Toning is a common term in the fitness world that refers to the development and strengthening of certain muscle groups. Typically this includes arms, lower abdomen, and thighs. It’s essentially a watered-down phrase for strength training.

To achieve toned muscles, the focus is on decreasing body fat while also getting enough cardio. That means, achieving your fitness goals relies on both your exercise routine and what you eat.

Yoga for Toning

According to Dr. Perlman of Mayo Clinic, yoga for toning is an effective tool. It strengthens your muscles but it may not be the quickest way to achieve a stronger, more toned physique. Various yoga poses may be more effective than others. And, it’s important to move the energy through poses to burn more calories and fat.

Yoga has a way of marrying the breath with physical movement which is perfect to become more attuned with your body. However, for toning purposes, a more intense form of yoga with power poses might be better. Greater intensity poses that you can hold for a longer duration will ultimately be better for your toning goals.

Pilates for Toning

Pilates is one of the most popular low-impact exercises that entails a series of movements for strengthening the core. It’s great for getting a flat tummy and a more toned midsection. It also stabilizes your back and spine.

The Reformer

Pirates for toning exercises are based on the machine called – reformer. The machine is excellent for people who may be recovering from some injuries or those who want to practice precise core movement. Reformers have been proven to isolate and target muscles more than Pilates on a mat.

The Reformer was created by Joseph Pilates. It has a flat platform with a bed-like frame. The bedrolls are on wheels. You should only use the Pilates reformer under an instructor’s guidance. The machine has adjustable springs for controlling the resistance for muscle lengthening and toning.

It is great for taking the Pilates result to another level. It supports better diaphragmatic breathing to improve body posture. There’s more room for coordinating and controlling the movements with a greater emphasis on form and posture.

Using the Megaformer during an upper body move at Lagree Fit 415 in San Francisco, California.

What is Lagree Fitness & Why is it Better for Toning?

Compared to Pilates, the Lagree Method is a bit unique because it’s the only workout method that offers high-intensity yet low-impact exercises.

Low-Impact, High-Intensity Workout

By nature, most high-intensity exercises tend to be high impact too. That means they can be particularly straining on joints and muscles. For the average user, it could cause injuries and setbacks. It’s no doubt that such exercises are beneficial but they’re not perfect or accessible for all individuals to practice.

That’s what makes Lagree Fitness promising. It has changed the narrative for the better. With Lagree, it’s possible to combine the benefits of a high-intensity with a low-impact approach. It uses the Megaformer (a refined version of the Reformer). The machine comes with springs to adjust the tension as per desired intensity and pace to match your fitness levels.

Since the resistance and tension are adjustable; all exercises on the Megaformer are low-impact. Therefore, It’s perfect for people of all ages and fitness levels. Each with movement, you can feel the burn. However, it doesn’t strain the connective tissues or joints.

Lagreeoffers great workout challenges and is low-impact on joints and the spine, though it is a high-intensity workout. Many movements with Lagree engage over 600 muscles at a time; making it highly efficient.

Breaking Down the Megaformer

Let’s just say that the Megaformer is essentially the ‘Reformer on Steroids’. All Lagree exercises take place on this machine. It covers all fitness goals by offering a unique combination of fast transition, cardio, straightening, and endless variations of exercises with a firm focus on the mind-body connection.

The Megaformer continues to evolve with each year, allowing for more well-designed and intense workouts. Some of the Lagree-inspired movements on this machine are familiar such as plank, squats, and lunges. However, Lagree also has a few unique variations of its own.

All movements maintain a slow yet steady pace to target slow-twitch muscles to keep the joints safe.

Other Benefits of Lagree Fitness

Cardiorespiratory Endurance

It’s the ability of your body’s respiratory and circulatory systems to fuel and nourish cells and tissues during intense physical activity. Lagree improves your cardiorespiratory endurance by offering great cardio that gets your heart rate going in a safe manner.

You can expect the aerobic effects of the exercise to kick in after a minute of uninterrupted/sustained exercise.

Muscular Strength

Muscular strength refers to how well your muscles can exert force. Resistance training is the best way to improve muscular strength. It uses springs, gravity, and weights as resistance, all of which are quintessential to the Lagree method. It’s the perfect way to increase your muscular as well as core strength.

Body Composition

Body composition is the amount of bone, muscle, fat, and other vital parts of your body. The weight you see on the bathroom scale doesn’t tell you how much of the weight is bone, fat, and muscles. But, Lagree fitness promotes lean muscle growth and fat loss in an effective way to maintain ideal body composition.

Flexibility

A flexible person has a higher range of motion around joints. Good flexibility prevents injuries. It also improves alignment, posture, and form. Lagree incorporates special exercises that lengthen your muscles for improved flexibility.

As you can see, the Lagree method also has a ton of other benefits to offer besides just toning your muscles. This full-body workout is perfect for all fitness aspects.

In Conclusion

This article is brought to you by Lagree Fit 415. Want to learn the 8 Things to Know Before You Take a Lagree Class? Read our informative article here and dive into Lagree fitness! If you are based in San Francisco, sign-up for your first Lagree Fit 415 class first-timer here.