga: Flexibility, Mindfulness, and Mobility
Yoga is a favorite in the pole world, and rightfully so.
✨ Yoga’s Benefits for Pole:
Improves flexibility and mobility: Especially in the hips, spine, and shoulders
Promotes breath control and focus: Key for reducing performance anxiety
Enhances recovery and relaxation: A well-sequenced yoga class can fast-track nervous system recovery [5]
Builds proprioception and balance: Crucial for body awareness on the pole
👎 Yoga Cons:
Lacks progressive overload: there’s a diminishing rate of return for building strength [8]
Can encourage overstretching if not balanced with strength
May delay recovery if used too intensely on off-days
TL;DR: Use yoga to restore, not to build. It's a beautiful tool for recovery and awareness, but don’t count on it to make you stronger on its own.
🧘♀️ Pilates: Core, Control, and Precision
Now let’s talk Pilates – aka, “the silent assassin” of core strength.
💡 Pilates’ Benefits for Pole:
Enhances spinal and pelvic control: Super helpful for inverted tricks
Activates small stabilizing muscles: Supports joint alignment and reduces compensation
Improves posture and balance: Especially for those with sedentary jobs
Boosts coordination and movement precision: Great for nailing complex combos and transitions
⚠️ A Key Limitation: Spring-Loaded Resistance ≠ Strength Training
Many Pilates machines (like the reformer) use spring-loaded tension, which gives resistance in both directions of movement and varies across the range of motion.
While this creates a sensation of “working hard,” here’s the catch:
It doesn’t provide progressive overload (you can’t track or gradually increase true load like in weightlifting)
The resistance adapts to your movement, meaning it often reduces force at peak tension (where you might benefit most)
It doesn’t stimulate bone or tendon strength the way lifting external weights does [6,7]
👎 Pilates Cons:
Lacks heavy, measurable load = no major strength gains
Not great for power or explosive training [9]
Can create a false sense of muscular "toning" without durability
TL;DR: Pilates is amazing for refinement and injury prevention. But if you want to get stronger, it’s supplemental – not primary.
🏆 Strength Training Should Be Your Foundation
Each modality has value – but if your goal is to:
✅ Improve performance consistently
✅ Prevent Injuries
✅ Build longevity on the pole
✅ Get strong AF
Strength training should be your non-negotiable.
Why?
It builds the base that yoga and Pilates polish.
It makes your bones, tendons, and ligaments resilient enough to handle demanding tricks.
It progressively overloads tissues so you can consistently progress your skills without plateauing.
It enhances mobility, balance, flexibility, and control – when done right.
That said, yoga and Pilates are valuable accessory tools – not rivals. Use them to recover, activate, and refine your form.
🧠 Sample Weekly Training for Pole Athletes
Here’s how to put it all together:
🌱 Beginner
2x Strength (bodyweight + light dumbbells)
2x Pole Skills
1x Yoga or Mat Pilates
🌿 Intermediate
2x Strength (compound lifts + accessory work)
3x Pole (skills + combos)
1x Pilates (core/stabilization)
1x Yoga or Mobility Flow
🌳 Advanced
2-3x Strength (maintenance or progressive phase)
2-3x Pole
1x Active recovery (yoga, myofascial release, or flow Pilates)
💬 Final Thoughts: Let’s Build Smarter, Not Just Stronger
In a perfect world, you'd have time for strength, Pilates, and yoga every week. But pole athletes don’t live in a vacuum – we live in the real world. Prioritizing matters.
So here’s your smart takeaway:
Strength training is your power source
Yoga is your reset button
Pilates is your alignment coach
You don’t have to choose – just prioritize wisely based on your goals, season, and schedule.