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Lagree Fitness is NOT Pilates.
Period.
THE LAGREE METHOD, AS WELL AS ALL OTHER LAGREE FITNESS EQUIPMENT, HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AND WILL ALWAYS BE FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT THAN THOSE OF PILATES.
THE LAGREE FITNESS METHOD IS THE ONLY METHOD WHOSE EVOLUTION IS ENDLESS.
While Sebastien Lagree may have been inspired by the well-known Pilates reformer, due to its spring-based design, the Lagree Fitness Proformer, Sebastien’s first machine, largely differed from the reformer. For Sebastien, the reformer demonstrated the benefit of variable tension, and he quickly recognized that variable tension was innately able to make any movement low impact. But, The Lagree Method, as well as all other Lagree Fitness equipment, have always been and will always be fundamentally different than those of Pilates.
Since its birth in 1998, The Lagree Method has differentiated itself from any other type of exercise, combining both high-intensity bodybuilding techniques with low-impact qualities, both of which Pilates lacks. The union of these two fundamental techniques allows Lagree Fitness clients to achieve rapid results after taking just a few of these body-shaking classes.
While the differences are vast, it should be noted that Pilates was originally created as a one-on-one method whereas The Lagree Method was created for group training. In addition, Pilates was created for wellness and with an intent to heal, which is why Pilates is often used as a form of physical rehabilitation. In contrast, Lagree Fitness was created to strengthen, tighten, and tone the muscles quickly and safely, which is why the method is often referred to as “Pilates on Steroids,” “Pilates on Growth Hormones,” or, as referred to in a show titled Working Women”, “Pilates for important people.” While these references are funny, they could not be further from the truth. Let’s get into the specifics.
PILATES IS BASED ON THE 7 FOLLOWING PRINCIPLES:
BREATHING
Breathing through the workout is essential
CONCENTRATION
Concentrate is key
CONTROL
Control the movement
CENTERING
Work from the abdomen
FLOW
Exercises are performed in a sequence
POSTURAL ALIGNMENT
Maintaining good posture
PRECISION
Perform the exercise perfectly
THE LAGREE METHOD IS BASED ON THESE 7 PRINCIPLES:
EFFECTIVE FORM
Correct body alignment is necessary for safety and effectiveness
EFFECTIVE RANGE OF MOTION
A correct range of motion is emphasized, which is absent in Pilates
EFFECTIVE TEMPO
The Lagree Method ensures every exercise is performed slowly and without momentum, which is a principle absent in Pilates
EFFECTIVE DURATION
The Lagree Method utilizes Time Under Tension which is a bodybuilding training technique not present in Pilates
EFFECTIVE TENSION
The Lagree Method uses “progressive overloading,” another bodybuilding training technique, which is also absent from Pilates.
EFFECTIVE TRANSITION
This principle is absent from Pilates but is crucial to Lagree since the method is a muscular endurance workout. Essentially, there is no time between movements
EFFECTIVE PLANE OF MOTION
This principle is also absent from Pilates
WITH SUCH AN ARRAY OF DIFFERENCES, COMPARING THE TWO VERY DIFFERENT WORKOUTS IS SENSELESS SINCE THE GOAL OF EACH METHOD DIFFERS TREMENDOUSLY.
The famous Lagree-count, which consists of no less than eight seconds, does not allow for participants to utilize momentum while moving through each exercise. Instead, participants must use muscle groups in a slow, controlled fashion, which demands more metabolic work per unit of time. This extended amount of time that muscles are placed under tension produces rapid results for participants.
The Lagree Method places a large emphasis on balance as a fundamental for achieving real results in a quick amount of time. Focusing on balance allows for participants to avoid and prevent injuries. This quality, unique to Lagree Fitness, has helped many avid Lagree Fitness goers heal from chronic back injuries and other issues. Through years of research, Sebastien Lagree has found that balance training has proven to be more effective than strength training.
As a fitness guru fascinated by and passionate about bodybuilding, Sebastien Lagree has borrowed the superset method and made it part of what makes The Lagree Method considerably different than Pilates. By utilizing the superset method, Lagree Fitness goers move through shorter classes, heightened intensity levels, and a safer way to take their muscles to failure without the spotter that is typically needed in traditional bodybuilding.
Circuit training is a large part of what makes The Lagree Method critically different than Pilates. Lagree Fitness participants are required to move from one movement to the next with minimal rest time between. This keeps the participant’s heart rate up and demands cardiovascular growth—which, of course, results in more calories burned.
Pilates is not meant to be a cardio workout, so typically a participant’s heartrate will remain under 90 BPM. On the other hand, The Lagree Method ensures users will hit the anaerobic threshold and a heart rate over 145/150 BPM when performed correctly.
The Lagree Method places quite a large emphasis on overloading the different muscle groups as a means of attaining rapid results. During this process, the muscles are forced to grow beyond their current state, increasing the amount of resistance, time, and intensity a participant can handle. Added movements, slowed movements, and minimal recovery periods help participants achieve results faster than any other workout method.
While Pilates places a large emphasis on rehabilitating muscles by stretching larger muscles and strengthening smaller muscle groups, The Lagree Method focuses on intense bodybuilding techniques combined with no to low impact movements. The result? Fast results that never allow participants to plateau. Each class can be modified for even the most experienced Lagree goer, making this method the perfect one for those seeking a complete body transformation.
Use our studio locator today and let us take your mind and body to the next level. If it ain’t shakin’, it ain’t workin’!
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