It is a hard workout for anyone. The room does not care what you bench.
The XFormer is a long sliding carriage with springs underneath it. Every move happens at a slow count, usually four counts out and four counts back, and the springs keep tension on the muscle the whole time. There is no rest at the top or bottom of the rep. There is no momentum to cheat with. After about 60 seconds the muscle starts to shake, and that shake is the signal that it is working.
Most lifters feel this first in the inner thighs, the obliques, and the smaller stabilizers around the hips and shoulders. Those are the muscles that get skipped when you train in straight lines with a bar. We wrote more about the mechanics in why Slow Resistance Training works.
Will Modern Pilates build muscle?
It builds muscular endurance, definition, and real strength in the stabilizers. It will not replace heavy compound lifts if your goal is maximum size.
Time under tension is the mechanism. When a muscle works continuously for 60 to 90 seconds under moderate resistance, you recruit more fibers and drive deep fatigue without heavy loads. That stimulus supports lean muscle and visible definition when you show up two to four times a week. For the full breakdown, read can you build muscle with XFormer classes.
For a lifter the practical answer is simpler. Modern Pilates makes you better at the lifts you already do. Stronger obliques mean a more stable squat. Stronger glute medius means your knees stop caving on the way up. Stronger rotator cuff and serratus means your bench stops hurting your shoulder.
Is it harder than lifting?
It is harder in a different way.
Lifting is short bursts of high force with rest between sets. A 45-minute XFormer class is 45 minutes of sustained moderate force with almost no rest. Guys who can squat two plates regularly tap out of a two-minute lunge sequence on three springs. Not because they are weak, but because they have never trained that energy system.
That is also why it works as a recovery-day session. You get a serious training stimulus with no eccentric pounding on the joints, no spinal loading, and no soreness that wrecks tomorrow’s lift.
Three moves lifters notice first
Move names vary a little by instructor, so you will hear these cued in slightly different words.
The slow lunge. One foot on the platform, one foot on the carriage, and a four-count push out and four-count pull back against the springs. It hits the quads, glutes, and hamstrings, and the standing leg’s hip stabilizers work the entire time. Most lifters find the single-leg stability far harder than the leg strength.
Plank to pike. Hands on the platform, feet on the carriage, and you pull the carriage toward your hands by lifting the hips. The deep core, hip flexors, and serratus do the work. This is the move that exposes a weak midline faster than any ab wheel.
The twist. Kneeling or standing on the carriage, you rotate against spring tension through the obliques. Rotational strength is what keeps a heavy squat or deadlift from folding to one side, and almost nobody trains it on purpose.
How do Austin members fit it around lifting?
The most common pattern is two XFormer classes a week on non-lifting days, or on the day after a heavy lower-body session.
Both Austin studios run weekday classes starting at 5AM. BE Fit East 6th at 1401 E 6th St, Suite 207, runs evening classes until 9PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays. BE Fit South Lamar at 2330 S Lamar Blvd, Suite 130, runs weekend classes from 8AM. Memberships work at both, so you can pick whichever is closer to your gym.
Grip socks are required. Bring water and a towel. Arrive 10 to 15 minutes early for your first class so the instructor can walk you through the machine. Our post on what to expect at your first XFormer class covers the rest.
Frequently asked questions
Do men take Modern Pilates classes?
Yes. Men take BE Fit classes every day in Austin, Dallas, and Southern California. The XFormer does not change based on who is on it, and lifters often find the sustained tension harder than their regular training.
Will Modern Pilates build muscle for men?
It builds muscular endurance, definition, and stabilizer strength through time under tension. It will not replace heavy compound lifts for maximum size, but it makes those lifts more stable and safer.
Is Modern Pilates harder than lifting?
It is harder in a different way. Lifting is short bursts with rest. A 45-minute XFormer class is sustained moderate force with almost no rest, which trains an energy system most lifters never touch.
If you lift and want a recovery day that still feels like training, book a class at South Lamar or East 6th through the BE Fit booking page or the app. Pick the lightest springs the instructor suggests for your first class. You will still shake.
