Leeds joins LA and London to sign up to the latest fitness craze
YOU might have heard of CrossFit, Bodypump and Spin, but the likelihood is you haven’t the foggiest what the Lagree Fitness Method is. And that’s because you won’t find it at your regular gym. In fact you won’t find it anywhere else in the country apart from London, and even there only three studios offer this unique type of full body conditioning.
Meghan Markle is a devotee, as are Jennifer Aniston and Michelle Obama – and lucky Leeds fitness fans can also hanker after a lean physique
Lagree is a high-intensity, low-impact workout, effective due to constant time under tension through a series of exercises on a cutting-edge piece of kit called the Megaformer. Meghan Markle is a devotee, as are Jennifer Aniston and Michelle Obama – and lucky Leeds fitness fans can also hanker after a lean physique thanks to Love Lagree which opened at The Gateway just over a year ago.
We caught up with co-owners Lorraine Jenkins and Craig Noble, and trainer Kat Crisp, to find out more.
SC: Having instructed every fitness class going from Military PT to Ballet Barre, what makes Lagree rewarding for you and your clients?
CN: “Being of service to help anyone improve their health and fitness is a real privilege. To do that, we utilise the Megaformer machine which enables the instructor to cover all the basic components of fitness (cardio, strength, endurance balance and flexibility) in a 50-minute class. To witness the results of how the Lagree method helps the client’s ‘overall’ health and fitness is beyond rewarding and generally noticeable within six to eight classes. I only wish the Megaformer had been around 20 years ago. I know for a fact that from a performance level, and an injury preventive perspective, I would have achieved far greater results had the Lagree method been included into my weekly training programme.”
KC: “The method helps me to understand my strengths and weaknesses, allowing me to work on improving them, both during the sessions and outside in my own training. I have learnt so much about my body from the method. It also allows me complete mind-muscle connection… which is much harder to get in a commercial gym.”
SC: The health industry is quick to leap on the latest trend – is Lagree here to stay?
CN: “Lagree has been around for 12 years or so, it’s already become a household name in America and I don’t think it will be long before the ‘future of fitness’ gains the status here in the UK that it deserves – especially as more and more prominent people talk about its benefits.”
LJ: “[Founder] Sebastien Lagree is constantly evolving the Megaformers to make the workout even more effective.”
SC: Are the Megaformers as scary as they look? Do you need to be in shape before you try the workout?
LJ: “They’re definitely not as scary as they look. In fact they really help the client feel safe during exercises and transitions. It’s always good to have some basic fitness level before getting on the Megaformer, but we have had complete beginners and seen quick improvements.”
CN: “I’ve had a former Olympic athlete training in the same class as a 75-year-old lady; my point being that everyone in the class finishes the workout with the same training effect relative to themselves. That’s the beauty of the method – it caters for everyone no matter the level of fitness, beginner or advanced!”
SC: How does the studio stand out on the Leeds gym circuit?
KC: “There is nothing like it. Firstly it’s a specialist boutique gym, but more than that it is a community. All the clients know each other and all chat together before and after class; they are genuine friends now. There is such a fantastic energy and atmosphere within the studio that it’s hard not to fall in love with it and the process.”
Fancy giving it a go? You can experience Lagree just a stone’s throw from Leeds bus station, with a variety of class passes available to suit every budget.
Love Lagree, Unit 3, The Gateway West, East Street, LS9 8DZ
