Pilates Meets Bodybuilding: A New Trend

The renowned global fitness entrepreneur is discussing his patented workout, the Lagree Method.

You might recognize it since approximately 50 Southern California studios, many located in Los Angeles, license rights to use Lagree equipment.

These studios, with names like Lagree 213 in downtown L.A., Lab Lagree in Glendale, and Live Lagree in Brentwood, proudly display his name.

Inside, you’ll find machines resembling oversized Pilates Reformers, known as Megaformers.

Here, fitness enthusiasts execute slow but highly intense exercises such as squats, rows, and lunges on a modular, sliding carriage with precise body positioning.

You might think this is a more challenging form of Pilates, but that’s not the case.

“It’s completely different,” Lagree clarifies during a call from Shanghai, where he is meeting with fitness studios and overseeing the manufacturing of his machines.

“It’s not Pilates. That’s a misconception I’ve been addressing for the last 25 years.”

To clear up any confusion, Lagree revisits the origins of his method.

Lagree, who has a bodybuilder’s stature, a chiseled jawline, and a deep voice, grew up in Paris.

After earning an MBA from Seattle University, he moved to Los Angeles in 1998 with aspirations of becoming an actor.

To support himself, he worked as a personal trainer at a West Hollywood gym. While bodybuilding was his preference, he began teaching Pilates on Reformers, although it was new to him at the time.

According to Lagree, his clients often expressed a lack of fulfillment with traditional Pilates sessions and wanted more cardio.

This led him to experiment with modifications, adding hand weights and movements like squats and push-ups to the Reformer routines.

Eventually, he purchased four Pilates Reformers and began holding sessions in his living room.

Word spread among his clients, many of whom were connected to Hollywood as stylists, makeup artists, and private chefs.

Soon, celebrities like David Schwimmer, Gabrielle Reece, Molly Sims, and Elizabeth Hurley were attending sessions at his West Hollywood apartment, until he was ultimately asked to leave the premises.

By 2003, he opened his first studio, Pilates Plus, on Melrose Avenue but found the available equipment didn’t suit his evolving workout method.

Recognizing the need for something new, Lagree developed the Proformer in 2005, a machine that incorporated additional cables, platforms, and foot bars to allow for a broader range of movements targeting different muscle groups.

“People absolutely loved the Proformer,” Lagree explains. Soon, he began receiving requests from others to open studios, which led him to license the system. From there, the method quickly gained momentum.

However, Lagree wanted to distance his method from Pilates due to frequent misidentification. By 2008, he officially dropped “Pilates” from the branding.

The Megaformer launched in 2010, representing a significant evolution from its predecessor, the Proformer.

It was 200 pounds lighter, more portable, and included additional functional elements like a narrower carriage and redesigned handle bars that provided greater stability and versatility during workouts.

“The split handle bars opened up an incredible range of movement possibilities,” Lagree says, noting how this innovation “changed the game.”

Demand for the Megaformer surged over the following decade. By 2019, the Lagree Method was recognized as the fastest-growing fitness trend in the U.S. by ClassPass.

However, supply chain issues exacerbated by the pandemic led to an extended backlog, with customers facing wait times of up to 18 months.

To meet demand, Lagree shifted manufacturing to China and Vietnam, significantly reducing delivery delays.

Throughout this period, the Megaformer remained central to the method’s success, undergoing about a dozen redesigns.

These include innovations like changes in spring locations for smoother transitions and additional grip points on the carriage for enhanced usability.

Lagree’s portfolio of equipment, which now includes compact options like the Miniformer and Microformer, reflects a continuous commitment to iteration and innovation.

With over 200 patents, Lagree explains that his designs evolve alongside the method to maintain distinction from Pilates.

The Lagree Method’s emphasis on slow, controlled movements performed with high intensity sets it apart from Pilates.

While both methods use equipment with carriages and spring resistance for low-impact exercises, the focus and outcomes are fundamentally different.

Pilates prioritizes core strength, flexibility, and balance, often for rehabilitative purposes.

Lagree, however, combines strength training, cardiovascular activity, and muscular endurance, executed in slow tempos for greater time under tension.

Participants often leave a Lagree session sweating, shaking, and feeling the burn—but in an entirely different way.

“It’s like if Pilates and bodybuilding had a baby,” explains Natalie Grimsley, owner of Plankhaus in Santa Monica, offering classes that combine the Lagree Method with mindfulness practices.

Visiting the West Hollywood studio, the sheer size of the Megaformer stands out.

Unlike Pilates Reformers, which typically weigh up to 150 pounds, the Megaformer is over 10 feet long and weighs 395 pounds. Its design includes a numbered carriage system, allowing users to precisely position their hands and feet for optimal alignment during exercises like planks or tricep presses.

While the workout may appear daunting, it delivers incredible results that explain the method’s widespread appeal.

Currently, Lagree operates four studios in Los Angeles and one in Miami, with 700 licensed studios spread across 45 countries.

Each studio pays an annual licensing fee of $3,990 in addition to the cost of acquiring the machines.

Despite this, copycat machines and instructors operating in a gray area continue to pose challenges, misrepresenting the method as an “intense form of Pilates.”

Lagree acknowledges the value of Pilates, particularly for recuperative purposes, and even encourages clients to blend both methods.

Yet, he remains firm on the distinction. “They’re just different—Lagree is not Pilates,” he emphasizes.

Though the road has not been without hurdles, Lagree’s dedication to redefining fitness has firmly established his method as a science-backed, evolutionary approach to exercise.

By continually innovating his machines and technique, Lagree has not only carved out a unique space in the fitness industry but also inspired a loyal community to sweat, strengthen, and thrive.

Source: latimes

The opinions shared in the GymNation blog articles are solely those of the respective authors and may not represent the perspectives of GymNation or any member of the GymNation team.