Reformer Pilates Vs. Lagree And What We're Trying This Year

From the outside, Reformer Pilates and Lagree look almost interchangeable. Springs, platforms, straps. Slow, controlled movements promising strength without impact. We assumed the difference would be subtle.

It wasn’t.

We tried both. And after Lagree, and more specifically, the Microformer, we genuinely couldn’t walk properly for three days. No exaggeration or editorial drama. Just very sore legs, stiff stairs, and a few good laughs.

Precision versus pressure

Reformer Pilates feels rooted in intention. Every movement is purposeful, guided by breath and alignment. It challenges you quietly, asking for control rather than force. You leave feeling worked, but also lengthened and recalibrated as if lyour body had been gently reorganised rather than pushed to its edge.

Lagree isn't exactly as gentle and it isn’t “just Pilates on a different machine.” Created in Los Angeles and patented by founder Sebastien Lagree in 2006, with the explicit goal of delivering specific results, it focuses more on integrated strength and endurance. It’s a high-intensity, low-impact, full-body method built around strength, endurance, and a cardio effect, all performed on the Megaformer (or its smaller variations, like the Microformer).

What makes it feel so brutal isn’t speed, it’s the opposite. Lagree is obsessed with time under tension: slow, continuous movements that keep your muscles working for longer than they want to, often paired with isometrics and isokinetics (think: holding, shaking, moving at a controlled tempo). That’s why it can feel like you’re “barely moving,” while your body is fully on fire.

And then there’s the machine difference: while both use spring resistance,  the Megaformer is more of a fitness machine than a rehabilitation tool: larger, more ergonomic, with front and back platforms and handles that allow for more variety and faster transitions (which also means less rest).

The Microformer looks minimal, almost understated, until you’re on it. Movements are painfully slow, holds feel endless, and rest barely exists. Every muscle is switched on at once. The shaking is expected, encouraged, even. We went in thinking it would feel similar but harder. In our humble opinion, it was much harder (that microformer thing is not for the weak.)

How it actually feels

Reformer Pilates wakes up deep muscles you didn’t know you had. It’s technical, controlled, and humbling in a subtle way. You may not leave drenched in sweat, but your posture improves, your core feels awake, and your body feels more cooperative afterwards.

Lagree feels like endurance training disguised as low impact movement. The burn builds quietly, then completely takes over. It’s the kind of workout where you wake up the next day thinking you’re fine... until you try to stand up.

Studios on our radar

Reform Atheltica , ICD Brookfield and Jumeirah, Dubai

PEAQ Wellness, Dubai

SOAR Lagree, Beirut

Lagree with Sauce, Jeddah

FORM, Abu Dhabi

Origin Circle, Beirut

Namat, Beirut

Corelab, Amman

Sculpt, Doha

Curve Club, Abu Dhabi

What else we’re curious to try this year

As much as Reformer and Lagree dominate the conversation, movement today feels bigger than any single method. This year, we’re drawn to workouts that combine community, creativity, and intention and not just results.

SYNKRO

Well technically we already tried. Part movement, part performance, part sensory experience, SYNKRO blends rhythm, coordination, and strength into something that feels expressive rather than punishing. It’s less about isolating muscles and more about syncing body and mind through flow. Challenging, yes but also joyful and immersive. The group of women all following the choreography in synch, as we're all whispered the same encouragements through the headset, brings a sense of empowerment very little other workouts managed to bring us. Plus, the insane views from One Za'abeel truly add to the experience.

More info and bookings, here

Barre50

Then there’s Barre50, where ballet-inspired precision meets serious strength. Small movements, deep burn, impeccable posture. It’s elegant on the surface and brutal underneath, the kind of workout that looks graceful until you’re halfway through and questioning your life choices.

More info, here

Gray Wellness

We’re also drawn to spaces that don’t separate movement from restoration. Gray Wellness feels like a response to burnout culture, offering reformer, yoga, strength, and recovery under one roof. It’s less about chasing intensity for its own sake and more about balance, longevity, and listening to the body. The kind of place where working out and slowing down can coexist.

More info, here

FS8

You're already know we're obsessed with F45. Its sister company FS8 is the perfect miy of reformer pilates and strength: just like at F45, you follow a screen while an instructor goes around making sure you're executing the movements correctly. With a first regional opening in Qatar, FS8 recently made its way to Abu Dhabi.

More info, here

And for the mind and soul...

A vision board workshop morning with Nour Bachir, mindset coach and founder of Bedaya. Happening this Sunday January 11th in Dubai, it promises to help you 'design your personal vision board, set powerful intentions, and take the first step toward manifesting your dreams for the year ahead.' To sign up, click here

And yes, run clubs are still very much alive

One of the most refreshing things about Dubai’s movement culture is how run clubs have quietly become a staple of city life: low-barrier, social, and surprisingly joyful. They’re less about beating personal records and more about shared rhythms, scenic routes, and community energy.

On the social end of the spectrum, Jumeirah Johns Running Club feels like a weekly ritual with friends rather than a formal workout. Runs are welcoming to all levels, and you’ll often come away with new conversations, and perhaps plans for coffee or brunch afterward.

Not far behind in scale and vibe is Dubai Creek Striders, one of the city’s most established groups. Their routes often wind along scenic waterfronts and historic pockets of the city, giving each session a sense of place and pace that’s as much about exploration as it is about cardio.

Then there’s the gently community-oriented Humantra Running Club, which blends run and walk sessions with stretching and social intervals; a slower-paced, intentional way to start the weekend that feels more like wellness with friends than training.

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