Guide
Pilates with Water-Filled Weights: Which Props AguaForce Replaces and What It Adds
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Yes, you can add weights to Pilates, and AguaForce water-filled weights are a simple way to do it at home: one $39 set of 2 replaces the light hand weights, toning balls and heavier weight a mat Pilates or barre routine calls for, because each weight fills to anything from 1 to 11 lb, half a cup of water at a time. The moving water adds something solid weights can't: it sloshes when you rush, so it rewards the slow, controlled reps Pilates is built on, and your core works on every rep to keep it steady. It doesn't replace a Pilates ring, a small ball, bands or a reformer.
Which Pilates props can AguaForce water-filled weights replace?
The ones that add weight: light 1–3 lb hand weights, soft toning balls, and the heavier dumbbell or kettlebell some routines use for bridges and squats. Each AguaForce weight fills to anything from 1 to 11 lb, so one set of 2 covers all of them. It can't replace props that squeeze, stretch or support you: a Pilates ring, a small Pilates ball, a resistance band or a reformer.
| Prop | What it's for in Pilates | Can AguaForce replace it? | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light hand weights (1–3 lb) | The standing arm series, and arm work in mat and reformer classes | Yes | Fill each weight to the 1, 2 or 3 lb line, and add half a cup of water at a time as you get stronger. |
| Toning balls (soft weighted balls, 1–3 lb) | Arm work and core holds | Yes, for holding | Fill to the same weight and hold it by both side handles. You can't squeeze it or hold it between your knees. |
| A 5–10 lb dumbbell or kettlebell | Bridges, plié squats and lunges | Yes | Fill to anything from 5 to 11 lb. Rest it across your hips for bridges, or hold it at your chest for squats. |
| Ankle weights | The side-lying leg series | Partly | You can't strap it on, but you can rest it on your top thigh for clams and side-lying leg lifts, steadied with your top hand. |
| Pilates ring (magic circle) | Squeezing between your hands, thighs or ankles | No | A ring resists squeezing and pulling apart. AguaForce only adds weight, so keep your ring for inner-thigh and chest squeezes. |
| Small Pilates ball | Support under your back or pelvis, and squeezing between your knees | No | AguaForce is a rigid jug, so don't lie on it or squeeze it. |
| Resistance band | Footwork, arm and leg work against resistance in any direction | No | A band pulls whichever way it's anchored; a weight only pulls down. |
| Reformer | Spring resistance on a moving carriage | No | AguaForce brings resistance to mat work at home, between studio classes, but not the springs' push and pull. |
What does the moving water add to Pilates?
Feedback and extra core work. Pilates is built on control, and water shows you when you lose it: rush or jerk a rep and the water sloshes, which you feel and hear, while slow, smooth reps keep it still. Because the water keeps shifting, your deep core muscles and the small muscles around your shoulders and hips work on every rep to steady it. A solid weight feels the same however you move it.
- A built-in tempo check: if the water sloshes, slow down. It turns a light weight into a lesson in control.
- More work for your core: in rotations such as the spine twist and the halo, the water keeps moving after you stop, and your obliques work to hold it still.
- A centered, two-handed hold: grip both side handles and the weight sits in line with your spine, which suits roll-ups, arm arcs and twists better than two separate hand weights.
- Tiny steps up: add half a cup of water, about 0.26 lb, instead of jumping from a 2 lb to a 3 lb pair, which is 50% heavier.
- Two weights, two loads: fill one light for your arms and core and the other heavier for bridges and squats, so you never stop to pour.
AguaForce buyers notice it too. One wrote that “doing Pilates with these works so much better,” and another, that balancing the moving water “added core training to the movement.”
How heavy should your weights be for Pilates?
Lighter than you'd think. Pilates puts control first, so start with 1 to 3 lb for arm work, 2 to 5 lb for core moves where you hold the weight, and 5 to 11 lb for bridges, squats and other moves for your hips and legs. Add half a cup of water when the last two reps of a set feel easy and the water stays still.
| Moves | Examples | Start at |
|---|---|---|
| Arm work | Curls, zip-ups, lateral raises, arm circles | 1–3 lb |
| Core, holding the weight | Roll-ups, arm arcs, spine twists, halos | 2–5 lb |
| Hips and legs | Shoulder bridges, plié squats, lunges, single-leg deadlifts | 5–11 lb |
Weights in this range build strength and tone, not bulk. Water weighs 1 kg per liter, so each line on the translucent body tells you exactly how much you're lifting, and you can see when you've reached it.
What's a good Pilates workout with AguaForce?
Try this 20-minute mat workout, which works your arms, core, glutes and legs. Before you start, fill one weight light, to 2 or 3 lb, and the other heavier, to 6 to 10 lb. Move slowly, exhale on the effort, and keep the water still. Do it two or three times a week, with a day off in between.
| Move | How to hold it | Weight | Reps | In the exercise library |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standing arm series: curl, zip-up and lateral raise | By the top handle, one arm at a time | Light | 8 each arm, for each move | Alternate biceps curl, Upright row, Lateral raise |
| Halo | By both side handles, circling your head | Light | 5 each way | Halo |
| Arm arcs | By both side handles, lying on your back | Light | 8 | Pullover |
| Roll-up | By both side handles, arms long | Light | 6, slowly | Overhead crunch |
| Shoulder bridge | Resting across your hips, a hand on each side handle | Heavier | 10 | Glute bridge |
| Side-lying clam and leg lift | Resting on your top thigh, steadied by your top hand | Light | 10 each side | — |
| Spine twist | By both side handles, close to your chest | Light | 6 each side | Russian twist |
| Plié squat | By both side handles, at your chest | Heavier | 10 | Sumo squat |
| Single-leg deadlift | By the top handle, opposite the standing leg | Light | 6 each side | Single leg romanian deadlift |
| Standing side bend | By the top handle, in one hand | Light | 6 each side | Side bend |
New to Pilates? Leave the weights empty, at 0.8 lb, for the first week while you learn each move. Every set comes with exercise cards, and the free AguaForce exercise library shows how to do each move and which muscles it works. The CDC recommends muscle-strengthening activity on at least 2 days a week for adults.
Is Pilates with weights safe during pregnancy, after birth or with osteoporosis?
Often, with changes, but ask your doctor, midwife or physiotherapist first. During pregnancy, ACOG advises avoiding lying flat on your back as much as possible, so swap moves done on your back, such as bridges, arm arcs and roll-ups, for seated, side-lying and standing ones, and keep the weight light. After birth, get cleared before you add weight to core moves. With osteoporosis or low bone density, the Mayo Clinic advises against bending forward and twisting at the waist, so skip roll-ups and spine twists, with or without weights, and favor bridges, standing arm work, squats and side-lying leg work.
- Pregnancy: ACOG lists modified Pilates among the safest exercises in pregnancy, and advises drinking plenty of water and avoiding jerky or bouncy moves. Your balance changes as your belly grows, so hold on to a chair for single-leg moves, and stop and call your ob-gyn if you feel dizzy or faint.
- After birth: if your abdominal muscles have separated (diastasis recti), ask a pelvic floor physiotherapist which moves to load and when.
- Bone health: resistance training puts healthy stress on bones, so it can make them stronger as well as your muscles, according to NIAMS. The Mayo Clinic advises slow, controlled moves for anyone exercising with osteoporosis, which is how AguaForce works best.
Can Pilates and barre instructors use AguaForce in class?
Yes. Each participant fills their weight to their own level, from 1 to 11 lb, so one set suits a mixed-ability class, and you can check everyone's load at a glance on the molded fill lines. Participants switch between one-handed and two-handed holds without changing equipment, and an empty class set is light enough to carry in a bag and fill on site.
See AguaForce for group fitness, and ask about wholesale pricing for studios.
Where does AguaForce fall short for Pilates?
It can't squeeze, stretch or support you, so it doesn't replace a Pilates ring, a small ball, a band or a reformer. It's also bigger than a hand weight, at 12.3 × 4.7 × 13.7 in, so moves where your arms pump at your sides, such as the hundred, are better done without it. Fast moves make the water slosh, it tops out at 11 lb per weight, and it needs filling at a tap and emptying after use.
- Smooth plastic handles get slippery with sweaty hands, so keep a towel nearby.
- Close the cap firmly before moves where you hold it upside down or over your face, such as arm arcs.
- If you only ever use 1 lb hand weights for the arm series, a pair of fixed dumbbells is smaller and simpler.
Should you buy AguaForce for Pilates?
Buy AguaForce if you do mat Pilates or barre at home and want one set instead of several pairs of hand weights, toning balls and a heavier weight for bridges and squats: $39 for 2 weights that each fill from 1 to 11 lb, half a cup at a time. Keep your Pilates ring, small ball and bands, because AguaForce adds weight and the moving water, not squeeze or stretch.
- Buy AguaForce if: you want to add weights to Pilates at home, you'd like to progress in small steps instead of buying the next pair up, you want more core work from every move, or you have little space for equipment.
- Skip it if: you only take reformer classes, or you only ever use one light pair of hand weights.
Buy the AguaForce 2-pack for $39 with free shipping to the US and Canada and free returns within 30 days, or see AguaForce on Amazon to read more reviews and buy there. For how to fill, use and care for them, read the guide to water-filled weights, and to see what pairs of fixed hand weights cost, see AguaForce vs. light dumbbells.
Sources
- ACOG, Exercise During Pregnancy
- Mayo Clinic, Exercising with osteoporosis: Stay active the safe way
- NIAMS, Exercise for Your Bone Health
- CDC, Adult Activity: An Overview
- U.S. Geological Survey, Water Density
- AguaForce product specifications, in the 2-pack details
- AguaForce customer reviews