Trying Out the New Cult Fitness Trend that Kicks Pilates Butt

The first thing I see when I walk into One Lagree’s stark Oak Lawn studio is a white neon sign reading, “It’s not Pilates. It’s Lagree.”

I have never done either, so I begin to wonder if I am in over my head. However, I can tell from the posh workout clothes for sale, the brand-new Drake song playing, and the slightly condescending sign that this is a “cool girl” activity, and I want in.

The narrow space of the studio is occupied by a row of exercise machines with lots of strappy things connected to them. These are M3 Megaformers, kind of like a standard Pilates reformer (don’t tell them I said that), but with a wider, lighter carriage and more gadgets. The machines are designed for quick spring-load changes and short transitions, making every second of the workout intense. One Lagree is the first studio in Dallas to use them.

I approach a vacant machine and, after glancing around cluelessly, try to position myself like my more knowledgeable classmates. Luckily, the wonderful instructor, Kat, pulls me and another novice aside for a quick lesson on how to operate the Megaformer before we begin.

Like Pilates, Lagree is a low impact, core-strengthening workout. However, Lagree is performed at a much higher intensity, with cardio elements added in.

Inside a Lagree Class

The class kicks off with core-focused exercises, and let me tell you – it doesn’t start out easy. You will feel the burn of your bikini bod being sculpted within moments.

That’s a good feeling. And with the sound of energetic club music and a no-nonsense trainer to motivate you, it’s even a little bit fun.

There are only nine machines in the studio, and the small class size allows the instructors to be ultra attentive and helpful to each person. If there was ever a move I didn’t quite get, Kat helped me correct my form or encouraged me to push harder.

The slow, controlled movements – which involve a lot of squatting, planking and lunging – activate slow twitch muscle fiber, creating long and lean muscles. A 45-minute-long session will give you a full body workout that you can feel immediately.

I left the class that day invigorated and fabulously up-to-speed on fitness trends.

Pilates? I’m not familiar – I only do Lagree.