This Workout Will Humble You, No Matter How Strong You Are

Slow, steady, yet intense

“I’ve been doing all these activities, and this is the hardest one,” Brent Javier, VMAN Southeast Asia Media Channels editor, quips after a quick lagree session. 

In a previous episode of City Guide, Brent went through the seemingly calm motions of the whole body workout. If you look closely though, you could see him visibly shaking and sweating—what gives?

The answer lies in the mechanisms of the Megaformer, the machine used for lagree. Comprising a moving platform, springs, and handles, it allows users to perform a variety of exercises such as squats, planks, lunges, and other movements unique to lagree. Inspired by bodybuilding principles and movements, the Megaformer utilizes the resistance of the springs to engage different muscle groups. 

It fits seamlessly within the schedules of busy professionals—in as little as 20 minutes, lagree gets to strengthen and tone over 600 muscles at once. 

The slow and controlled movements maximize engagement without straining the joints. By putting muscles under prolonged tension, the workout improves your strength, definition, endurance, flexibility, and balance—but not without making you shake, sweat, and sore first.  

That’s the culprit: deliberate prolonged tension. Holding certain poses and going through certain movements at a snail’s pace are actually more challenging than it sounds. It’s already tiring enough to hold a squat—imagine doing so with added resistance from a machine. 

“You really don’t know what to expect. It’s a totally unique workout,” says Katrina Mangubat, an instructor at Ultra Lagree in Manila. She observes that even the most avid gym-goers and muscled individuals get humbled when they try it for the first time. “The muscle activation for the full 45-minute workout is something that is not usually done, and I think that’s what makes people come back.”

“With lagree, sometimes you need to stop and take it slow—and that is where the magic happens,” she adds, emphasizing the importance of pacing and recovery over brute force. “I think it’s something that everyone should experience.”

Developed by fitness professional Sebastien Lagree, the exercise has taken over boutique studios worldwide. It has been named the #1 workout in the United States by fitness subscription service ClassPass, and lagree is currently being offered in over 600 facilities globally. 

Check out Brent’s lagree experience and watch the full episode of City Guide below:

Photos courtesy Lagree Fitness, Sebastien Lagree