Lagree explained: what a Megaformer class is really like

Short answer: Lagree is slow, high-tension strength work on a Megaformer, a long machine with a sliding carriage, springs, and platforms and handles at both ends. Movements often run at 4 counts out and 4 back, sets last a minute or more, and classes run 40 to 50 minutes. A single class cost $35 to $44 at the Megaformer studios we checked on October 27, 2026. Lagree Fitness says it is not Pilates, and no trial has tested it yet.

A Lagree class looks slow and feels hard. The method keeps muscles working for long stretches with as little rest as the machine allows, which is why people shake partway through a set.

This guide covers what happens in a class, what to expect the first time, what studios charge, and what is known about the results.

Is a Megaformer class Pilates?

Not according to the company. Lagree Fitness says: “Lagree is not Pilates, reformer Pilates, or a modern variation of Pilates,” and its Megaformer “is not a Pilates Reformer.”

The lineage is closer than that sounds. Sebastien Lagree became a Pilates instructor in 1998, and in 2003 built his first machine, the Proformer, “a huge reformer with platforms and cables” (Health Club Management interview). He says he removed the shoulder rests and added handles. Studios describe it differently too: some sell it as strength training on a reformer-based machine.

So it began on Pilates equipment and became its own method. Our reformer Pilates vs Lagree comparison sets the two side by side.

What is the Megaformer?

The current model, the Mega Pro, is 125 inches long and 35 wide, with 8 springs, platforms at the front and back, and handles. A Balanced Body studio reformer, for comparison, is 92.62 by 26.5 inches with 5 springs.

The springs can resist or assist a movement, depending on the exercise. On a standard Megaformer, you change your own springs between exercises; Lagree’s remote Lightning system, in studios that have it, lets the instructor do it, but the Mega Pro is not compatible with it.

How a Lagree class runs

Lagree Fitness says an instructor typically starts at “4 counts to move the carriage out and 4 counts to move the carriage in.” Sets run a minute or more, and the aim is to keep the muscle under tension for the whole set.

There is less rest than in most classes, but there is some. Lagree’s own description of its original method counts about 25 transitions a class and says “each transition is hidden rest”, and on standard machines you pause to change springs.

The shaking is expected. In Lagree’s own example, “90 seconds into a five-minute Elevator Lunge” is where “The shake begins.”

What to expect at your first Lagree class

What the studios themselves ask:

• Arrive early. The studios checked ask first-timers to arrive 10 to 15 minutes early, and one turns away late first-timers.
• Book a beginner class if there is one. Several studios run them under names such as Foundations, Essentials or Meet the Method; one Chicago studio has no beginner level.
• Tell the instructor about injuries. Instructors can modify exercises. After surgery, get cleared first: SLT says, “If you are recovering from knee, back or shoulder surgery we would not advise taking class until your doctor clears you to do so.”
• Check the sock rule. Grip socks are required at most of the studios checked, but Urban Lagree allows bare feet.
• Bring water. You will sweat; some studios do not provide towels.

If you are pregnant, SLT says it does not advise trying its class for the first time while pregnant, and ACOG advises against lying on your back for long periods. Ask your provider first.

What Megaformer studios charge

Prices as each studio published them on October 27, 2026, before tax. Studios change offers often, so check before you book.

Studio	Class	New-client offer	Single class	Unlimited a month
SLT Flatiron, New York	50 min	3 classes $60, or 2 weeks unlimited $115	$44	$465, 3-month commitment
SLT Back Bay, Boston	50 min	3 classes $60, or 2 weeks unlimited $99	$38	$385, 3-month commitment
SLT Greenwich, CT	50 min	3 classes $60, or 2 weeks unlimited $105	$40	$425, 3-month commitment
SLT Hoboken, NJ	50 min	3 classes $60, or 2 weeks unlimited $105	$38	$400, 3-month commitment
lagree ny, Astoria, Queens	50 min	2 weeks unlimited $99	$39	$349, 3-month commitment
Resistance, Chicago	45 min	First class $19	$37	$275
QC Lagree, Charlotte	40 min	3 classes $60	None listed	$279, 3-month minimum
Urban Lagree, Dallas	45 min	2 classes $35, or 2 weeks unlimited $79	$35	$235, 3-month contract

What the table shows: a single class cost $35 to $44, about the same as reformer Pilates at Club Pilates ($25 to $52 by location). Unlimited memberships ran $235 to $465 a month, usually with a 3-month minimum, so try a new-client offer before you sign.

What Lagree does and does not do

Lagree is low-impact by design, and the company describes it as strength and endurance work without running or jumping. What has not been shown is the result. There are no trials of Lagree. The only studies are two case series of eight people each, without control groups. One found better movement-screen and balance scores but no significant change in its two core-endurance tests (Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 2026), and its authors write that Lagree’s claims “are not yet verified.”

The company says a heart rate of 135 “and oftentimes upwards of 200” should be expected; nobody has measured it in a study. Treat Lagree as one demanding, low-impact option in a varied week, not a substitute for cardio or heavy strength training.

For other studio formats, our barre explainer and barre vs reformer comparison cover the neighbors.

FAQ: Lagree and the Megaformer

Is Lagree the same as Pilates? Lagree Fitness says no: “Lagree is not Pilates, reformer Pilates, or a modern variation of Pilates.” Its inventor began as a Pilates instructor and describes his machines as an evolution of the reformer, with platforms and handles added and the shoulder rests removed.

How much does a Lagree class cost? On October 27, 2026, a single class cost $35 to $44 at seven Megaformer studios in New York, Boston, Greenwich, Hoboken, Chicago and Dallas. Unlimited memberships ran $235 to $465 a month, usually with a 3-month minimum.

How long is a Lagree class? The studios checked run 40 to 50 minutes, and ask first-timers to arrive 10 to 15 minutes early.

Can a beginner do Lagree? Yes. Lagree Fitness says exercises are scalable, and several studios run beginner classes. Tell the instructor about any injury, and get cleared first after surgery.

Do you need grip socks for Lagree? At most of the studios we checked, yes, but not all: Urban Lagree in Dallas allows bare feet.

Does Lagree build muscle? Nobody has tested it in a trial. The two small case series found some improvements in movement and balance but no significant change in core endurance, and they did not measure strength.

The bottom line on Lagree

Lagree is slow, high-tension strength work on a machine of its own, with long sets, few breaks and a lot of shaking. A class costs about the same as reformer Pilates. The method has a strong following and a company that says it is not Pilates, but no trials yet, so judge it by how it fits your week.