Lagree vs Rise-former®: What's the Difference & Which Is Right for You?
If you’ve been searching for Lagree in Doncaster or South Yorkshire, you may have come across Rise Wellness Concept and wondered: is Rise-former® the same as Lagree?
Not quite.
There are similarities — and Lagree is one of the methods that inspired the way we train — but Rise-former® is our own Reformer-based strength training method, created to combine the principles we love from Lagree with Reformer movement and athletic strength training.
So, what’s the difference between Lagree and Rise-former® — and which workout is right for you?
What is Lagree?
The Lagree Method, created by Sebastien Lagree, is a high-intensity, low-impact training method most commonly performed on specialist equipment including the Megaformer.
Rather than relying on speed or heavy impact to make exercises harder, Lagree uses slow, controlled movement and continuous muscular tension to challenge strength, endurance, balance and cardiovascular fitness.
Moves are performed slowly and transitions are kept controlled, meaning the muscles can remain under tension for extended periods of time.
It’s challenging, efficient and designed to deliver a serious full-body workout without the high impact associated with many traditional high-intensity workouts.
And if some of that sounds familiar to our RWC clients, there’s a reason.
What is the Rise-former® Method?
When we opened Rise Wellness Concept Bawtry, we didn't want to create another Reformer Pilates studio.
We also didn't want to simply replicate another existing method.
Instead, we created Rise-former®: our own method combining principles from Lagree, Reformer Pilates and athletic strength training, performed on our custom-built Rise-former® beds.
Like Lagree, we believe in the power of slow movement, constant tension and muscular endurance.
But we take those principles and combine them with a wider range of strength-based and Reformer-inspired movement to create a workout designed to develop strength, control, endurance, balance, mobility, flexibility and core strength.
In a Rise-former® class, you'll regularly spend 60+ seconds working through a movement or combination, with layers progressively added to increase the challenge.
The result?
A workout that feels controlled rather than chaotic — but becomes incredibly challenging very quickly.
Strength training, reimagined. Slow. Controlled. Challenging.
Lagree vs Rise-former®: What are the similarities?
There’s a reason someone who loves Lagree is likely to feel at home on a Rise-former®.
Both methods place a strong emphasis on:
Slow, controlled movement
Time under tension
Muscular strength and endurance
Low-impact training
Full-body workouts
Control and stability
Progressive challenge
Neither relies on jumping, running or moving as quickly as possible to create intensity.
Instead, the challenge comes from how well you can control the movement and how long your muscles can continue to work.
Yes, the shake is very much part of the experience.
So, how is Rise-former® different from Lagree?
This is where the two methods begin to separate.
Rise-former® isn't restricted to one training style
Lagree is an established fitness method with its own principles, exercises and specialist equipment.
Rise-former® was intentionally created as a hybrid training method.
We can take the slow-tempo, high-tension principles we love from Lagree and combine them with Reformer-inspired movement and more traditional athletic strength training.
That means our programming can move beyond one particular style of training.
You might experience a slow lower-body strength sequence, unilateral balance work, deep core training, upper-body resistance work and mobility — all within the same 50-minute class.
We bring strength training to the Reformer
Strength is at the heart of Rise-former®.
Rather than viewing the bed purely as a piece of Pilates equipment, we use it as a tool for resistance training.
Springs, bodyweight, instability, tempo, range of movement and time under tension can all be manipulated to progressively challenge the body.
The aim isn't simply to make an exercise feel hard.
We want you to become stronger because of it.
Variety is built into the method
One of the biggest advantages of creating our own method is freedom.
Our instructors aren't there simply to deliver the same sequence every week. They can intelligently combine different training principles to create classes that continually challenge the body in new ways while staying true to the foundations of Rise-former®.
So while you'll recognise movements and combinations as you become more experienced, no two classes need to feel exactly the same.
And that variety is a big part of what keeps our clients coming back.
Is Rise-former® the same as Reformer Pilates?
No — and this is an important distinction.
Rise-former® is Reformer-based, and Pilates has undoubtedly influenced elements of the method, but we don't describe our signature classes as traditional Reformer Pilates.
The biggest difference is our emphasis on strength and muscular endurance.
We deliberately use slow tempo and prolonged time under tension to make movements increasingly challenging, often layering exercises together while maintaining tension in the working muscles.
So if you're searching for Reformer Pilates in Doncaster or Bawtry but want something that feels stronger, more athletic and more challenging, Rise-former® may be exactly what you're looking for.
What does a Rise-former® class feel like?
Expect 50 minutes of full-body strength work on your own Rise-former® bed, guided by an RWC instructor.
You'll move slowly — often much more slowly than you expect.
You'll shake.
You'll probably discover that an exercise which felt perfectly manageable 20 seconds ago feels very different after 60.
You'll be encouraged to challenge yourself, but you'll also be given options to adapt movements to your ability.
And because classes are limited to 14 clients, your instructor can coach technique, offer progressions and help you get more from the workout.
It’s intense without needing to be high-impact.
Lagree vs Rise-former®: which should you choose?
Both methods offer challenging, low-impact strength-focused workouts, and there are plenty of principles within Lagree that we love.
But we created Rise-former® because we wanted more freedom in the way we train.
We wanted the slow, controlled intensity and time-under-tension principles associated with Lagree.
We wanted the control, versatility and movement possibilities of Reformer training.
And we wanted the progressive challenge and strength focus you'd expect from athletic training.
So we brought them together.
That's what makes Rise-former® different.
It isn't Lagree.
It isn't traditional Reformer Pilates.
It's Rise-former®.
Can beginners do Rise-former®?
Absolutely.
Rise-former® is challenging, but challenging doesn't have to mean inaccessible.
Resistance, range of movement and exercise variations can be adjusted, meaning clients can work at different levels within the same class.
If you're completely new, our dedicated Rise-former® Beginners classes offer a slower introduction to the bed, key movements and technique before progressing into our Full Body classes.
You don't need to have done Pilates, Lagree or strength training before.
You just need to be willing to start.
Where can I try Rise-former® near Doncaster?
The home of the Rise-former® Method is Rise Wellness Concept Bawtry, located at Bawtry Hall, near Doncaster in South Yorkshire.
Our boutique studio is home to 14 custom-built Rise-former® beds and a community ranging from complete beginners to experienced clients who want a different way to build strength.
So, if you've been searching for Lagree in Doncaster, Lagree in South Yorkshire, Reformer Pilates in Bawtry or a strength-focused alternative to Reformer Pilates, come and experience what we've created.
Ready to try Rise-former®?
Start with 3 Rise-former® classes for £39 with our introductory offer.
Come for the workout. Stay for the feeling.
Rise with intention.
