Sebastien Lagree, the founder of the Lagree Method, shares how he turned a personal passion into a popular high-intensity, low-impact fitness system. He also talks about what the future holds for fitness.
Lagree did not plan to start a fitness empire. When he moved to Los Angeles in 1998 to pursue acting, he was simply looking for a way to support himself.
“I needed a job to stay afloat,” Lagree told Athletech News. “I was bodybuilding then, and many people wanted to train with me. It all began naturally.”
He started training clients in a hybrid studio that had traditional weight training upstairs and Pilates equipment below. “I had no idea what Pilates was until someone asked me to teach it,” he said. “But it didn’t click with me. There was too much stopping and starting, and it lacked the intensity I loved from bodybuilding.”
Instead of making small changes, Lagree reinvented the approach. With the studio owner’s permission, he began using the Pilates equipment in new ways. He combined his knowledge of strength training, time under tension, and progressive overload.
“I wasn’t teaching Pilates anymore,” he said. “I was creating something new—using the same machines, but with a different goal and method.”
This led to the creation of the Lagree Method. It is a high-intensity, low-impact workout that works every major muscle group while protecting joints and connective tissue. Lagree opened his first studio in 2001. By 2006, he officially renamed the system to Lagree Fitness, dropping the Pilates label for accuracy.
The method has gained many loyal clients and attracted imitators.
“Right now, I’m dealing with copies and replicas from overseas,” Lagree said. “Some studios use machines that look like mine and claim to teach my method, but they don’t. Sometimes, it’s even unsafe.”
Lagree’s answer to this problem is innovation. Holding over 200 patents and more pending, he is developing smart, digitally connected machines. These new machines will make it easier to track performance.
“When you lift weights, you know you are stronger because you can lift more,” he explained. “But in the Lagree Method, progress depends on time, speed, alignment, and range of motion. Without the right tools, it is hard to measure improvement. That’s what we are building.”
By 2030, Lagree imagines fully computerized and personalized machines. “You will upload your data, and the machine will adjust your workout in real time,” he said. “You will see exactly how your strength, endurance, and control improve week by week.”
Lagree is also exploring fitness’s deeper connection to spirituality.
“I am working on a documentary about how fitness and spirituality connect,” he said. “For me, working out is a form of meditation. It is the most important thing I do daily. It keeps me grounded and connects me to something greater.”
This belief is guiding the next phase of Lagree Fitness. The focus will be on reducing inflammation, speeding recovery, and promoting overall well-being.
“Many people overtrain, use poor form, or push their bodies wrongly,” he said. “I am designing the next version of the method to be more anti-inflammatory, using technology to support safe, effective movement.”
To help instructors keep consistent quality as the brand grows, Lagree is launching a pro version of the Lagree On Demand app. This will allow trainers to create and share custom routines, including transitions, spring settings, and timing.
“It will make teaching high-quality classes easier, even for beginners,” he said. “It ensures the Lagree experience stays true everywhere.”
Although the Lagree Method often gets compared to Pilates because of the equipment, Lagree stresses they are very different.
“People see a reformer and assume Pilates,” he said. “But how you use the equipment matters. It is like a dumbbell—you can build strength with it or use it differently. It’s just a tool.”
Lagree believes the future of fitness is about personalization, integration, and purpose.
“We are moving toward a new fitness model,” he said. “One where mental health, emotional growth, and physical fitness come together.”
His vision includes AI-powered machines, biometric feedback, and even sound frequencies to improve focus and mood during workouts.
“It will be a total change—not just in how we train, but why,” he said.
At its heart, Lagree says fitness is about transformation—not just of the body, but the whole self.
“People are tired. They want change that goes deeper than the outside,” he said. “They want to feel alive. That’s why they come to train. That is the true purpose of fitness.”
