By Juan Markos
Marina del Rey, CA (The Hollywood Times) 8/9/24 – These days, it seems like everyone is talking about Pilates. There’s a new Pilates studio opening almost every week. Yoga used to be the big thing in LA, but it has slowly faded away. I used to see people carrying yoga mats everywhere, but not so much anymore. I used to be really into yoga but fell out of my routine and out of the fitness lifestyle. Recently, I’ve been getting back into fitness. I’ve been avoiding carbs and junk food and slowly getting back into working out. I considered going back to yoga, but I didn’t feel ready for it. I’ve been hearing a lot about Pilates, so I decided to give it a try this week.
I work in West LA and spend time visiting my mom on the West Side, so I decided to check out a Pilates studio in that area. I visited The Studio (MDR), which has three studios in the Marina del Rey Playa Vista Area, a new one in Manhattan Beach, and the Culver City location that I visited. It’s across the street from Sony Studios in Downtown Culver City. I chose to walk there and do a bit of a warm-up. A couple of friends who are into Pilates warned me that it was going to be challenging, so I thought I should do some stretching, especially since I had never done Pilates before. The location is very modern, and the staff is all super nice. When I mentioned I had never done Pilates, they immediately corrected me and told me it was not exactly Pilates; it was Lagree Fitness, a total body workout done on Lagree Megaformers tables, which provides constant resistance and more exercise options than traditional equipment.
My instructor was Prima Tesh. She guided us through the 45-minute workout, which was enjoyable. It was a low-impact workout at first, feeling more like stretching. The table helped me get into a lot of positions that I don’t think I could have done without it. Prima adjusted some of my positions, and she was very attentive to everyone in the class. With her guidance, I pushed myself to do positions I didn’t think my body could handle until now. The class ended just when I thought I couldn’t go on. I had never sweated so much in my life. I walked back to work, then went to a film festival, and felt great all day. Today, I feel like I’ve been lifting weights; I can feel the workout in my arms, legs, and abs. The workout was much more intense than I expected.
It’s important to clarify that the Lagree fitness workout isn’t just for women; it’s a serious workout that I believe will transform my body. I’ve already scheduled another class, and I urge everyone to check out The Studio (MDR) at one of their 5 locations. For more information, visit https://www.thestudiomdr.com
