I swapped lifting heavy weights for this Pilates dumbbell routine and the results surprised me

I’m used to lifting heavy weights. I can deadlift over 220lbs and regularly squat at least half of my bodyweight.

However, I’ve been attending a lot of Pilates classes recently and have noticed that certain exercises in these sessions leave my muscles burning, even though I’m using lighter weights.

I decided to conduct a (very unscientific) experiment where I decided to switch my usual strength training routine for one with lighter dumbbells, incorporating some Pilates-style principles.

I asked Rachel Lennon, Pilates instructor and founder of The Wellness Tribe studio, to share three of her favorite dumbbell exercises, along with tips and tricks on how to do them in line with Pilates principles.

Here’s what I did and how I got on.

1. Overhead triceps extension

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-10

How to do it:

• Kneel or stand, holding light dumbbells overhead.
• Engage your core and maintain a neutral spine.
• Moving very slowly, bend your elbows and lower the dumbbells to the backs of your shoulders, keeping your elbows pointing forward.
• Pause, then, with control, extend your arms back up.

How I adapted this move with lighter weights: This is an exercise that comes up regularly in strength-based workouts. To tailor it to a Pilates-style workout using light weights, I moved much more slowly than I usually would.

I was also actively thinking about my alignment, tucking my ribcage in and squeezing my glutes, which meant I felt my triceps isolate more than usual.

Breathing is also really important here, and I inhaled as I bent my elbows and exhaled as I lifted them, which helped me activate mind-muscle engagement more than usual.

Lennon adds that you can use an extra piece of equipment if you want an added challenge: "You can use a Pilates ball in between the knees, which will help engage the core and the glutes," she says.

2. Single-leg Romanian deadlift

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-10

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and a slight bend in your knees, holding a light dumbbell in your right hand.
• Engage your core and move your shoulders back and down.
• Inhale to prepare, then exhale as you hinge forward from the hips, extending your right leg behind you and lowering the dumbbell toward the floor.
• Push your hips forward to return to the start slowly and with control.

How I adapted this move with lighter weights: I can do Romanian deadlifts with a 100lb barbell, so I was curious to see if doing them with such light weights could really challenge me.

But doing it on one leg completely changes the demands. The exercise becomes more about coordination and balance, while also challenging the stabilizing muscles around my hips and knees.

I was also moving as slowly as possible and focusing on Pilates breathing, which made my muscles burn more than they usually would when I do this exercise with heavy weights.

3. Tabletop crunch

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-10

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, holding light dumbbells above your shoulders with your arms extended.
• Inhale to prepare, then exhale as you lift your right leg, then your left so that your knees are directly above your hips and your shins are parallel with the floor.
• Inhale to prepare, then exhale as you lift your chest and shoulders.
• Inhale as you slowly lower your torso back to the floor.

How I adapted this move with lighter weights: When I do core exercises in my usual strength workouts, my focus is getting through as many reps as possible. But in this case, I was trying to move slowly and with control instead.

This made my core muscles fire up and it meant they were under tension for just as long as they would be had I done my usual 20 to 30 reps.

Moving with control and stability also turned this into a full-body exercise, engaging my hips as well as my core and holding the light weights in my hand made my arm muscles work really hard, because they were constantly under tension.

My experience swapping heavy weights for dumbbell Pilates moves

My muscles were burning after one set of all of these exercises. By the end of three sets, I was completely fatigued.

There are two reasons why this felt challenging. Firstly: time under tension. I was moving much slower than I normally would when lifting heavy weights, increasing the time my muscles were engaged.

Secondly, these moves required more balance and core stability, especially the single-leg Romanian deadlifts.

While I'll never stop lifting heavy weights for muscle growth, this experience gave me a greater appreciation of using Pilates principles to isolate smaller muscles, and improve my balance and coordination.

Shop light dumbbells

If you'd like to try the above routine, but need to buy light dumbbells first, we recommend Amazon Basics neoprene dumbbells—they're always available and affordable.