My brain is not working today. Ever have those moments when you just can’t for the life of you form coherent sentences? I think I told my Btone classes to lift the “toes of their heels” like eight times this morning. Because heels have toes. I also gave this very helpful cue: “push up through your heel by pushing up through your heel.” Try again, Nicole. Let’s hope I can type better than I can talk today…

Speaking of megaformer workouts, I wanted to share a makeshift one I did while traveling. When I was in Australia, we were eating healthily and being constantly active during the day (walking around, snorkeling, swimming, hiking, etc.)—so active that I didn’t worry much about fitting in workouts. My boyfriend and I did, however, go on several scenic runs (one of my favorite ways to explore a new area) and I snuck in a few quick at-home workouts on mornings I woke up earlier than everyone else.

Our hotel in Port Douglas had hardwood floors, so I grabbed a towel to recreate the sliding motion of a megaformer for a quick ab workout. It’s no Btone class, but it did the trick!

A Makeshift Megaformer Ab Workout You Can Do at Home

Equipment I Used:

• Dish towel (plus an extra one for knee padding) – if you have sliders at your gym or in your home gym, those are great. Also, sliders used for moving furniture = awesome. If you have carpets, try DVD cases or an overturned Frisbee. Get creative!

Do each exercise for 1 minute before moving right into the next. If you’re a beginner, you might want to start by doing each exercise for 30-45 second instead Try not to rest in between exercises—transitions should be quick. You can set an interval timer for 14 rounds of 60 sec work and 0 sec rest so that your timer beeps at you every minute, signaling the next exercise. You could also just watch the clock. Full descriptions below the pics!

If these exercise names sound like Jibberish, welcome to Lagree Fitness. I realize that this might be a confusing routine for those who haven’t taken a megaformer class, and admittedly had those familiar with the machine in mind when making it.

I’ve placed an asterisks (*) next to exercises that can be modified by doing them from your knees. Fourteen minutes is a long time to go without resting, so don’t hesitate to modify! Always better to modify than to stop moving altogether. I finished a couple of the moves with crossbody holds. Count to 10 in your head and then move on to the next exercise—it’s fine if the hold makes the next exercise a little less than a minute.

Feet on a towel, hands on the floor (or exercise mat) …

• High Plank*
• Plank to Pike | Keeping your legs straight, pike your hips up into the air, bringing your body into an upside down “v” shape. Try to keep your heels lifted as you do this, sliding on the balls of your feet. Once you hit your peak (if you have tight hamstrings, you may not be able to get your hips up very high—that’s ok!), slowly lower back down into plank position. If your wrists bother you, you can do this from your forearms (I find this to be more challenging than from my hands).
• Bear—end with crossbody holds | Keeping your hips level with your shoulders, back flat, slide your feet forward, bending your knees in towards your elbows. Slide feet back out, straightening your legs into plank position. Two most common errors while doing this are lifting the booty up as your feet slide in and letting the low back arch down towards the floor. Pull your abs in tight the whole time, maintaining a flat back. For the holds at the end, slide your feet out to plank and from that position, bring your left knee across your body to your right elbow—really pull it forward, trying to make contact. Hold it there for about 10 seconds then switch sides: right knee to left elbow.
• Forearm Plank*

I’m about to make things confusing with the next two moves (I’m sorry!). I did the workout as pictured: knees on mat, hands sliding out on towels. Then I realized that if I just padded my knees with an extra towel, it was way easier to keep my hands on the mat with knees sliding. I’m going to describe what’s pictured for simplicity’s sake, but you may want to try the other way (especially if your floors are a little sticky). It’s the same thing as what’s pictured/described; you just slide your body away, rather than sliding your hands away. 

• Wheelbarrow | Start with your hands on the towel shoulder-width apart and knees on an exercise mat. Lower your hips so that from your knees to top of head is one straight diagonal line (as if you were about to do a push up from your knees). Keep your abs held in tight and arms straight (but not locked) as you hinge from the shoulders, sliding your hands out in front of you. When you reach your farthest extension, press into the hands, sliding them back in underneath your shoulders to the starting position. It’s almost like an ab roller. If you feel this straining your low back, stack your hips over the knees and your wheel from that tabletop position.
• Cobra | Start with your hands on the towel shoulder-width apart and knees on an exercise mat. Lower your hips so that from your knees to top of head is one straight diagonal line (as if you were about to do a push up from your knees). From here, you’re going to slide your hands out in front of you. As you do, bend your elbows so that you slowly lower onto your forearms into a sort of kneeling plank. Next, reverse the motion, pressing up into your hands to slide the towel back in as you rise up to straight arms and your starting position. It’s tough! To make it easier, lower onto one forearm at a time and press up onto one hand at a time (just make sure to alternate you leading hand each time). As you do these, resist the urge to turn it into a cobra stretch (bending the spine and lifting your chest). Keep the abs in tight the whole time, maintaining that straight diagonal with your torso. If you feel any strain in your low back, stack your hips over your knees (rather than having them lowered) and do it from this tabletop position.
• Twisted Pike (right foot in front of left) | In a plank position, feet on a towel, hands stacked under shoulders on an exercise mat, cross your right foot in front of the left and drop your heels so that you’re heel-to-toe with toes pointing towards the left. You’ll twist through the waist, slightly lowering your right hip to do so. This is your starting position. Maintaining this leg position and keeping your knees straight, pike your hips slowly up into the air. When you’ve reached your peak, slowly lower back down to that twisted plank starting position. You are targeting your right oblique with these.
• Snake (right foot in front of left)—end with crossbody hold | In a plank position, feet on a towel, hands stacked under shoulders on an exercise mat, cross your right foot in front of the left and drop your heels so that you’re heel-to-toe with toes pointing towards the left. You’ll twist through the waist, slightly lowering your right hip to do so. This is your starting position. From here, start bending your knees in towards your left elbow, sliding your feet forward. When you’re in as far as you can go, slide the feet back out, straightening your knees back into your starting position. As you do these, try to keep your hips level with your shoulders (don’t sit your bum onto your heels as you slide the feet in; engage your right sidebody to keep them lifted). For the crossbody hold at the end, from that twisted plank position, you’ll pull your right knee across your body towards your left elbow (try to make contact!). Hold it there for about 10 seconds.
• Side Forearm Plank (right forearm on the floor)*
• Forearm Plank Hinges* | Maintaining a forearm plank position, just rock your shoulders back and then forward slowly. This isn’t a huge motion, you’ll slide back and forward about 3-6” each direction. Pay attention to your core as you do this: is your low back sagging down towards the ground? Is your butt piking up into the air? Don’t let either happen! Pull the abs in tight with a micro upper tilt to the pelvis to keep your body straight.
• Side Forearm Plank (left forearm on the floor)*
• Twisted Pike (left foot in front of right)
• Snake (left foot in front of right)—end with crossbody hold
• Push Ups* | Keep these slow—they’re not explosive (think Vinyasa yoga flow speed).

When you finish, relish a long Child’s Pose. Then take it to a gentle Up Dog (or cobra) to stretch out that core.

This workout would be a fun one to turn into a real-time video, right?? I played around with making videos and GIFs on Monday and worked some of the newbie kinks out. Really excited to start putting a few together! Don’t worry—for those of you who like the pictorials, they won’t go anywhere.

Lagree Fitness lovers—try this ab workout next time you have to go without a megaformer for an extended period of time! (What an embarrassing #firstworldproblem, huh?). Count how many times you need to take a break during the 14 minutes (modifying doesn’t count as a break—stopping does). Next time you do the workout, try to reduce the number of breaks you take. I took three breaks, two during left side Twisted Pike and one during left side Snake (I was dying). I did about 20 seconds of the forearm plank hinges modified from my knees, and the last 30 seconds of push ups also modified on my knees. 

WEARING | Sevan Sports Bra and Salar Capri Foldover Capri from Fabletics // Tank from LF Stores (similar) // Nike Free +3 Sneakers (similar)

SHOP A SIMILAR LOOK

I get a lot of questions about the class I teach at Btone—especially on Instagram from people wanting to know what that weird contraption is I’m always taking selfies on (the Megaformer). Is it Pilates? Is it ok for beginners? Is that machine stolen off the set of 50 Shades? What the heck is going on with this workout??

To start, it’s called Lagree Fitness. And while it’s based on Pilates, it’s so, so much more (I’ll explain later). Lagree Fitness studios are continuing to pop up in major cities throughout the states (and world!), so while it’s not as widespread as, say, yoga, there is a chance you can find this amazing workout near you. If you go to the Lagree Fitness website there’s an online studio locator, or try Googling “Lagree Fitness [your city]” or “megaformer [your city].”

All studios will be different and have their own policies and atmosphere, but here is a general description of what you can expect from your first Lagree Fitness class. Bear with me through these painful Wannabe Vanna White pictures…

The Basics

Most classes are 40-50 minutes in length. If it’s your first time, arrive at least 10 minutes ahead of class so that the instructor can give you an intro to the machine. The workout is done barefoot or wearing grippy studio socks (some studios require these). I wear socks or sneakers when I teach, but personally prefer to do the workout barefoot. As highlighted by this lovely instagram, my pinkie toes are just simply not made for toe socks. I’d also recommend wearing leggings or at least longer shorts because you get into some funky positions for exercises. Leave the booty shorts at home—trust me.

It takes a couple classes to get totally comfortable with the machine, so don’t be discouraged if you feel like you’re fumbling through transitions your first couple classes. The instructor will explain all the exercises, but I think it’s helpful to also pick a machine in the middle of the room for your first class. This way you can easily look around at the other students if you’re not sure which strap/handle bar/foot position/etc. you’re supposed to be using.

The Workout

Lagree Fitness is all about those slow twitch muscle fibers. These are our fat-burning muscle fibers and also our smaller muscle fibers (fast-twitch are larger in diameter), so this workout is perfect for that whole “lean, toned” look. It pains me a little to write a sentence like that, because of course body type, genetics, etc., etc., plays into how our bodies look and react to exercise, but from a strictly physiological level, you are working the muscle fibers that take up less space. Let’s leave it at that.

We work one muscle group at a time to achieve effective muscle stimulation, so this means you’ll focus on abs, left leg, right leg, arms (in some order) completely before moving onto the next. In general, each exercise is done for about 1 minute or 2 minutes for lower body exercises. In that time, it’s not about getting in as many reps as possible—you want to keep the pace slow, controlled and steady. Remember, we’re working those slow-twitch fibers!. When we move from one exercise to another, the goal is 0 seconds wasted in transition time. That’s of course not always possible, but we make transitions as quick as we can—absolutely no break time is built into this workout! Most of this is the instructor’s responsibility in planning a class that flows well, but it also means you shouldn’t dillydally in between moves.

While you might not be drenched in sweat after class, this workout also has cardiovascular benefits—you’ll feel that heart rate increase. To clarify, sometimes I leave class a sweaty mess, and other times I finish class and, with a quick touchup, could go right on with the rest of my day without needing to shower. I think it depends on the temperature of the studio, the routine, and on if you tend to sweat a lot or not. It’s certainly not an indicator of whether you got a great workout or not—some sweatless classes kick my ass!

The Megaformer

The megaformer shown in all these pictures is the M3 model. There are a few versions of the machine, and the ones at your studio might look a little different, but the basic functions are all the same. At your first class, your instructor will give you an intro to the Megaformer which will be much more productive than a typed explanation, so I’ll just stick to the basics.

The middle bulk of the machine is called the carriage, and it moves back and forth on a spring system. More springs = more resistance. The more springs (and larger the springs), the harder it is to move the carriage away from the front platform. The less springs (and lighter the springs), the harder it is to move the carriage back towards the platform if our bodyweight is on it. Also, lighter resistance will make you feel less stable on the carriage. Classes are designed to minimize transition time, so you’ll probably only have to change the springs a couple times throughout class (or maybe not at all if the instructor does it for you while you’re in an exercise).

We can move the carriage in tons of different ways, and most (not all) the exercises really come down to just that: moving the carriage! There are two sets of cables, which allow us to move the carriage on a pulley system, so we’ll often grab those with our hands or hook the floppy black strap around our feet. There are also eyelet holes and straps on the carriage for grabbing/hooking onto with our hands and feet. We can also move that carriage by pressing against or holding onto the front or back handlebars. These handlebars can be moved into several positions to accommodate different exercises. There’s also a bungee cord (which I fully credit for this firmer booty I now have), a floor strap, and different rails and hand rollers on the platforms (of the M3) to give you hand position options.

Sometimes we increase the difficultly of exercises with hand weights (this is also a way to incorporate upper body work while we do legs), and we have a pole that can be used to help with balance during some of the exercises. Using the red pole is not a sign of weakness at all—it can allow you to get a fuller range of motion out of some exercises. Especially your first class, don’t be afraid to use the pole when the option is given by the instructor!

How Your Body Will Feel

This is a low impact workout and easy on the joints, but don’t be fooled—it’s INTENSE. During class, it’s normal for the muscle group you’re working to shake—in fact, that’s good! Trust me, as you continue to advance in this workout, you will live for that shake (as twisted as that sounds). The more advanced you become, the less frequently you’ll get “the shakes,” but even after the countless classes I have under my belt, certain exercise combos will come up and BOOM—shaking like a leaf. I love it! Because we work one muscle group at a time, taking it to that furthest point of effective stimulation, you’re nearing muscle failure (that sounds scarier than it is). It will feel harder to balance and control the movement of the exercise with shaking, but fight through it (easier said than done, I know).

While I find the shaking is most common during lower resistance exercises that require more balance and stabilization, it’s a slightly different sensation I feel when we load on the resistance—burning. Again, this is good and normal! There is a difference between being uncomfortable and being in pain—you’re going to be uncomfortable quite frequently in class.

I would say the two most common instances of that uncomfortable feeling bordering into pain (especially with newer students), is with the wrists and low back when doing the ab/oblique work. These will become less of an issue as you strengthen your core and wrists (and soon not an issue at all!), but if you have pre-existing problems with either area, say something to your instructor before class. They will give you tips and modifications for making the ab work easier on the wrists (switch up hand positions, come to your forearms, etc.) and show you how to protect the back (slight tilt with the pelvis as you pull the bellybutton in towards the spine, stacking knees under hips to modify, etc.).

How will you feel after class? Amazing. Well, after your first class you might be thinking what the hell just happened—but in a good way. You’ll probably be sore the next day or two—more so if you’re not used to workouts emphasizing slow-twitch muscle fibers like this. At first, you may only want to come once or twice a week (depending on your fitness level), and from there, just listen to your body. I’d say most people come two-three times a week, but there are also those who prefer to come almost every day. Just make sure to give your body the rest it needs. Personally, I end up doing the workout two-four times a week (I don’t do the workout when I teach). As you know, I love switching it up, so I’m mixing in all types of fitness during the week along with those two-four Lagree classes.

The Benefits of Small Class Size

Aside from the workout itself, one of my favorite things about Lagree Fitness is the small class size. There are usually about 10 machines (give or take a few) in a studio, so you never feel lost in a crowd. If you’re confused or not sure how to get into one of the exercises, the instructor will notice and be able to come right over and help you out.

I think small class size also helps create a community feel. Especially given the enthusiasm (obsession even), that many people have for this workout, you’ll start recognizing familiar faces in class, will get to know the instructors, and will start to feel part of this awesome, motivating community. Of course if that’s not what you’re looking for, you can still be in and out strictly for the kickass workout.

Final Thoughts

If your first class is anything like my first, expect to feel humbled (in a good way!). I (thought I) was in great shape when I walked into Btone for my first class, but was shaking like a leaf by the end; unable to get through some moves without taking a break; and could not make it down a flight of stairs for two days afterward. The workout was just so unlike anything I was doing at the time, and my body was challenged in ways it never had been—I was immediately hooked!

Prepare to find your latest addiction. Lagree Fitness isn’t cheap (small studio classes out there typically aren’t), but it’s worth it. Most studios offer some sort of introductory offer so that you can try it without a huge financial commitment, and then from there, if you purchase larger class packages, you’ll end up saving and bringing the overall price per class down.

WEARING | top: c/o Ellie  (use code nicoleperr20 to get 20% off your first order!)  // leggings: c/o Reebok

If you’re in the Boston area, Btone has studios on Newbury Street and in Lexington, Wellesley (where these pics were taken) and Sudbury. If it’s your first time, you can buy three classes for the price of one ($30). Every instructor has a slightly different style, and every class the routine is different, so it’s great you can try out three different classes as a newbie. I teach Monday & Thursday early mornings and Sunday mid mornings in Boston, and Thursday nights in Wellesley. My schedule might change a little in the fall, and I’m frequently subbing for other instructors at random times, so check the schedules for my name (I’m the only Nicole)—I LOVE meeting readers in class! I also do the workout all the time, so if you can’t make it to mine, maybe I’ll be on the megaformer next to you in another instructor’s class.

Jeeeeze I must really love this workout because I just wrote a flippin’ NOVEL.

Have you tried Lagree Fitness before? What was your first class like? Any tips for newbies you’d like to add? Leave a comment!