You’ve decided you want to take up Pilates, so you start looking for a studio. As you skim through ClassPass, you realize there’s Pilates and there’s Lagree Pilates. What the heck is the difference, and which one should you choose? “The biggest and most obvious difference, in my opinion, exists between the Pilates reformer and the Megaformer used in Lagree. Other than both having springs and a carriage, they are almost entirely different in every other way,” says Kevyn Zeller, a certified Pilates instructor.
Both the Lagree Method and classical Pilates are great forms of exercise, but they’re not interchangeable. They can, however, be complementary to each other. Experts In This Article Kevyn Zeller, a certified Pilates instructor Sebastien Lagree, founder of Lagree Fitness and creator of the Megaformer and Microformer workout Ahead, Zeller and Sebastien Lagree, the inventor, CEO, and founder of Lagree Fitness, share even more about the differences between the two workouts and offer tips on how to figure out which is the right choice for you.
What is classical Pilates? Pilates is a form of exercise that uses a spring loaded carriage (called a reformer) to create resistance to train your muscles. It was invented by Joseph Pilates in 1926, but didn’t gain popularity until the ’90s. “The Pilates Method of Body Conditioning develops the body uniformly, corrects posture, restores vitality, invigorates the mind, and elevates the spirit,” Pilates famously said.
Related Stories “Pilates, taught traditionally, is a system of exercises designed by Joseph Pilates that help to train and retrain neural pathways that exist between the brain and every muscle in the human body, which requires a significant amount of meditative concentration,” Zeller says.
Zeller explains that classical Pilates is often taught one-on-one (though you can find classes) with absolute attention to detail, precision, and control. It’s also performed mostly lying on your back and focuses on the push and pull of the springs to move the carriage. The springs can be adjusted to work with your fitness level.
What are the benefits of classical Pilates? Pilates is a great low-impact workout. Because of that, many different groups of people can do it, including those with prior injuries. “The individualized experience of Pilates is accessible to all populations and there isn’t anyone I’d ever tell to stay away from it,” Zeller says. “The equipment is designed to meet clients exactly where they are and support them as they heal injuries and develop uniform strength and increased mobility.”
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