Latest news with #Lagree
Los Angeles Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Pilates vs. Lagree: Clearing Up the Confusion Behind the Workout Craze
Pilates has flooded everyone's social media, and celebrities, influencers, and even the buffest football players are jumping on the bandwagon to take classes. Pilates topped the list for the most globally booked workout class in 2024 for the second year in a row, according to fitness subscription platform ClassPass. But even with everyone popping in to take spring-based workouts classes, two of them are often grouped together, causing confusion. The Pilates movement has also influenced an obsession with its hotter, younger cousin, Lagree, which offers a very different experience, according to the creator of the workout method, Sebastian Lagree. 'First of all, there's no 'Lagree Pilates' — that doesn't exist. It's either Lagree or Pilates. Lagree is not a version of Pilates,' Lagree said. Lagree is always passionate about defending his workout method. He started teaching Pilates classes in Los Angeles in the late 1990s to financially support himself and his acting career. But his time teaching Pilates didn't last long. 'After the first 30 days, I got so freaking bored teaching it,' Lagree said. He began to recognize that Pilates would not help his clients achieve the toned, lean look they desired, so Lagree applied strength-training techniques from his background in bodybuilding and weightlifting to create the Lagree method. To help teach his new method, he created a new machine called the Proformer, inspired by the classic Pilates reformer. He designed it to accommodate more intense, strength-based workouts. This hybrid approach offered a unique combination that mixed the intensity of weight training with the aesthetic appeal of Pilates. Resistance bands are connected to the Performer machine as people do curls and lunges to get a sweaty, challenging workout session that promises muscle-building results. 'People think it's Pilates. And halfway through, they're like, 'Okay, this is not Pilates. What the fuck is going on?'' Mikael Padilla, studio owner and head trainer of Lagree Underground in LA, said. While Pilates offers a low-impact, low-intensity form of movement, Lagree is a high-intensity workout that pushes muscles to failure, aiming to build strength. 'Lagree is circuit training, it is based on muscular endurance primarily because when you do Lagree, you get very strong, but very tight,' Lagree said. 'It's apples and oranges,' Padilla said. 'There are some similarities, but they're very different. When Lagree was created, it was created along the lines of being very low-impact, easy on the joints, like Pilates, but more of a workout like bodybuilding.' Pilates was created in the early 1920s to help injured soldiers rehabilitate from their injuries by using controlled movements to build strength, flexibility, and overall physical health. 'It's a therapy for your joints.' Sebastian Lagree said. Joseph Hubertus Pilates initially called Pilates 'Contrology,' and it was popular with dancers, actresses, and elite social circles, but struggled to gain validity in the medical world. It wasn't until after Joseph Pilates passed away in 1967 that a new generation of instructors began opening studios in the 1980s and developed formal training programs for teaching. Pilates later experienced a resurgence in the 1990s, coinciding with the boom in group fitness classes. Practitioners were committed to the original 'Classical Pilates' method, which prioritized structure, control, precision, and intentional breathwork. But now, people are expanding on the basic form and making it their own. 'There's a lot of other spring-based workouts that often get lumped in,' Sarah Martz, CEO and Owner of Coreology, said. Various workout studios use the reformer, Megaformer, or create their own reformer-inspired machines to lead a workout that's not quite Pilates or Lagree, yet these classes use principles from both methods and make them their own. 'There are many different ways you can exercise using spring-based resistance, and it's interesting to see over time, trends come and go, and science evolves,' Martz said. 'It's a mistake to get stuck in one protocol as the fitness industry evolves in general.' Martz said she and her husband created their own version of a reformer called the XFormer to fit their studio's need,s and now it has also been adopted in studios around the world. She said it gives the other studio owners an opportunity to ' develop and use [a machine] for their own exercise protocol that is outside of the Lagree restrictions.' Lagree typically uses the MegaFormer, which was inspired by the Pilates reformer with five key differentiators. Neither is necessarily better than the other- in fact, Sebastian Lagree has repeatedly said 'I love Pilates!' If you are looking to hop on the trend and take a Pilates class, make sure you know what you are signing up for. Lagree is inspired but is going to a totally different high-intensity workout, where you will leave sweating and shaking. On the other hand, if you are recovering from an injury or want a lower-intensity method, Pilates is right for you.
Emirates Woman
11-07-2025
- Health
- Emirates Woman
The Summer Escape – The Summer Escape Issue cover shoot with Reform Athletica
Dina ElShurafa, Founder of Reform Athletica, shares how Pilates and TRX can carve out a sense of peace and mental escape this summer and beyond. Talk us through your background. I am a lawyer who has been practicing in London for the past 15 years. In fact, it was the very nature of my job that inspired me to start Reform Athletica during my frequent visits to Dubai. I split my time between London and Dubai and have recently taken the decision to step away from my legal career to focus on Reform Athletica as we embark on growing the brand within the GCC and beyond. What inspired you to launch Reform Athletica? Having experienced the benefits of strength training firsthand (lifting, TRX and reformer Pilates/Lagree), I wanted to bring to Dubai a concept that delivered a one-stop shop that catered to everyone's fitness needs. As a type 1 Diabetic myself, I know the importance of staying healthy and fit and we recognised a gap in the Dubai market for a class-based fitness studio with high-quality training. My work brought me to Dubai often and when searching for studios in the city to continue with my fitness regime, the options were few and far between. After some initial due diligence, it seemed like the opportune moment to make Dubai home to Reform Athletica. At Reform Athletica, we believe transformation comes through our signature approach, RITUAL, which is based on three pillars: Move, Connect, Reflect. For us, it is not a choice between parts, it is the loop that closes the circle, the rhythm that evolves as you do. These pillars are the foundation of our brand, our training philosophy and our community. Every decision, every design element, every class, and every experience stems from these pillars. We move together in class, we build connections in and out of class and through everything we do, we reflect on how far we've come. Reform Athletica was one of the first Lagree/Pilates studios in Dubai – how has the Lagree/Pilates game transformed in the UAE since you've launched? True to Dubai form, the emirate has outdone itself, even in the Lagree/Pilates market. When we opened there were only a handful of options, whereas we are now spoilt for choice. It is very encouraging to see a lot of start-ups opening and I believe that Dubai offers the very best due to the very nature of the city attracting the best talent. We are fortunate to have been one of the first and have built a great community over the past 7 and a half years and have clients and supporters (like Emirates Woman) who have been with us since the very start. We could not have done it without them. What are some of the key classes at Reform Athletica – tell us about the benefits. We have the Reform Method which is Lagree/Pilates for low impact but high intensity. The second is Strength, which is a bootcamp total body conditioning class using weights, TRX and bursts of cardio. The third is Sculpt & Burn for a matt Pilates barre fusion class, the fourth is Microform for a Lagree session that packs a punch using a smaller machine and the fifth is yoga, stretch and sound meditation for the reset of the body. We pride ourselves on having developed a holistic offering that caters to clients of all ages, fitness levels and backgrounds. Although we are known for our Lagree/Pilates, our unsung hero classes are the Strength bootcamp, micro TRX and yoga. My favourite class is RA Strength because it is a great cardio/HIIT style class that gets the heart rate up with a lot of lifting and weights. Can you tell us about the importance of strength training as women get into their 30s and 40s for longevity? Strength training is crucial not just for women in their 30s and 40s but men too, as it helps preserve muscle mass, boost metabolism, and improve bone density, which are all factors in preventing age-related decline and supporting long-term health. As we enter our 30s and 40s, our muscle mass naturally decreases, which is why resistance training (think lifting, TRX and body conditioning) helps maintain that muscle. I cannot stress enough how important this is, as the work we put in now will largely dictate how competently we can weather the inevitable consequences of aging. What are your top tips for maintaining a fitness routine even during the holidays? Get your steps in. That's the easiest way to stay active during the holidays. If you can't face the gym: walk, run, swim. Do something that is different from your usual routine if you can. If you're a gym aficionado, try to find a personal trainer wherever you're going to do at least one or two sessions a week. I've recently started doing that when I'm on the road and it's been great for mixing up my routine because every trainer is different, and your routine gets switched up with variety. It's also great as it holds me accountable and makes sure I get my workout in the schedule with no excuses to put it off. Tell us about the studio aesthetics – why was it important to design this that way? Brick and mortar is important and that starts with designing for a hospitable, comfortable and high-end environment. More so than aesthetics, it is important to create a place that works for what we want to do. We love to incorporate lots of light and earthy tones to create a space that is timeless and classy. Art is a very important element of our design and aesthetic at Reform Athletica – art is our 'wallpaper.' We believe that art has the ability to transform a space and at Reform Athletica we have an eclectic collection of artists from El Seed, Picasso, Damien Hirst and Fontana. The art of our studios has been collected over nearly a decade, years before the opening of our Jumeriah studio and the effort is constant. As we plan for expansion, we continue to monitor the art market and our search for interesting works covers Dubai and the auctions in London, Paris and New York. We have some interesting new works in our collection that will be displayed in the Abu Dhabi and Riyadh studios opening later this year, including Julian Opie, Niki Saint Phalle, and Kusama. What summer-specific classes or recovery tools do you recommend to beat burnout and heat exhaustion? Maintain your workout regime even during the summer. It's easy to slip out of the 'healthy habits' during the summer because of the holidays, but treat your summer as you do any other month. Approach it with intention and discipline and ensure you are getting enough sleep, drinking lots of water and maintaining movement in whatever form. Switch to indoor activities, whether fitness classes or even a game of padel when it is too hot outside. As a female founder balancing it all, what advice do you have for carving out mindful moments to reset for the busy season? Movement is the best reset. It is so easy to keep chugging along when you're busy with a never-ending to-do list. However, I have found that a walk, a class, a run, or a workout – any movement in whatever form, is the best way to break up the day, to reset, rebalance, and give the brain a break. Mindfulness is taking stock of where you are and understanding what your body and mind need. Once you've got that understanding, it becomes second nature to introduce mini mental and physical breaks for that much-needed reset. What are your expansion plans in the GCC? We've already announced earlier in the year our current expansion plans into Abu Dhabi and for our first location out of the UAE, in Riyadh. It feels like the natural next step for us, and we are very excited for where we will be by the end of 2025. That's not to say that we are done with Dubai – things are cooking behind the scenes, and we will share more news when the time is right. This is the very reason why I have stepped out of my legal career to focus on our expansion plans, and I am very excited for where we will take the brand over the next two to three years. This is The Summer Escape Issue – where do you plan on travelling to this Summer? Aside from London, I will be between Riyadh, Dubai and Abu Dhabi to oversee the new and existing locations. But I am hoping to get some time off in August for an active break in Switzerland. Scroll through the gallery below to discover the full shoot: Photographer: Ziga Mihelcic Creative Direction: Amy Sessions Fashion Editor: Camille Macawili Makeup & Hair: Karolina Kurowicka Model: Mansi at MMG Artists Styling with thanks to VAARA – For more on luxury lifestyle, news, fashion and beauty follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram
Emirates Woman
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Emirates Woman
10 aesthetic wellness studios to book in 2025
While we're all guilty of scrolling on our feeds for countless hours, seeing aesthetic bali-inspired wellness studios, it's time for us to pick up our own mat and begin the workout. As the UAE becomes a hub for wellness studios designed with minimal interiors. For a calming experience to take a break from the hustle of daily life, these studios are the perfect rejuvenating haven To revamp your fitness routine, Emirates Woman has curated a guide of all the wellness studios to visit in the UAE. Balans This quaint boutique space offers a venue to switch off from the hustle of daily life. The intimate studio can accommodate up to seven individuals in the Pilates room and Yoga studio. With a focus on recovery, advanced contrast ice baths and specialised muscle recovery treatments, each customer can feel healthier, fit and more aligned with their wellness goals. For more information visit Gigi View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mahrah (@ As the first studio in the Middle East to introduce Miniformers, Gigi provides exclusive Lagree workouts alongside traditional Megaformer sessions. This makes it a unique destination for both seasoned practitioners and newcomers. This wellness sanctuary located in Dubai's Mirdif Avenue Mall, offering a harmonious blend of Lagree and yoga practices. The studio's design is inspired by the serene beauty of deserts and forests, creating a tranquil environment for its members. For more information visit HWH Studio Having recently opened in Dubai's new Delano hotel, this space is crafted to be an oasis of calm and inspiration, offering a curated selection of classes, treatments, and experiences designed to nurture the body, mind, and soul. Our new studio is a seamless blend of Delano's iconic elegance and our commitment to holistic well-being, providing guests and visitors with an environment where luxury and wellness harmonise. Overall, this luxury boutique Yoga, Pilates and Wellness space offers visitors an immersive experience to switch off in solitude. The studio is led by renowned yoga instructor Adrienne Everett in Burj Al Arab too. For more information visit Sohum This luxurious new Ayuvedic wellness space features a yoga studio, sound healing, hot and cold therapy rooms. Sohum Wellness Sanctuary is a premium holistic wellness center located in Al Quoz First, Dubai. The sanctuary offers a range of Ayurvedic experiences aimed at promoting balance, healing, and reflection. It's located in Al Quoz First, and includes holistic treatments including Reiki, Sound Healing, and Shamanic Breathwork. It's open 9am to 9pm. For more information visit another mars View this post on Instagram A post shared by Another Mars (@anothermars_ae) Inspired by Himalayan healing, this rehabilitation spa is a membership-only venue in the heart of Umm Suqeim. Paus Club 2.0 Enjoy world-class padel courts, yoga classes, reformer Pilates, and strength training sessions. Connect at community events designed to inspire. Paus Club is located on Al Wasl Rd, Umm Suqeim 1306 with an array of wellness treatments and programmes for everyone who enters to unwind. For more information visit Form Studio View this post on Instagram A post shared by FORM STUDIO (@ Form Studio is a dedicated Lagree fitness studio located in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. They offer a variety of classes, including Lagree, Yoga, and Deep Stretch, all instructed by a fully Lagree-certified team. It's located in Saadiyat Noon Building, Abu Dhabi, open from Monday to Thursday: 6AM to 8PM. Brrn Barre View this post on Instagram A post shared by Brrn Barre (@brrnbarre) This LA-inspired wellness studio has made waves in Dubai this year. With Hot Cardio at its core, the studio offers a fusion of Barre, functional training and core Pilates movements in the hot rooms with infrared heating to target all our wellness needs. The studio will be located in Goshi Warehouse City, Al Quoz. For more information visit PEAQ – Social Wellness Club This social wellness club in Dubai, offers a unique sanctuary where fitness, recovery, and community converge. This innovative space, inspired by traditional communal wellness practices, provides a haven for individuals seeking to escape the fast-paced city life and prioritize their well-being. With a focus on holistic health, PEAQ offers a diverse range of services, including high-intensity workouts like Lagree Method, rejuvenating recovery treatments like ice baths and hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and calming practices such as breathwork and sound healing. Beyond physical wellness, PEAQ fosters social connections through its in-house café, providing a welcoming environment for members to relax, work, and socialise. By combining cutting-edge fitness techniques with traditional healing practices and a strong sense of community, PEAQ redefines the concept of wellness, offering a transformative experience for those who seek a balanced and fulfilling lifestyle. For more information visit Plume Studio View this post on Instagram A post shared by Plume (@ Dubai's newest women-only fitness and wellness destination, now offers a refined menu of therapy services designed to restore balance, release tension, and elevate overall well-being. Whether you're seeking deep relaxation, post-workout recovery, or targeted muscle relief, each session is personalised by an expert therapist to meet your unique needs. Therapy options include sports therapy, lymphatic drainage, and stress-relieving treatments that enhance mobility and support physical renewal. It's located on 440A Al Wasl, Jumeirah 2, Dubai. For more information visit – For more about Dubai's lifestyle, news and fashion scene follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram. Feature Image: Instagram @flow2glow @mouchouu__
Campaign ME
26-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- Campaign ME
YSL Beauty and PEAQ blur the lines between wellness and beauty
Wellness is no longer a side quest – it's the main story. As explored in our luxury issue, the concept of luxury is shifting from exclusivity to emotional, physical and sensory well-being. This shift is increasingly visible across sectors, including beauty. A recent example, the sensory-filled activation by YSL Beauty and PEAQ, a social wellness club in the Middle East. The collaboration reflects how wellness is moving beyond traditional hospitality – embedding itself into daily routines, personal care, and beauty rituals. 'We weren't interested in creating a branded moment for the sake of branding. The idea was simple: what if beauty was already part of your recovery? Not something added on, but something integrated,' says Alwee Villarosa, Creative & Brand Strategy Director, Internaut. 'We're always asking: how do we turn routines into rituals?' says Ali Hassoun, PEAQ's founder. 'When you combine movement, scent, and intention, you're not just caring for the body – you're shifting the emotional tone of the entire day. That's the kind of awareness we were after. Not fleeting attention, but lasting association. When a product becomes a part of how you feel – that's when it lives beyond the campaign. Integrating beauty into recovery Working with creative agency Internaut, ComCo Middle East & Africa, and Jack Taylor PR, PEAQ designed an activation built around YSL Beauty's Libre L'Eau Nue, an alcohol-free fragrance centered on softness with notes of lavender and orange blossom. 'The message was quiet but clear: wellness isn't just internal. It's in the mood you set, the rituals you build, and the space that holds you,' mentioned Villarosa. The scent was diffused during Lagree cooldowns, while the hydration bar carried the same fragrance notes. Instructors led breathwork and visualisations inspired by the scent, creating an immersive and sensory environment. The Libre L'Eau Nue shower gel, body oil, lotion, and fragrance were placed strategically in the changing rooms, not with signage or fanfare. It was simply part of the ritual. Something you instinctively reached for after class and was aimed to be a moment of rest. 'We didn't present the range as a display. We embedded it,' said Josie Delfin Perret, Head of Hospitality, ComCo Middle East and Africa. She continues, 'The goal was emotional connection – not just exposure. We wanted people to feel something, and to connect that feeling to the scent. Calm. Softness. A sense of return. Not a hard sell, not product placement. Just memory, formed through repetition and atmosphere.' In the Lagree sessions, instructors paired scent with breath, and guiding members through a visualisation that felt like a reset. A warm summer evening. A softer pace. A moment of pause. The perfume became more than a fragrance. It became the anchor to that state of mind,' added Josie Delfin Perret, Head of Hospitality, ComCo Middle East and Africa. A sensory approach to marketing This activation reflected a broader shift in how people define wellness. It's about how you feel in your environment. The atmosphere you create, the textures you reach for, the energy you carry with you. The intersection of beauty and wellness now includes fragrance, skincare, self-expression in recovery. 'We want PEAQ to be the point where beauty and wellness meet. Not as two separate industries, but as one lived experience,' says Hassoun. It came from a wider shift in how people are redefining wellness. It's no longer limited to movement or nutrition. It includes what you apply to your skin, how you recover, how you express yourself. There's a growing awareness that fragrance, skincare, and self-presentation are all part of well-being. This was an opportunity to show that in a lived, embodied way. YSL and PEAQ partner for Lagree and Libre Influencers and creators were part of the activation, but the focus was on community. The event was open to the public, and intentionally designed around PEAQ's regular members – people who already move through the space, know its rhythm, and engage with its rituals. 'Everyone experienced it the same way . That made all the difference. They weren't promoting an idea. They were participating in something they already care about. Their content reflected that – it felt personal and grounded, not staged,' comments Hassoun By centring real community members, the campaign created resonance over reach; beauty wasn't being advertised it was being used. In doing so, the activation moved beyond product placement and became a memory trigger – a fragment of someone's day, not a performance for the algorithm. The roll-out of YSL Beauty and PEAQ The activation was promoted mainly through Instagram – using reels, stories, and formats that felt intimate and unfiltered. 'We weren't interested in content that looked branded. We wanted it to feel lived-in. That's how we like to show up online: present, unfiltered, and in rhythm with the space. The goal wasn't to flood the feed, but to make people feel like they were in the room. Watching something unfold in real time, not watching an ad,' said Hassoun. Partnered with ComCo Middle East & Africa to lead media outreach, influencer curation, and campaign amplification. Their team ensured we had the right voices in the room – creators, tastemakers, and wellness figures whose presence felt aligned with both the product and the space. The Internaut, the creative agency, led visual direction and digital storytelling. They shaped how the experience would live online – subtle, sensory, and grounded in how the activation actually felt. From campaign assets to real-time content, they captured all the raw moments. Jack Taylor PR, brought YSL Beauty to PEAQ. 'They helped build a bridge between two brands that believe in mood, presence, and intentional rituals,' comments Hassoun. Together, the teams translated a physical, atmospheric experience that brought the world of beauty and wellness together.
Miami Herald
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Celebrity Trainer Sebastien Lagree on How Nicole Kidman and More Sculpt Their Bodies - And You Can Too
When it comes to long, lean, camera-ready bodies, A-listers like Nicole Kidman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston and Meghan Markle all have one thing in common: Lagree. The low-impact, high-intensity workout method created by Sebastien Lagree has become a go-to for celebs looking to sculpt, strengthen and tone their bodies without spending hours at the gym or risking injury. So what makes Lagree so powerful? And more importantly, how can the rest of us train like Hollywood royalty? Life & Style exclusively caught up with Sebastien himself to find out. Q: Nicole Kidman recently shared that Lagree is her workout of choice. Why does it work so well for her physique? Sebastien: Nicole has an endurance body, long, lean, defined. Lagree is actually the perfect workout for her. The method works well with her anatomy, and with a little bit of effort, she sees great results. I've always enjoyed training Nicole. She comes in ready to work. No BS. Q: Gwyneth Paltrow also trains at Studio Lagree. What would you recommend for someone who wants to build strength and tone like her? Sebastien: Same with Gwyneth, she also has an endurance body, and Lagree is ideal for her type. I always recommend the essential Lagree moves: Elevator Lunge, Runner's Lunge, Mega Donkey, Sexy Back… the classics are classics for a reason. Q: Jennifer Aniston is another longtime fan. What kind of results does she go for? Sebastien: I've only trained most of these celebrities a few times before they continued at other studios but with Jennifer, we focused a lot on glutes. Most women want to tone and lift the butt and Lagree does that better than anything else out there. Q: What about Meghan Markle, what makes her athletic look achievable with Lagree? Sebastien: I've never trained Meghan directly, but she used to go to one of my licensed studios. I believe she loved the lunges and for good reason. Lunges strengthen, tighten, tone the legs, increase metabolism, and trigger a fat-burning, muscle-building response. Q: What would a pre–red carpet session look like for a celebrity? Sebastien: Easy. We do an AAA routine: Ass, Abs, Arms. Celebs want to walk the red carpet with a firm, flat stomach and toned arms. Q: How is Lagree different from traditional Pilates? Sebastien: Pilates isn't a workout, at least it wasn't until I came into the picture. Pilates lacks time under tension, progressive overload, and it mostly strengthens smaller muscles. That's great for balance, but not for transformation. Lagree targets larger muscle groups, which is key to burning fat and building muscle. That's why it works. Q: What's one underrated Lagree move everyone should try? Sebastien: The Super Lunge. You could do a 25-minute class with just that move. I'm actually writing an entire course around it. Q: For beginners, what equipment or class should they try? Sebastien: I create tools and each one has its benefits. For home use, I recommend the Micro, Mini, or Mini Pro machines. Whether you're prepping for your own big event or just want to feel stronger, Lagree offers a Hollywood-tested method with real results. Copyright 2025 A360 Media. All rights reserved.
