Lagree Fitness is all about strength, core work, and fatiguing your muscles; the workout focuses on muscular strength and and muscular endurance and claims that it’s the only workout balancing high intensity with low-impact movements. If you’re familiar with Lagree Fitness, then you have probably taken a class on the Megaformer – a piece of equipment that’s like a Pilates reformer on steroids, which works to help you strengthen and tone your muscles and work your core. However, the founder of Lagree insists it’s different from Pilates.
The good news is you don’t need a bunch of fancy equipment to get in a good, muscle-quaking Lagree Fitness workout. POPSUGAR tapped two Lagree Fitness instructors, Tracy Carlinsky and Lucy Sexton, who are also founders of Bonded by the Burn. Bonded by the Burn is a fitness platform offering live and on demand workouts you can stream right at home. It was started in the middle of the pandemic in 2020 as a way for people to connect to each other through fitness. Carlinsky and Sexton wanted to challenge the idea that at-home workouts are somehow “easier,” and they promise their classes will deliver some of the hardest workouts you’ve ever tried.
Ready for a challenge? Carlinksy and Sexton put together a 25-minute Lagree Fitness workout for POPSUGAR readers using just gliders (or two paper plates) and mini loop resistance bands. But don’t let the minimal equipment fool you – this workout will have you sweaty in minutes and target your whole body (but especially your core!). It’s a fusion of strength training, core conditioning, and HIIT, with a focus on compound, full-body movements. “You can expect burning, shaking, tingling, an elevated heart rate, and a rise in your self-confidence . . . the more you practice, the better you’ll get,” they told POPSUGAR. If you like this workout, be sure to check out more from Bonded by the Burn.
25-Minute At-Home Lagree Fitness Workout
Equipment: Heavy tension loop band, gliders (or two paper plates), and a mat.
Directions: Start with a full-body warmup, then complete the exercises back-to-back in order as listed. Although rest periods aren’t built in to the workout, Sexton recommended listening to your body and taking rests as needed; she said a good time to rest would be when transitioning from the lower-body-focused exercises to the planking exercises and vice versa. After the workout, be sure to cool down with some static stretches.
Jaime Tomei
Banded Lateral Walk
- Place a tension loop band around your ankles. Stand with your feet slightly wider than hips width apart, so that the band is taut.
- Hinge at your hips to sit your hips back, bring your torso slightly forward and lower your thighs about parallel to the ground. Lift your chest and clasp your hands in front of your torso.
- Keep your hips low, press your knees slightly out, and maintain tension in the band as you take two steps to the right and then two steps to the left.
- Maintain tension in the band throughout for optimal glute activation.
- Repeat for 30 seconds.
Jaime Tomei
Banded In Out Squat Jumps
- Place a heavy tension loop band around your ankles. Stand with your feet slightly wider than hips width apart, so that the band is taut.
- Hinge at your hips to sit your hips back, bring your torso slightly forward and lower your thighs about parallel to the ground. Lift your chest and clasp your hands in front of your torso.
- Keep your hips low and pelvis still as you pull your feet together and then jump your feet apart, landing back in your starting position.
- Repeat for 30 seconds.
Shane Lopez
Banded Adductor Jump
- Place a heavy tension loop band around your legs above your knees. Stand with your feet slightly wider than hips width apart, so that the band is taut.
- Hinge at your hips to sit your hips back, bring your torso slightly forward and lower your thighs about parallel to the ground. Lift your chest and clasp your hands in front of your torso.
- Press into your feet to explode off the floor, pulling your inner thighs together. Swing your arms back to help propel you up.
- Release and open your legs as you land softly into your squat, bringing your arms in front of your chest and shitting your weight back into your heels.
- Upon landing, repeat the next the jump.
- Repeat for 30 seconds.
Shane Lopez
Right Side: Banded Side Lunge With Step Out
- Loop a heavy tension circle band around the front of your right ankle and arch of your left foot.
- Take a large step out to the right, firmly planting your right foot to the floor, shifting weight into your heel. Hinge at your hips to sit your hips back into a single leg squat, bring your torso slightly forward, lower your thigh about parallel to the ground and align your knee over your ankle. Straighten your left leg and lift your left heel off the floor. Open your chest and clasp your hands in front of your torso. Shift your body weight over to the right.
- Holding your partial squat, load the majority of your weight onto the right side and with control slowly step your left foot in and out.
- Repeat on the right side for 1 minute.
Shane Lopez
Right Side: Banded Split Jump: Right Side
- Keeping the band around your right ankle and arch of your left foot, assume a split squat position with your right foot forward and left knee below your hip. Anchor your right heel into the floor.
- Hinge from your hips and align your torso over your right thigh, sit your hips back and down to find a 90-degree position in both legs, and bring your arms in front of your chest to maintain balance.
- Drive through your right heel, swing your arms back, and hold tension into the band as you jump up, pressing the arch of your left foot back into the band.
- Land softly back into a split squat position, bringing your arms in front of your chest, torso over your right thigh, left knee below your hip and weight into your right heel.
- Repeat on the right side for 30 seconds
Shane Lopez
Right Side: Banded Back Lunge With Knee Drive: Right Side
- With your feet hips width apart, step the arch of your right foot into the center of your heavy tension loop band, grab the band with your left hand, and pull your left arm back.
- Step your left foot back to fully extend your left leg. Bend your right leg and lower down into a lunge, bringing your thigh about parallel to the floor. Align your torso over your right thigh, bring your knee over your ankle and weight into your right heel.
- Keep your right thigh low and hold tension in the band with your left arm as you drive your left leg forward for a center squat, and then extend your leg back to the starting position.
- Repeat for 1 minute.
Shane Lopez
Right Side: Reverse Lunge Tap to High Knees: Right Side
- Step your right foot forward and left foot back. Bend your back (left) knee under your left hip and lower your hips, so your right thigh is almost parallel to the floor and both legs are bent at 90 degrees. Stack your shoulders over your hips and clasp your hands in front of your chest.
- Tap your left knee to the floor two times, then complete 3 alternating high knees by lifting your back (left) knee up toward your chest and then switch to lift your right knee, then left knee again, moving at a running pace.
- Softly land into the reverse lunge position with your right foot forward, left foot back and both legs at 90 degrees. Repeat two knee taps and 3 high knees.
- Continue on the right side for 1 minute.
Shane Lopez
Right Side: Reverse Lunge to Knee Drive Jump: Right Side
- Step your right foot forward and left foot back. Hinge from your hips and align your torso over your right thigh, bend your back (left) knee under your left hip and hover your knee off the floor. Sit your hips back and down, so your right thigh is almost parallel to the floor and both legs are bent at 90 degrees.
- Drive your left arm forward and right arm back to find balance.
- Press into your right heel and drive your back (left) knee up and toward your chest as you explode off the floor and simultaneously drive your right arm forward to maintain balance. Use your arms to propel you off the floor.
- As you descend from the jump, control your left leg back behind you and bring your right arm forward to return to the original lunge position. Land on the ball of your left foot and soften your left knee to hover it off the floor. Shift the weight into your right heel and align your right knee over your ankle.
- Repeat on the right side for 30 seconds.
Jaime Tomei
Right Side: Criss-Cross Pike
- Grab two paper plates or gliding discs. Place your hands on the mat, crisscross your right leg in front of your left, and place each foot on a gliding disc.
- Space out your feet so that your knees don’t touch. Roll to the inner edge of your right foot and press your left heel down into the glider.
- Rotate your left hip open toward the ceiling and right hip toward the floor. Evenly press through your palms, squeeze your inner thighs together, and pull your tailbone down toward your back heel.
- Press into your back heel and press your palms away from the floor as you slowly pike your right hip up and bring your chest toward your thighs.
- Slowly lower your hips back down, bringing them in line with your shoulders. As you lower your hips, open your left hip toward the ceiling, scoop your right hip toward your rib cage, and squeeze your inner thighs together.
- Repeat on the right side for 1 minute and continue to focusing on moving slowly.
Jaime Tomei
Right Side: Side Plank With Single Leg Slide
- Roll to your right side with your right forearm flat to the mat and elbow directly under your shoulder.
- Straighten your legs and stagger your feet, keeping your right foot on the glider and stepping your left foot back to the floor.
- Lift your left arm and bring your left hand behind your ear. Keeping your right foot on the glider, slowly slide your right leg out and then pull your right leg back toward your left.
- Repeat for 30 seconds.
Shane Lopez
Right Side: Side Crunch With V-Up: Right Side
- Lie on your left side with your left forearm on the mat. Lift your right arm and place your right hand behind your head. Straighten both legs and hover them off the floor.
- Keeping your bottom right leg lifted, lift your top right leg up and then control it back down to meet your left. Roll back to the middle of your left glute, angle your legs 30 degrees from your hips, and with straight legs, lift your legs off the floor, bringing your torso towards your legs. Roll forward to your left hip returning to your starting position.
- Continue for 1 minute.
Shane Lopez
Right Side: Side Plank Pike
- With one plate or glider, stack your left foot on top of your right.
- Align your hips with your shoulders, press evenly through your palms, twist your hips open to the side of the room as you keep your shoulder square.
- Pull your tailbone down toward your heels and scoop your bottom right hip in toward your ribcage to broaden and stabilize your low back.
- Keeping the inner blade of your right foot on the plate, on your exhale, pike your hips up and pull your ribs in as you fold your chest toward your thighs. On the inhale, slowly lower your hips back in line with your chest as you spin your top hip open toward the ceiling and scoop your bottom right hip up toward your rib cage.
- Repeat on the right side for 1 minute while continuing to move slowly.
Jaime Tomei
Right Side: Running Man
- Start in a plank position with your left foot on a glider. Pull your right thigh up and into your chest.
- Stack your shoulders over your wrists and keep your hips level with your shoulders.
- Bend your left leg and pull your left thigh forward, as you simultaneously extend your right leg back.
- Fit in as many reps as you can in 1 minute.
Shane Lopez
Banded Side Lunge With Step Out: Left side
- Loop a heavy tension circle band around the front of your left ankle and arch of your right foot.
- Take a large step out to the left, firmly planting your left foot to the floor, shifting weight into your heel. Hinge at your hips to sit your hips back into a single leg squat, bring your torso slightly forward, lower your thigh about parallel to the ground, and align your knee over your ankle.
- Straighten your right leg and lift your right heel off the floor. Open your chest and clasp your hands in front of your torso. Shift your body weight over to the left.
- Holding your partial squat, load the majority of your weight onto the left side and with control, slowly step your right foot in and out.
- Repeat on the left side for 1 minute.
Shane Lopez
Banded Split Jump: Left Side
- Keeping the band around your left ankle and arch of your right foot, assume a split squat position with your left foot forward and right knee below your hip. Anchor your left heel into the floor.
- Hinge from your hips and align your torso over your left thigh, sit your hips back and down to find a 90-degree position in both legs, and bring your arms in front of your chest to maintain balance.
- Drive through your left heel, swing your arms back and hold tension into the band as you jump up, pressing the arch of your right foot back into the band.
- Land softly back into a split squat position, bringing your arms in front of your chest, torso over your left thigh, right knee below your hip and weight into your left heel.
- Repeat on the left side for 30 seconds.
Shane Lopez
Banded Back Lunge With Knee Drive: Left Side
- With your feet hips-width apart, step the arch of your left foot into the center of your heavy tension loop band, grab the band with your right hand, and pull your right arm back.
- Step your right foot back to fully extend your right leg. Bend your left leg and lower down into a lunge, bringing your thigh about parallel to the floor. Align your torso over your left thigh, bring your knee over your ankle and weight into your left heel.
- Keep your left thigh low and hold tension in the band with your right arm as you drive your right leg forward for a center squat and then extend your leg back to the starting position.
- Repeat for 1 minute.
Shane Lopez
Reverse Lunge Tap to High Knees: Left Side
- Step your left foot forward and right foot back. Bend your back (right) knee under your right hip and lower your hips, so your left thigh is almost parallel to the floor and both legs are bent at 90 degrees. Stack your shoulders over your hips and clasp your hands in front of your chest.
- Tap your right knee to the floor two times, then complete 3 alternating high knees by lifting your back (right) knee up toward your chest and then switch to lift your left knee, then right knee again, moving at a running pace.
- Softly land into the reverse lunge position with your left foot forward, right foot back, and both legs at 90 degrees. Repeat two knee taps and 3 high knees.
- Continue on the left side for 1 minute.
Shane Lopez
Reverse Lunge to Knee Drive Jump: Left Side
- Step your left foot forward and right foot back. Hinge from your hips and align your torso over your left thigh, bend your back (right) knee under your right hip and hover your knee off the floor. Sit your hips back and down so your left thigh is almost parallel to the floor and both legs are bent at 90 degrees.
- Drive your right arm forward and left arm back to find balance.
- Press into your left heel and drive your back (right) knee up and toward your chest as you explode off the floor and simultaneously drive your left arm forward to maintain balance. Use your arms to propel you off the floor.
- As you descend from the jump, control your right leg back behind you and bring your left arm forward to return to the original lunge position. Land on the ball of your right foot and soften your right knee to hover it off the floor. Shift the weight into your left heel and align your left knee over your ankle.
- Repeat on the left side for 30 seconds.
Jaime Tomei
Criss-Cross Pike: Left Side
- Grab two paper plates or gliding discs. Place your hands on the mat, crisscross your left leg in front of your right, and place each foot on a gliding disc.
- Space out your feet, so that your knees don’t touch. Roll to the inner edge of your left foot and press your right heel down into the glider.
- Rotate your right hip open toward the ceiling and left hip toward the floor. Evenly press through your palms, squeeze your inner thighs together, and pull your tailbone down toward your back heel.
- Press into your back heel and press your palms away from the floor as you slowly pike your left hip up and bring your chest toward your thighs.
- Slowly lower your hips back down, bringing them in line with your shoulders. As you lower your hips, open your right hip toward the ceiling, scoop your left hip toward your rib cage, and squeeze your inner thighs together.
- Repeat on the left side for 1 minute and continue to focusing on moving slowly.
Jaime Tomei
Side Plank With Single Leg Slide: Left Side
- Roll to your left side with your left forearm flat to the mat and elbow directly under your shoulder.
- Straighten your legs and stagger your feet, keeping your left foot on the glider and stepping your right foot back to the floor.
- Lift your right arm and bring your right hand behind your ear. Keeping your left foot on the glider, slowly slide your left leg out and then pull your left leg back toward your right.
- Continue for 30 seconds.
Shane Lopez
Side Crunch With V-Up: Left Side
- Lie on your right side with your right forearm on the mat. Lift your left arm and place your left hand behind your head. Straighten both legs and hover them off the floor.
- Keeping your bottom left leg lifted, lift your top left leg up and then control it back down to meet your right. Roll back to the middle of your right glute, angle your legs 30 degrees from your hips, and with straight legs, lift your legs off the floor, bringing your torso toward your legs. Roll forward to your right hip returning to your starting position.
- Repeat for 1 minute.
Shane Lopez
Side Plank Pike: Left Side
- With one plate or glider, stack your right foot on top of your left.
- Align your hips with your shoulders, press evenly through your palms, twist your hips open to the side of the room as you keep your shoulder square.
- Pull your tailbone down toward your heels and scoop your bottom left hip in toward your rib cage to broaden and stabilize your low back.
- Keeping the inner blade of your left foot on the plate, on your exhale, pike your hips up and pull your ribs in as you fold your chest toward your thighs. On the inhale, slowly lower your hips back in line with your chest as you spin your top hip open toward the ceiling and scoop your bottom left hip up toward your rib cage.
- Repeat on the left side for 1 minute while continuing to move slowly.
Jaime Tomei
Running Man: Left Side
- Start in a plank position with your right foot on a glider. Pull your left thigh up and into your chest.
- Stack your shoulders over your wrists and keep your hips level with your shoulders.
- Bend your right leg and pull your right thigh forward as you simultaneously extend your left leg back.
- Fit in as many reps as you can in 1 minute.
Jaime Tomei
Army Crawl
- Begin in a forearm plank position with your forearms on the mat, feet together on your plate or glider, shoulders over your elbows and hips in line with your chest. Press your thighs up and pull your tailbone down toward your heels.
- Keeping your hips stable, crawl your elbows forward and back along the mat.
- Continue for 30 seconds.
