My arms are not getting any stronger?

SAC0O3

I have been taking the same barre pilates class for 3 months now. My legs and core are in amazing shape and very toned. I can see I am doing the exercises much better and much more without needing to stop.
BUT during the 15 min of arm exercises I still have to stop 100 times. I see other people do better/more reps than me who are just attending the class for their first time! Why am I not getting any stronger? There is new muscles there, but I literally need to stop as many times as I have been since I first started going. I only use 2lbs weights.

gtwin

Maybe your form is off. Is it only when doing curls or other exercises? Try doing push-ups at home whenever you can, to build up that strength. Also, compound lifts such as bench press can help work not only your chest...but secondary muscle groups like your triceps, biceps, and shoulders.

Hilary75

I see a baby in your profile pic, lifting that little one will get you strong! If not I'll lend you my twins j/k
Seriously though, carrying a child, baby bag and all the other crapola that comes with having kids means you're stronger than you think.

JNick77

I have been taking the same barre pilates class for 3 months now. My legs and core are in amazing shape and very toned. I can see I am doing the exercises much better and much more without needing to stop.
BUT during the 15 min of arm exercises I still have to stop 100 times. I see other people do better/more reps than me who are just attending the class for their first time! Why am I not getting any stronger? There is new muscles there, but I literally need to stop as many times as I have been since I first started going. I only use 2lbs weights.

I'd wonder what kind of arm work are they doing outside of Pilates. It's possible that your form is actually better than theirs which is why you get to failure quicker on an arm curl for instance. If you curl and you get a good squeeze at the top and let it down slowly for like a 2-3 sec count, you might be taxing your muscles more than they are. Since you get more volume in Pilates, you may consider doing some small heavier arm work outside of PIlates that really focuses just on strength.

How's your protein intake? Do you eat anything before class?