An Honest Review Of Lagree Workouts

When a Lagree class pops up on your FYP, it’s immediately clear you aren’t looking at an ordinary workout. While gliding on a Megaformer through slow, controlled movements, many people talk about how it’s a new kind of torture — in a good way. “I was shaking the entire time,” creator @allisonlloydfit said in a viral clip, while @selenaamae said just the warm-up alone had her entire body “on fire.”

Like any sweat-inducing fitness class, Lagree sounds just the tiniest bit scary, but there’s a reason why so many people — including Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Aniston, and Kelsea Ballerini — are fans. Billed as a low-impact, high-intensity form of exercise, Lagree looks a lot like a Pilates reformer class on the surface, but it includes special movements that build full-body strength.

The Lagree Fitness Method, developed by celebrity trainer Sebastien Lagree, started in 1998 when he was working with actors and models in Los Angeles, but it truly took off in 2003. There are now 700 official studios in 45 countries, and it’s also having a viral moment on social media. As someone who’s always down for a tough workout, and especially one I’ve seen on my TikTok FYP, I knew I had to give it a try. Here’s what it was like to experience Lagree firsthand.

What Is Lagree?

According to Lagree, the magic of his workout is all in the resistance you add to the specialized Megaformer, aka a machine that features a sliding carriage, numbered platform, handle bars, and spring-loaded resistance that allows you to perform over 1,000 different exercises with varying difficulty.

“On the Megaformer, you essentially have three machines in one,” Lagree tells Bustle. Depending on how and where you sit, kneel, or stand on it, he says you’re able to reach different muscles in unique ways, and that’s what sets it apart from Reformer Pilates.

A typical class is about 45 minutes long, with the first 20 to 25 minutes focused on legs. After that, Lagree says you move into upper body movements, then core exercises, with a major focus on your obliques. The slow, controlled exercises reach your muscles in a unique way, and it’s also what cause the famous “Lagree shakes.”

There are Lagree studios all across the country. To find the one nearest you, use the class locator on their website. Drop-in rates typically range from $30 to $45, though 5-class packs, 10-class packs, memberships, and first-timer specials are available at varying prices depending on the studio and location.

My Experience

When I walked into my Sunday morning class at Coastal Core Fitness in Belmar, NJ, I wondered if I was going to faint, fall off the machine, flail around embarrassingly, or all of the above. Thankfully, while I may have flailed a few times, I not only survived the class, but also thoroughly enjoyed it.

Since I’ve taken SolidCore and Reformer Pilates classes in the past, I had some knowledge of what it’s like to glide around on a Megaformer, but Lagree is a different beast with its own, unique equipment. Instead of stretching, like you do in Pilates, or focusing on your core, like you do in SolidCore, we immediately dove into exercises that lit up muscles in my legs I didn’t even know I had.

As I stood with one foot on a solid platform and another lunged back behind me on the moving carriage, I quickly learned that you need to pay close attention to the instructor, who, in my case, was playing Britney Spears throwbacks and walking around with a headset.

He was calling out the moves, counting down until each one was done, and telling you where to place your hands and feet so that you do the exercise correctly — and get the most burn. He also came over to me quite a few times to readjust my position or offer modifications, which was so helpful for a beginner.

Even though I was fully prepared to pass out right there in Belmar, I was actually able to keep up with the class.

While I did get the leg shakes and take a few breaks, I successfully readjusted the resistance springs and moved into new, challenging positions without face planting. Think deep 90/90 lunges, wobbly squats with one foot on the platform and another gliding away, and hamstring curls that involved looping a rope and cable around my foot.

A hot tip? If you’re a newbie or struggle with balance, there’s a weighted pole next to each Megaformer that you can move around and hold onto as you squat, lunge, or slide your legs far apart. I found myself hanging onto it for dear life several times throughout the class.

The Takeaway

It’s been four days since my workout, and I’m only just starting to feel less sore. When I left the class, I was sweaty, glowing, and full of endorphins, and in the days after I was able to feel each and every muscle that got a workout.

I was also shocked by how fast the class felt. Sometimes it seems like time stands still when you’re holding a plank or doing a round of squats, but I was so focused during the workout that the 45 minutes truly flew by.

It likely also had something to do with the variety of moves. Instead of feeling bored in one position that seemed to last too long, a Lagree workout has you constantly switching from lunges to squats to push-ups, and more, then repeating it all over again on the other side.

I wasn’t bored, I had fun, and I left feeling so proud of myself for completing my first class. Sure, my muscles were jelly — just like you see in the viral Lagree TikToks — but it was a clear sign that I had just done something good for myself. My arms, core, glutes, and legs all got some love, and I’ll definitely be back.