Lagree vs. Pilates: Which Workout Is Right for You?

For the most part, Lagree is a slow burn. In a typical class, you might perform one movement for 2 to 12 minutes straight, says Lagree. The reps themselves feel like theyre occurring in slow motion; one single rep, performed at a standard tempo of four counts, might take 16 to 20 seconds to complete. Rest breaks between reps? Dont count on them. Expect your heart rate to climb thanks to this nonstop movement.

Lagree is a muscular and also a mental endurance workout, because at one point, you realize that, Okay, I can keep going or I could stop. I dont have to stop, but I want to, because its [burning], he says. Thats when all the benefits of Lagree start to come in. Lagree is a workout that is incredibly mental.

However, the intensity and pace of a Pilates class vary a lot, based on the type of Pilates youre doing (classical vs. contemporary) and how the instructor has choreographed their sequences. With classical classes, you dont stop movingafter all, flow is one of the core principles of Pilates, says Henderson. Youll seamlessly move from one exercise to the next, with these transitions feeling more like work than a breather, she says. When I teach, we are sweating from minute number two all the way to minute 50 or 60, says Henderson.

On the flip side, contemporary classes may not have as much flow from one move to the next; the transitions arent inherently baked into a set exercise sequence, so you may have more idle time (read: rest!) as you change your springs or switch focuses. Some contemporary studios also offer low-key classes centered around stretching with traditional Pilates apparatus.

So is Lagree better than Pilates?

Nope! No single workout is inherently better than the other. In fact, Lagree himself suggests doing both his method and Pilates if you can swing it. I have a lot of students who do both Lagree and real Pilates, and they're having great results, he says. So I'm always an advocate of doing cross-training and doing Pilates or doing, you know, Lagree and yoga.

If you had to pick between one of the two methods, consider your goals and how you move elsewhere in your fitness routine.

Pilates can be helpful if you sit hunched over a desk all day and, as a result, have tight hips and poor posture, says Henderson. The same goes for folks who wear uncomfortable shoes or heels on a regular basis. Pilates, yes, is about core, but it's also integrating and rebalancing the entire body, says Henderson. So we even address the feet and hands. We have equipment for feet and hands and toes and back realignment.

You might see benefits from Pilates if youre struggling with mobility or balance or youre an athlete overtraining specific muscle groups, she adds. There's a lot of athletes doing Pilates right now, and part of that is because on one side of their workout regimen, they are working on these bigger muscles. Pilates works on the small musclesthe muscles that we don't think are important but help us walk, run, stand, jump, sit down, lie down, roll over. The list goes on and on.

On the flip side, you might try low-impact Lagree if youre used to training at high intensities and want to continue getting that burn in as you age or develop joint issues, says the founder. You might choose Lagree if youre looking to build up your muscular endurance and test out some unfamiliar movements (giant spoon, anyone?).

Better yet, says Henderson, try them all. Try athletic, try contemporary, try Lagreetry it all and just see what feels the best. I think ultimately, we just want people to move their bodies.

Related:

Get more of SELFs great fitness content delivered right to your inbox.

Page 2

All products featured on Self are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links.