How Do the Springs on a Megaformer Work? Why More Springs Don’t Always Mean Harder

The springs on a Megaformer create tension on the moving carriage, but that tension does not affect every Lagree exercise in the same way. Depending on where you are positioned on the Megaformer and the direction in which you are moving the carriage, the springs can create resistance that you have to overcome or provide assistance that helps you complete the movement. This is why adding springs can make one exercise harder, while removing springs can make another significantly more challenging.

If you are new to Lagree, there is a moment that can feel slightly confusing.

Your instructor tells you to add a spring.

The exercise becomes harder.

That makes sense.

Then, later in the same class, your instructor tells you to remove a spring.

And somehow the next exercise becomes even harder.

How?

We are accustomed to thinking about resistance in a very straightforward way. At the gym, if you add weight to a machine, you expect the exercise to become more difficult. If you remove weight, you expect it to become easier.

The Megaformer works differently.

The springs are not simply weights that we add or remove according to how strong you are.

They create tension on the moving carriage.

And what matters is your relationship to that tension.

Are you pushing the carriage away from the front of the machine?

Are you pulling it towards you?

Are you positioned at the front or the back of the Megaformer?

Is the spring tension resisting the movement you are trying to create?

Or is it actually assisting you?

Once you understand that distinction, one of the most interesting aspects of the Megaformer begins to make sense.

More springs do not always mean harder.

What do the springs on a Megaformer actually do?

The Megaformer has a moving carriage connected to a system of springs.

Those springs create tension that pulls the carriage towards the front of the machine.

The more spring load we add, the greater that tension becomes.

That part is relatively simple.

What is more interesting is what happens when you interact with that tension.

Depending on the exercise, the springs may resist the direction in which you are trying to move the carriage.

In another exercise, the springs may help the carriage move in the direction you want it to travel.

So although the springs themselves are still creating tension, your experience of that tension changes according to the movement.

Sometimes you work against it.

Sometimes it assists you.

And that distinction is fundamental to understanding how resistance works in Lagree.

When you push against the springs, more springs can mean more resistance.

Imagine you are positioned so that the exercise requires you to push the carriage away from the front of the Megaformer.

The springs are pulling the carriage back towards the front.

You are trying to move it in the opposite direction.

You therefore have to produce enough force to overcome that spring tension.

In this situation, adding springs increases the resistance you are pushing against.

More spring tension means your muscles have more resistance to overcome as you move and control the carriage.

This is the relationship most people expect.

More springs.

More resistance.

More muscular force required.

And for certain exercises, that is exactly what is happening.

But then we turn the relationship around.

And this is where things become much more interesting.

When you pull with the springs, fewer springs can make the exercise more difficult.

Now imagine you are working from the front of the Megaformer and the exercise requires you to pull the carriage towards the front.

Remember what the springs are already trying to do.

They are pulling the carriage in that same direction.

In this situation, the springs are not simply creating resistance for you to overcome.

They are providing assistance.

They are helping the carriage return towards the front.

And this changes completely what happens when we adjust the spring load.

If we remove springs, we reduce that assistance.

The machine is now helping you less.

Which means your body has to do more.

Your muscles have to contribute more to creating the movement. You have to control the carriage with less assistance from the springs. And depending on the exercise, the demand for strength, stability and control can increase considerably.

This is why one of the most important lessons in Lagree is:

A lighter spring load does not necessarily mean an easier exercise.

Sometimes it means exactly the opposite.

Bear is a perfect example

This principle becomes very clear during dedicated core work.

Take Bear.

When Bear is performed from the front of the Megaformer, we typically use a lighter spring load.

You use your core to pull the carriage towards the front while maintaining the position and stability of your upper body and trunk.

The springs are assisting the carriage in the direction you are pulling it.

So when we reduce the spring load, we reduce the amount of assistance the machine is giving you.

Your body now has to contribute more to bringing the carriage in.

Then you have to control the carriage as it travels back out.

And because this is Lagree, we are not trying to complete that movement as quickly as possible.

We slow it down.

You stay connected to the carriage.

You maintain tension.

You control both directions of the movement.

You maintain your position.

Suddenly, that “light” spring setting does not feel light at all.

The machine is helping you less, so your body has to do more.

This is one of the reasons dedicated Lagree core exercises can be so demanding.

What happens at the back of the Megaformer?

Now change your position on the machine and the relationship with the springs can change again.

At the back of the Megaformer, there are exercises where you may be pulling the carriage away from the front of the machine.

The springs are still pulling the carriage towards the front.

But now you are trying to pull it in the opposite direction.

So you are once again working against the tension of the springs.

In this situation, increasing the spring load can increase the resistance you have to overcome.

Same carriage.

Same springs.

Different position.

Different direction of movement.

Different muscular demand.

This is why it is difficult to talk about a particular spring setting as simply being “easy” or “hard.”

The spring load only makes sense when you understand what the exercise is asking you to do with it.

The springs always create tension. What changes is your relationship to that tension.

This is perhaps the simplest way to understand the entire system.

The springs create tension on the carriage.

But your position and direction of movement determine how that tension affects the exercise.

If you are moving the carriage against the direction of the spring tension, the springs are creating resistance that you need to overcome.

If you are moving the carriage with the direction of the spring tension, the springs can provide assistance.

So when we change the spring load, we may be changing one of two very different things.

We may be increasing resistance.

Or we may be decreasing assistance.

Both can make an exercise harder.

But they do so for completely different reasons.

And this is exactly why “more springs = harder” does not work as a universal rule on the Megaformer.

Why less assistance can create such an intense exercise

There is an important difference between making something harder by adding resistance and making it harder by taking assistance away.

When we reduce assistance, your body becomes responsible for more of the movement.

This can be particularly powerful during core exercises.

With less spring assistance, you may need to create more of the movement yourself while simultaneously controlling your trunk, pelvis and the moving carriage.

The challenge is not simply producing force.

It is producing force with control.

And because Lagree uses deliberately slow movement, you cannot simply generate momentum and rush through the difficult part.

You have to remain connected to the movement.

This is where strength and stability begin to work together.

It is also why taking a spring off can sometimes produce that very familiar Lagree reaction:

Wait. You just made the springs lighter. Why is this harder?

Now you know.

We have not necessarily reduced the challenge.

We may have reduced the help.

Spring load also changes stability and control

Spring selection is not only about how much force is required to move the carriage.

It can also affect how the carriage behaves and how much control your body needs to create.

A lighter spring setting can change how much assistance and support you receive from the machine.

Depending on the exercise, that can place greater emphasis on control and stability.

Now combine that with everything else we can manipulate on the Megaformer.

Your body position.

Your anchor points.

Your range of motion.

Your points of support.

Your tempo.

Where your hands and feet are positioned.

Whether you are on the fixed platform or the moving carriage.

This is why changing a spring can transform an exercise even though, visually, the movement may look almost identical.

We have changed the relationship between your body and the machine.

And your body has to respond.

Why the “heaviest” spring setting is not necessarily the best one

There can be a temptation, particularly when someone becomes stronger, to assume that progression should always mean adding more.

More springs.

More resistance.

More load.

But intelligent strength training is not simply about making every exercise as heavy as possible.

The spring setting has a purpose.

Sometimes we want you to work against greater resistance.

Sometimes we want less assistance so your body has to create more of the movement itself.

Sometimes we want to change the stability demand.

Sometimes the priority is maintaining a very slow tempo and precise control.

And sometimes adding more springs could actually make an exercise easier because you have increased the assistance the carriage is giving you.

The goal is not to use the most springs.

The goal is to use the spring load that creates the intended challenge for that particular exercise.

This is why we tell you which springs to use

There is a reason your Forma instructor gives you a spring setting before an exercise.

We are not choosing springs randomly.

And we are not simply dividing the room into people who are “strong enough” for more springs and people who need fewer.

The instructor considers the exercise, your position on the Megaformer, the direction of carriage movement and what that movement is designed to achieve.

From there, spring load becomes one of the tools we can use to adjust the exercise.

At Forma Fitness Studio, every instructor has completed specialized training in the Lagree Method and is also a certified Personal Trainer. That understanding matters because coaching on the Megaformer is not simply about knowing an exercise sequence.

It is about understanding why the machine is set up the way it is.

The springs are part of the exercise.

Not an afterthought.

Does adding springs mean you are getting stronger?

Sometimes progressing to greater resistance is absolutely appropriate.

But progression in Lagree is more nuanced than continually adding springs.

As you become stronger and more experienced, progression might mean working with more resistance in one exercise.

In another, it might mean using less assistance.

It might mean increasing your range of motion.

Changing an anchor point.

Reducing external support.

Improving your stability.

Slowing the movement even further.

Maintaining better control as fatigue develops.

Or becoming capable of sustaining the intended movement for longer.

Strength is not simply the number of springs attached to the carriage.

It is what your body is capable of doing with the challenge those springs create.

Why this matters for your core

Understanding springs also helps explain something that surprises many people about Lagree.

Why is the core working so hard even when the spring setting looks relatively light?

Because “light springs” do not necessarily mean “light work.”

During certain core exercises at the front of the Megaformer, reducing the springs means reducing assistance.

Your core now has to contribute more to creating and controlling the movement.

At the same time, it may also need to stabilize your trunk and pelvis while controlling a moving carriage.

This is an important part of what makes core training on the Megaformer so distinctive.

We are not simply adding weight to an abdominal exercise.

We can manipulate how much assistance the machine provides, how much stability your body needs to create and how slowly you have to control the movement.

And then, once the dedicated core work is finished, we continue asking that core to provide stability and support throughout much of the rest of the class.

That deserves an article of its own.

The Megaformer is more than a machine with springs

When you first look at a Megaformer, it is easy to focus on the obvious features.

A moving carriage.

Platforms.

Cables.

Handlebars.

Springs.

But the sophistication of the machine comes from how all of those elements interact with the Lagree Method.

The springs are not there simply to make exercises heavier.

They allow us to change the relationship between resistance, assistance, movement, stability and control.

Sometimes we give you more resistance.

Sometimes we give you less assistance.

Sometimes one additional spring makes the exercise significantly harder.

Sometimes removing one does.

That is why the machine and the method belong together.

Understanding how to use the Megaformer is not simply about knowing where to put your hands and feet.

It is about understanding what the machine is doing to the movement.

And what we want your body to do in response.

Key Takeaways

The springs on the Megaformer create tension that pulls the carriage towards the front of the machine. What that tension means for you depends on the exercise.

When you move the carriage against the direction of the spring tension, adding springs can increase the resistance you have to overcome.

When the springs are assisting the direction of movement, reducing the spring load means reducing that assistance. Your body then has to contribute more to creating and controlling the movement.

This is why more springs do not always mean harder, and fewer springs do not always mean easier.

Your position on the Megaformer, the direction of carriage movement, your anchor points, stability, range of motion and tempo all influence the challenge.

The spring setting is not a score.

It is a tool.

And in Lagree, the goal is not simply to use more springs. It is to use the right spring load for the movement we are trying to create.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do the springs on a Megaformer work?

The springs create tension that pulls the moving carriage towards the front of the Megaformer. Depending on your position and the direction you move the carriage, that tension can either create resistance that you have to overcome or provide assistance that helps the movement.

Do more springs make Lagree harder?

Sometimes. If you are pushing or pulling the carriage against the direction of spring tension, adding springs generally increases the resistance. But if the springs are assisting the movement, adding springs can provide more assistance and may make that exercise easier.

Why does my instructor sometimes remove a spring to make an exercise harder?

In exercises where the springs are assisting the carriage in the direction you are moving it, removing a spring reduces that assistance. Your body then has to do more of the work itself.

Why are light springs so difficult during core exercises?

During certain core exercises at the front of the Megaformer, lighter springs mean less assistance from the machine. Your core has to contribute more to creating and controlling the movement while also helping maintain stability.

Does the front or back of the Megaformer change how the springs feel?

Yes. Your position relative to the direction of spring tension changes whether you are moving with that tension or against it. This is why a spring load can create a very different challenge depending on where you are working on the Megaformer.

Should I add more springs if an exercise feels easy?

Not automatically. More springs can increase resistance in some exercises but increase assistance in others. Spring changes should follow the instructor's guidance because the correct setting depends on the exercise and its intended purpose.

Are spring settings the same for everyone?

Not necessarily. Spring load is one of several variables an instructor can use when adjusting an exercise. Body position, anchor points, range of motion, external support, tempo and exercise variation can also be used to create an appropriate challenge.

Is using fewer springs more advanced?

Not as a general rule. Fewer springs can make certain exercises harder because they reduce assistance, but spring load cannot be considered “beginner” or “advanced” without considering the exercise itself.

Keep learning with Forma

The springs are just one part of what makes the Megaformer and the Lagree Method so different from conventional strength training.

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Experience the Megaformer for yourself

Understanding how the springs work is one thing.

Feeling the difference between resistance and assistance is another.

It is one of those concepts that becomes remarkably clear once you are on the Megaformer and experience how removing a spring, changing your position or moving to another part of the machine can completely transform an exercise.

Forma's New Client Experience includes 14 consecutive days of unlimited Lagree classes for €69, giving you time to learn the Megaformer, understand the method, experience different instructors and begin building strength and confidence through consistent practice.

Join us at Forma Fitness Studio in Porto or Aveiro and discover why, in Lagree, the smartest way to make an exercise more challenging is not always to add more.