How Lagree Builds Strength: The Science Behind the Method
Lagree builds strength by combining resistance, slow controlled movement, sustained muscular effort, stability demands, and progressive challenge. Performed on the Megaformer, the method creates a highly concentrated form of low-impact strength training designed to challenge multiple muscle groups within a 45-minute workout.
At first glance, Lagree can be difficult to categorize.
The movements are slow. There are no heavy barbells being lifted from the floor. There is no running between exercises or jumping to create intensity. And because the Megaformer bears a visual resemblance to equipment associated with Pilates, people discovering the method for the first time sometimes assume it is simply another form of Pilates.
But when you experience a Lagree class, the sensation tells a very different story.
Your muscles work. They fatigue. They shake. Movements that initially appear simple become increasingly difficult to control. And exercises that begin with one obvious target muscle quickly reveal how much of the rest of the body is working to stabilize you.
There is a reason for that.
The Lagree Method is fundamentally a strength-training method, and many of the principles that make resistance training effective are deliberately built into the way Lagree is performed.
Understanding those principles helps explain not only why Lagree feels so challenging, but why it can be such an intelligent approach to building strength.
What actually makes a muscle stronger?
Strength develops when the body is repeatedly exposed to an appropriate physical challenge and is given the opportunity to adapt to it.
Resistance training provides that challenge.
When muscles repeatedly produce force against resistance, the body can respond over time through muscular and neurological adaptations. Research consistently supports resistance training as an effective way to improve muscular strength and function, and the latest American College of Sports Medicine guidance emphasizes something particularly relevant: there is no single piece of equipment or complicated training technique required to become stronger. What matters is applying resistance appropriately, training consistently, and progressing the challenge according to the goal.
That principle is important when understanding Lagree.
Strength training does not have to mean lifting a barbell.
Resistance can come from dumbbells, machines, elastic bands, body weight or, in the case of the Megaformer, a combination of spring resistance, body weight, gravity and the movement of the carriage.
The tool changes.
The fundamental requirement remains: your muscles have to work against resistance.
How does the Megaformer create resistance?
The Megaformer was invented by Sebastien Lagree specifically for the Lagree Method. It uses a moving carriage, platforms, cables, handles and an adjustable system of springs to create resistance throughout different exercises.
Those springs are central to the experience.
Depending on the exercise, increasing or decreasing the spring load changes the forces the body has to control. But more springs do not automatically mean a more advanced or more effective exercise. In certain movements, reducing spring support can actually increase the stability demands placed on the body.
That distinction is one of the reasons experienced instruction matters.
Resistance is not simply made “heavier” indefinitely. It is selected according to the exercise, the client, the intended muscular challenge and the ability to maintain appropriate control.
At Forma Fitness Studio, the objective is never to make an exercise difficult simply for the sake of difficulty.
The objective is to create the right challenge.
Why does Lagree move so slowly?
One of the most recognizable characteristics of the Lagree Method is its tempo.
Movements are deliberately slow and controlled.
This is not simply a stylistic choice.
Moving slowly reduces the ability to rely on momentum. When momentum is minimized, the muscles have to remain actively involved in producing and controlling movement.
Imagine pushing the Megaformer carriage away from you.
If you accelerate quickly and allow momentum to carry the carriage, part of the movement can become less dependent on continuous muscular control.
Now perform the same movement slowly.
You have to control the carriage as it moves away. You have to maintain your position while it is moving. You then have to control its return rather than allowing the springs to pull it back.
Suddenly, every part of the movement requires attention.
Research on resistance-training tempo is nuanced, and slower is not automatically better for every strength-training objective. In particular, developing maximal strength can benefit from heavier loading.
That is an important distinction.
Lagree does not need to claim that slow movement is the only or universally superior way to build strength. Its advantage lies in how slow, controlled movement is combined with resistance, sustained effort, stability and efficient programming.
It is the system that matters.
What is time under tension?
You will often hear the phrase time under tension when people explain Lagree.
In simple terms, it refers to the amount of time a muscle is actively working against a load during an exercise.
A traditional repetition might be completed relatively quickly, followed by another repetition and eventually a rest period.
In Lagree, movements are deliberately prolonged and exercises often flow into one another with limited unnecessary rest. This can create extended periods of muscular effort.
That is one reason an exercise can feel manageable during its first few seconds and remarkably different shortly afterwards.
The resistance has not necessarily changed.
Your ability to continue producing force while maintaining control has.
This is also why we should be careful not to reduce Lagree to the idea that “more time under tension automatically equals better results.” Exercise science is more sophisticated than that. Muscle and strength adaptations depend on multiple variables, including resistance, effort, training volume, frequency, exercise selection and progression.
Time under tension is one component of the Lagree Method.
It works alongside the others.
Why do Lagree exercises become so challenging?
One of the cleverest elements of the Megaformer is that you are not simply moving resistance.
You are often also controlling yourself.
The carriage moves. Your body position changes. Your center of mass shifts. The springs pull against the carriage. Meanwhile, you are being asked to maintain alignment and continue moving at a controlled tempo.
That creates a considerable stability demand.
Take a lower-body exercise as an example.
The obvious target might be the glutes and legs, but maintaining your position can simultaneously require significant contribution from the trunk and other stabilizing musculature.
This is why the core is so central to Lagree.
It is not reserved for a few abdominal exercises at the beginning of class. The trunk repeatedly has to help stabilize the body while the limbs produce and control force.
You may be training your legs.
Your core is still working.
You may be training your arms and shoulders.
Your core is still working.
That integration is one of the characteristics that makes Lagree feel so different from moving between isolated resistance machines in a traditional gym.
Does Lagree train both phases of muscular movement?
Yes.
During resistance exercise, muscles can produce force while shortening, often described as the concentric phase, and while lengthening under load, known as the eccentric phase.
Both matter.
Research supports the inclusion of both concentric and eccentric muscle actions in resistance training, with both capable of contributing to muscular development. Recent systematic-review evidence has found broadly similar hypertrophy outcomes between eccentric and concentric training when compared directly, although different training protocols can produce different adaptations.
In Lagree, the emphasis on control means you are not simply concerned with getting from the beginning of a movement to the end.
You control both directions.
You push against resistance.
You resist its return.
That second part is easy to overlook, but it is part of the work.
The goal is not merely to move the carriage.
It is to control it.
Do you need very heavy weights to build strength?
This is where the science becomes particularly useful.
Heavier resistance is especially effective when the specific goal is maximizing one-repetition maximum strength. However, research also shows that meaningful muscular adaptations can occur across a range of resistance loads when training provides sufficient challenge. Studies comparing lower and higher loads have found that muscle growth can occur across different loading ranges, although heavier loads generally have an advantage for maximal strength development.
This distinction helps explain where Lagree fits.
Forma is not a powerlifting studio. We are not training clients to maximize the amount of weight they can lift once.
We are developing a broader expression of strength: the ability to produce force, sustain muscular effort, control movement, stabilize the body and remain strong through challenging positions.
That is why comparing a Megaformer workout with a traditional heavy-weight program as though one must replace the other misses the point.
They can have different goals.
For many Forma clients, the goal is to feel stronger in everyday life, develop visible muscular definition, improve core stability, support better posture, complement other sports and maintain a form of strength training they can realistically continue.
For those goals, consistency matters enormously.
What does progressive overload look like in Lagree?
For the body to continue adapting, training cannot remain identical forever.
This concept is generally described as progressive overload: gradually increasing the challenge placed on the body as its capacity improves.
In a conventional gym, people often think of progression exclusively as adding more weight.
That is one way to progress.
It is not the only one.
Within Lagree, progression can come from changing resistance, improving range of motion, refining control, reducing reliance on external support, advancing an exercise variation, maintaining better alignment, increasing stability demands or becoming capable of sustaining muscular effort for longer.
A beginner and an experienced client may therefore perform versions of the same movement and have completely different training experiences.
The beginner might be learning how to stabilize the carriage and understand the movement.
Months later, that same client may use a more demanding variation, greater range or a different resistance while maintaining considerably better control.
The exercise has evolved because the client has evolved.
That is intelligent progression.
Why does your body shake during Lagree?
This is one of the questions almost every new client asks.
And yes, it can feel surprising.
During a demanding Lagree exercise, the muscles may begin to shake as fatigue increases and maintaining the required force and control becomes more difficult.
The shaking itself should not be treated as the goal of the workout or as proof that an exercise was effective. Some people shake considerably, others very little, and the response can change with experience, fatigue, exercise selection and many other factors.
What matters is the muscular challenge.
If your legs begin shaking during a lunge, for example, the appropriate response is not necessarily to push harder simply because shaking feels like an achievement.
This is where technique and coaching matter.
An instructor can help determine whether you can continue with good control, whether your position needs adjusting or whether a modification is appropriate.
At Forma, intensity never comes before quality of movement.
How can Lagree be low impact and still build strength?
Low impact and low intensity are not the same thing.
This distinction is fundamental to understanding the Lagree Method.
Impact refers to the forces created when the body strikes a surface, as happens repeatedly during activities such as running or jumping.
Intensity describes how demanding the exercise is.
Lagree minimizes repetitive impact because exercises are performed on and around the Megaformer using controlled movement rather than jumping or pounding against the floor.
But your muscles can still be working extremely hard.
Resistance does not require impact.
A slow lunge against spring resistance can create substantial muscular demand without your feet ever leaving the machine.
A plank variation can challenge the core intensely without a single jump.
An upper-body exercise can bring the shoulders and arms close to fatigue while the movement itself remains controlled.
That combination is what makes Lagree particularly interesting for people looking for low-impact strength trainingrather than low-intensity exercise.
Why does instructor expertise matter?
A sophisticated machine does not automatically create intelligent training.
Programming and coaching matter.
At Forma Fitness Studio, every instructor has undergone comprehensive training in the Lagree Method and is also a certified Personal Trainer. Many members of our team also hold university degrees in Physical Education, Exercise Science or related fields.
That combination matters because two clients can perform what appears to be the same exercise while requiring very different levels of resistance, range of motion, support or progression.
An experienced instructor is looking beyond whether you can simply complete the movement.
Are you controlling the carriage?
Are you maintaining an appropriate position?
Is the intended muscle group actually being challenged?
Would a modification allow you to perform the exercise better?
Are you ready to progress?
Strength training becomes more valuable when challenge is applied intelligently.
At Forma, that is part of the method.
Is Lagree strength training?
Yes.
The Lagree Method uses external resistance, body weight, controlled muscular actions and progressive challenge to train strength and muscular endurance.
But it is useful to be precise about what that means.
Lagree is not Olympic weightlifting. It is not powerlifting. It is not traditional bodybuilding. And it does not need to imitate any of those disciplines to qualify as resistance training.
It has its own methodology.
The Megaformer was developed specifically for the Lagree Method, allowing spring resistance, a moving carriage and multiple body positions to be combined within a continuous workout.
For clients who want to become stronger without spending hours moving between different pieces of gym equipment, that creates a very different training experience.
Forty-five minutes.
One machine.
A full-body challenge.
How does Lagree translate into the goals Forma clients actually have?
Most people do not walk into Forma saying, “I would like to improve my eccentric force production.”
They say:
I want to feel stronger.
I want a stronger core.
I want more definition.
I want better posture.
I want something that complements my running, cycling, padel or other training.
I want to exercise consistently without feeling as though my workout takes over my life.
This is where understanding the science becomes useful rather than academic.
The resistance helps challenge muscle.
The slow tempo demands control.
The sustained muscular effort develops endurance.
The moving carriage increases stability demands.
The full-body programming allows multiple muscle groups to be trained within the same 45-minute class.
And progression means the workout can continue evolving as you become stronger.
The science explains the mechanism.
But the goal is much more human.
To build a body that feels capable.
Key Takeaways
• The Lagree Method is a form of low-impact strength training performed on the Megaformer.
• The Megaformer creates resistance through springs, body weight, gravity and a moving carriage.
• Slow, controlled movement reduces reliance on momentum and requires muscular control throughout the exercise.
• Lagree challenges both movement and stability, which means the core is involved throughout much of the workout.
• Both concentric and eccentric muscle actions contribute to resistance training adaptations.
• Research shows that muscular development can occur across different resistance loads, while heavier loads tend to be more advantageous when maximal strength is the specific goal.
• Progress in Lagree can involve resistance, range of motion, control, stability, exercise variation and reduced external support.
• Low impact does not mean low intensity. Lagree can create substantial muscular demand without relying on repetitive jumping or running.
• Consistency and appropriate progression remain fundamental to long-term strength development. Current ACSM guidance emphasizes regular resistance training and training all major muscle groups at least twice per week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Lagree actually build strength?
Yes. Lagree uses resistance and progressive muscular challenge, which are fundamental components of strength training. The method also emphasizes control, muscular endurance and stability, creating a broader strength-training stimulus than simply testing how much weight you can lift once.
Is Lagree strength training or Pilates?
Lagree is a strength-training method. Although the Megaformer may initially remind some people of a Pilates Reformer, the Megaformer and Lagree Method were developed as their own training system. Pilates and Lagree have different histories, equipment, programming and training objectives.
Can you build muscle with Lagree?
Resistance training can support increases in muscle size when the training stimulus, volume, effort, recovery and nutrition are appropriate. Research also shows that muscle hypertrophy can occur across a range of resistance loads. Individual results will vary, and we will explore this subject in greater depth in our upcoming article on Lagree, muscle development and “toning.”
Why are Lagree movements so slow?
Slow movement helps reduce reliance on momentum and requires you to control the resistance throughout more of the movement. Within Lagree, this tempo is combined with spring resistance, sustained muscular effort and stability demands.
Why do my muscles shake during Lagree?
Muscular shaking can occur as fatigue develops and maintaining force and control becomes more demanding. It is not necessary for an effective workout, nor should shaking itself be the objective. Maintaining good movement quality remains more important.
Is Lagree considered low impact?
Yes. Lagree is designed around controlled movements without relying on repetitive jumping or running, making it a low-impact exercise method. Low impact should not be confused with low intensity: the muscular challenge can be considerable.
Is Lagree suitable for beginners?
Yes. Resistance, range of motion, exercise variations and support can be adjusted according to experience and ability. At Forma, instructors guide new clients through the method and help them choose appropriate options while they develop familiarity with the Megaformer.
How often should I do Lagree to build strength?
The appropriate frequency depends on your goals, training history, recovery and other physical activity. Current ACSM guidance recommends resistance training for all major muscle groups at least twice per week as a general foundation for healthy adults. For many Forma clients, two to three Lagree classes per week can provide a consistent strength-training routine, while others use one or two sessions to complement running, cycling, padel, weight training or another sport.
Where can I do authentic Lagree in Portugal?
Forma Fitness Studio offers the authentic Lagree Method on licensed Megaformers at its studios in Porto and Aveiro. Forma was responsible for bringing the Lagree Method to Portugal as the country's first licensed Lagree studio.
References and further reading
For this article, I would include a compact references section on the published page rather than filling the body with academic-style citations. The strongest sources are the American College of Sports Medicine's 2026 Position Stand on Resistance Training, together with systematic reviews and meta-analyses examining resistance load, muscular hypertrophy, strength and concentric versus eccentric muscle actions.
Keep learning with Forma
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Ready to experience Lagree for yourself?
Understanding the science is valuable. Feeling how resistance, control and stability come together on the Megaformer is something entirely different.
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Experience the Lagree Method at Forma Fitness Studio in Porto or Aveiro, and discover what intelligent strength training can feel like.
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