A couple of weeks ago I was invited to try a new fitness class at The Studio Empower with celebrity trainer and founder Sebastien Lagree. When I heard that Sebastien’s “Lagree Method” has been credited for Jennifer Aniston’s body, well… twist my arm! Of course I was psyched for the invite and even more psyched my schedule was open that day so I could attend.
Upon entering the studio, I was greeted with warm and friendly smiles from the studio owners. I immediately took to the look and feel of the studio. It was very bright inside, as the windows open to the street to allow for a lot of light to come in, and it just had a comfortable vibe. I think feeling comfortable from the get go is important, especially when trying something different.
The studio has eight (soon to be ten) torture devices Megaformer M3 machines. If you are unfamiliar with the Megaformer M3’s, they have been described as Pilates reformers on steroids. At first glance, I suppose the machines do look kind of scary: springs? straps? a moving carriage? Ahh! However, because of the small group atmosphere, it was extremely easy to catch on. I felt comfortable on the machine within the first five minutes of class.
Going into the class, I thought I would be taking part in a Pilates workout, however I was misinformed and quickly corrected. The Lagree Method definitely incorporates the basic principles of traditional Pilates, but Sebastien explained to us that this style is much more than just a Pilates class. The workout is high intensity/low impact, which is definitely appealing to those who may have overuse injuries from too many high impact activities (hello, self!) and want something a little easier on the joints. Also, the Lagree Method is designed to work every muscle group to fatigue as it effectively strengthens and tightens the entire body in just a 45 minute session.
And strengthen and tighten we did! The whole idea behind this style of fitness is to work SLOWLY. For those of you who take my classes at the Y, I am constantly telling you to slow down, no? Well in this class, we definitely slowed down. We moved slowly, deliberately, and under control. I found that when doing this, I could really focus more on form. I also noticed an increased range of motion than usual! My muscles were quivering throughout the entire class (literally from the very first lunge), and although I wasn’t jumping up and down and all over the place as usual, I worked up a pretty big sweat.
I really enjoyed this workout. It was humbling and awesome to do something different for a change. I was sore for days afterward.
Another aspect I liked was being a part of a small group class. I felt like I got more personal instruction, which I don’t get a lot of nowadays, being an instructor/trainer myself. It was nice to be corrected! One mistake I kept making was keeping my head down too much. I was so busy making sure I was in the correct place on the machine that I didn’t realize my body wasn’t aligned from head to toe. Check out my neck not in line with my spine here:
If that were anyone in my class, I would have been yelling “heads up!” 😉
Anyways, I went back this weekend for round two with my friend Jen, and I can’t wait to go back for class three (and more). I definitely would recommend this type of workout as a nice supplement to your regular training plan or workout schedule!
Class Giveaway
The folks at The Studio Empower have also kindly offered to give away ONE MONTH of unlimited classes ($279 value) to one lucky local F&F reader. All you have to do is “like” both The Studio Empower AND Fitness & Feta on Facebook, and then leave me one comment on this post telling me why you’d love to win the giveaway! The contest will end on Friday May 31st at 11:59 EST, and I’ll announce the winner the following Monday.
Class Discount
Even if you don’t win, there’s an option for everyone, as the studio is also offering a $5 first class for anyone that uses the code FETA at checkout. Totally worth it! I would love to hear what you think if you end up trying the class!
**Please note that both of these deals are for new clients only**
Have any of you taken a class that uses the Lagree Method before? What did you think?
Disclaimer: I was not paid to write this post, but I was provided a free class at the studio in exchange for writing this review. All opinions are my own. The Studio Empower is located at 81 Union St., Newton, MA.
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