Core Contour: a new fitness studio for a new you!

by Colleen

Crouched on all fours, I’m in position to try an ab exercise on the Megaformer guided by trainer to the stars, Sebastien Lagree. No problem, I say to myself, I’ve done Pilates, I’m a runner, I can do this, but as I pull my knees towards the front of the machine I feel abs in places that I never knew I had and in 15 seconds my body is already starting to shake.

We are in the brand new airy studio of Jen Capps, owner of Core Contour in Fort Lauderdale, getting the scoop about the Megaformer (a rift on a Pilates machine) designed by Sebastien Lagree himself. Lagree and Capps, seated across from me, look relaxed and fit in only the way those who have mastered their fitness can look. Lagree cuts a striking presence with his tall lean body and blond good looks.

Colleen: Tell me about the Megaformer

Sebastien: It was inspired from the Pilates reformer. When I first started teaching Pilates about 16 years ago I saw a need for a more intense method. I met people who liked the Pilates gentle movements, who were in shape but needed something more intense, more fat burning and more tone in their muscles. I started playing around with the method. Where I taught, their were Pilates reformers downstairs and weights and machines upstairs and a cardio room and I started taking all my clients around to each room in a kind of circuit training….and it became exhausting! So I thought why not just create a machine that does it all.Get all the cardio benefit all the strengthening benefits and so that’s where the idea came from. In 2005 the first machine came out, called the Proformer, which was like a bigger reformer but with more pulleys, a platform and a whole apparatus on the back. With the success of the Proformer, we were able to take it through six revisions to bring it to the Megaformer today the M3. There are a lot of indications on the Megaformer to help get clients into position better and I try to do new movements.

The body is very smart and can get used to a movement pattern very quickly and then that movement is no longer effective. You constantly need to tweak your routine so you can get the benefits and keep progressing and I’m updating the machine and routines constantly.

Colleen: So the idea is to use just the Megaformer for everything? Cardio, strength training, toning etc.?

Sebastien: Yes, absolutely. You’re working your different planes of motion together, you’re working your sense of self or balance which is very important for the mind body connection which I think is a very important aspect of fitness. Your getting your strength training, your cardio, endurance, flexibility and your core. The movements are always balanced so you maintain your posture. It’s great to look great but it also needs to be functional as well. You need to maintain a certain functionality for your body. Some people only run or only do one type of sport, like weight lifting and that isn’t functional fitness.

Colleen: So you can avoid injury by working out in this way.

Sebastien: Absolutely, that’s correct. I’ve worked with lots of men in their 40’s , and runners and I’ve started to learn the damaging effects of high impact workouts. All the things that I learned working with these types of clients and with chiropractors have helped me design a workout that is great and safe for the body.

Colleen: Vous êtes Francais? You’re French?

Sebastien: Oui!

Colleen: We have a lot of french readers, do you think you’ll ever bring this to France?

Sebastien: I’d love to! I’ve come close a couple of times. I have some French people right now looking into it, eventually it will happen. We have studios in London, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden one is opening up in Cairo. So we have studios opening up all over , except France! But I would love to… get a Megaformer at the bottom of the Eiffel tower..

Colleen: So this is the first studio in Florida?

Jen: This is the first studio in Broward County.

Colleen: How about in Miami?

Jen: There’s Jet Set and New Shape.

Sebastien: Jet Set has the earlier version of the Megaformer, the M1 and the M2 and M2S.

Colleen : So Jen you’re the first one to have the M3 in this area?

Jen: Yes, this is the first studio in this area with the M3.

Colleen: Jen, what is your fitness background?

Jen: My background is more in Yoga. I used to just kind of dabble in different fitness methods just to keep it interesting. But I didn’t really find a method that my body responded to well at least not at the level I wanted it to. Once I discovered the Megaformer, I saw a difference in my body within two weeks! So I just stuck with it and it was just incredible. After a month I saw a difference in my strength, I was bringing it to the next level of intensity. I saw an opportunity to bring it to Fort Lauderdale.

Colleen: It ’s a great airy and open space.

Jen: I’m right in the center of Ft. Lauderdale and this is like the mecca of health and fitness in Broward county I would say.

Colleen: Ok I have to comment on your cool socks!

Jen: Haha, We have a studio policy to wear socks on the machines and they have these little grips on the bottoms so it helps with traction on the machines if we are pushing the carriage away with a lot of weight. We have all different colors and styles for fashion and fun.

Colleen: Well as a blogger I always want to know about fashion…

Sebastien: In LA, fitness is becoming a new fashion. A lot of people are going from workouts directly to a meeting so you see a lot more fashion in fitness now. There is a very big movement towards fitness and health and fashion which is great.

Thank you guys so much! Great to meet you.