TikTok loves a viral fitness trend, and if there’s one that’s here to stay, it’s the ever-popular reformer workout. If you’ve ever had to hold a neverending plank on what appears to be a medieval torture device, you know it’s no joke. But what you may not know is that the intense classes you’ve been going to might not really be Pilates – in fact, they could be closer to an entirely separate type of fitness, known as The Lagree Method.
When it comes to the Pilates vs. Lagree debate, there’s a lot to unpack (and TikTok is already on it). The two workouts may appear similar at a glance, but they’re completely different, each with their own approaches, sets of principles, and fitness aims. You can think of reformer workouts like a venn diagram: Pilates, Lagree, then everything in between, says movement instructor José San Miguel, the studio manager at FlowCorps Durham. Because there’s a gray area these days about what Pilates isn’t and isn’t, it’s important to know exactly what you’re signing up for.
