We all understand the value of mobility, conscious breathing, and addressing the whole body during training. But when life gets busy, how do you fit these essential elements into your routine without sacrificing time or results?
Trish DaCosta identified that gap and created Barbell Pilates to bridge two complementary approaches: strength training and Pilates.
By blending resistance training with Pilates principles, Trish helps women develop smarter, more resilient bodies — improving performance, reducing injury risk, and enhancing day-to-day function.
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About Trish DaCosta
Trish breaks down Pilates and weight training fundamentals, explains why they complement each other, and shares practical ways to return to fitness with activities you enjoy. From the Pilates concept of the “two-way stretch” to the importance of recovery and breath awareness, Trish offers tools to integrate Pilates and strength work effectively.
This episode focuses on educating women to develop control, stabilize key muscles, and discover what works best for their changing bodies. Trish emphasizes listening to your body and training smarter, not just harder.
Have you combined Pilates and strength training? Share your experience in the comments below.
On Today’s Episode
- Clearing up misconceptions about movement modalities and weightlifting
- Recognizing unique benefits of each form of movement
- The psychological impact of aging and adapting to body changes
- Why reducing exercise volume may produce better outcomes
- How mindful breathing enhances overall physical function
Resources Mentioned In This Show
- Made Strong Program 40 for 40 Sale
- Barbell Pilates with Trish DaCosta
- PRI (Postural Restoration Institute)
- Pilates FloWOD registration
- Barbell Pilates Blog
- Follow Trish on Instagram @TrishDFit
Quotes
“My company is really to teach women how to train better, train smarter with weights, and also recover better using pilates” (9:43)
“I think pilates just like any other exercise is going to change your body in a very positive way, but it’s not going to change your body type per se” (19:14)
“At the end of the day, [my clients] are coming to me to help them feel better about their bodies and they want their bodies to look a certain way, so it’s not up to me to be like, no.” (30:29)
“If we could just learn how to inhale and exhale completely, we would solve so many issues in our bodies just from that” (42:36)
“It’s really about doing things in a smarter way that makes sense for your goals but also makes sense for where you are at right now” (48:03)
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Transcript
Steph Gaudreau
This is Harder to Kill Radio, a weekly podcast exploring how to build resilient humans through fitness, nutrition, and mindset. I’m your host, Steph Gaudreau. My mission is to help women build stronger bodies and resilient minds so they can own their power. This podcast is one avenue to discuss those topics, spark thought, and offer practical guidance. If an episode connects with you, please leave a review and subscribe on your podcast app.
Welcome to Episode 179. Today’s guest is Trish DaCosta, creator of Barbell Pilates. Trish blends Pilates and strength training to help women train smarter, recover better, and avoid the nagging injuries that often appear as we age. We discuss misconceptions about Pilates and weightlifting, how the two methods complement each other, and practical ways to incorporate both into a sustainable routine.
Trish DaCosta
Thank you for having me.
Steph Gaudreau
Trish, tell us about Barbell Pilates and how you combine these approaches for real-world results.
Trish DaCosta
Barbell Pilates isn’t a hybrid where you lift and do Pilates maneuvers simultaneously. It’s an approach that encourages women to lift weights while using Pilates to support recovery, mobility, breath, and joint stability. People often train hard in their 20s with poor recovery habits and then run into chronic issues later. Pilates helps fill the gaps that a conventional strength program often misses.
Steph Gaudreau
There are common misconceptions: Pilates is sometimes dismissed as “just stretching” while lifting can be feared for causing bulk or injury. What do you hear most?
Trish DaCosta
Pilates is frequently misunderstood as an easy, passive practice. In reality, a quality Pilates session can be demanding and focuses on precision, breath, and stabilizing the body. Conversely, weightlifting enthusiasts may undervalue mobility, breath work, and the fine motor control Pilates develops. When combined, they create a more complete training system.
Steph Gaudreau
People talk about getting “long and lean.” Where does that idea come from and what’s accurate?
Trish DaCosta
The “long and lean” idea comes from Pilates’ emphasis on lengthening through the spine and opening the ribcage — the two-way stretch. That feeling of increased height and openness is real, but it won’t change your skeletal structure or bone width. Pilates improves posture and muscle balance, which can make you appear more extended, but it won’t fundamentally change your body type.
Steph Gaudreau
Why should women include strength training even if they do Pilates?
Trish DaCosta
If your goal is to change shape, improve strength, or build functional muscle, resistance training is necessary. Pilates improves control and mobility, but progressive overload through strength training is what stimulates muscle growth and increases functional strength. Both are valuable, and together they reduce injury risk and support long-term performance.
Steph Gaudreau
How do you handle clients worried about gaining unwanted size or noticing clothes feel different as they get stronger?
Trish DaCosta
I listen and ask questions. If someone is genuinely happy with their strength but dislikes a specific change, we can adjust programming to avoid overdeveloping a single area. Training is personal — meeting clients where they are and aligning work with their goals helps maintain both performance and comfort with body changes.
Steph Gaudreau
How do Pilates and weight training complement each other in practice?
Trish DaCosta
Weight training focuses on producing force and building the big picture: strength, power, and hypertrophy. Pilates targets the details — breath, joint control, mobility, and segmental stability. Pilates addresses the mechanics that a heavy lift or intense session can overlook, such as teaching the pelvis to stabilize while the limb moves or ensuring the breath supports core function and spinal alignment.
Steph Gaudreau
Breath keeps coming up. How does breathing practice influence performance and recovery?
Trish DaCosta
Proper diaphragm-driven breathing is foundational. Many people breathe shallowly from the chest, which creates tension in the neck and shoulders and compromises ribcage and pelvic alignment. Teaching diaphragmatic breathing — expanding the lower ribs and low back on the inhale, then fully exhaling — reduces tension, restores better posture, supports core function, and improves recovery. Pilates emphasizes breath continually, making it practical to integrate into training.
Steph Gaudreau
You mentioned that cutting back on exercise can help. Explain that.
Trish DaCosta
More exercise isn’t always better. Excess training increases stress hormones and inflammation and can stall progress. Many women benefit from reducing frequency or intensity, improving sleep quality, and allowing proper recovery. Smart programming — shorter, higher-quality sessions with adequate rest — often yields better results than relentless volume.
Steph Gaudreau
Final question: how can people learn more about your work?
Trish DaCosta
I publish weekly on barbellpilates.com and share daily content on Instagram at @TrishDFit. For those who want structured guidance, my online course Pilates FloWOD (Pilates Flow of the Day) teaches fundamentals tailored for athletes and lifters, with practical warm-ups and recovery sessions you can use around your training.
Steph Gaudreau
Thanks, Trish. This conversation offers a clear, actionable roadmap for combining Pilates and strength training to train smarter, recover better, and stay active for life.
Episode 179 with Trish DaCosta is in the books. Visit the show notes at stephgaudreau.com for links to resources and programs mentioned in this episode. Stay healthy, stay active, and train in ways that fit your life.