The mention of Pilates makes me wince and gym machines intimidate me, even though I am a fitness freak. So when Arpan Kirpalani, co-owner of Core Fitness Evolution in Dubai, tells me the equipment I am going to use is the MegaFormer, I immediately get nervous.
Core Fitness Evolution is the only studio in the Middle East certified to offer Lagree, an intense, full-body workout blending cardio, Pilates and strength training on what is the Godzilla of gym equipment.
Designed by California-based former bodybuilder and model Sebastien Lagree, The MegaFormer is the sum of several parts, most of which move: a platform, carrier, several handles, straps and spring-loads underneath.
Michelle Obama and Modern Family star Sofia Vergara swear by it, and the anxiety quickly gives way to dreams of washboard abs and well-defined arms.
Then I step into the studio and stop short. There are eight of the 10-foot machines in the tiny space, and as I eye the monsters, Kirpalani explains what I will be doing: a 40-minute high-intensity, low-impact, total body workout. “You will feel your heart rate go up in the first few seconds of getting on the machine,” she tells me calmly. “But there will be no impact on your joints.” Lagree’s method works by building cardiorespiratory endurance, muscle strength, flexibility, core strength and balance during each session.
The resistance from the springs is meant to enable peak muscle contraction without stressing the joints and connective tissue, while adjusting the machine to vary the level of difficulty affects the range of motion and tempo.
I’m advised to keep my core engaged at all times, but stumble a few times while trying to plant my feet firmly on the carriage. We start with the Catfish, a core exercise. With hands on the handlebars, I’m up on my toes, ensuring a soft knee stance from where I am guided into pushing the carriage back and forth.
I hurry through my first attempt, only to be stopped and told to slow down.
With my focus now on controlling the movement, I start to feel a stretch in the abs, exactly what I was looking forward to.
Each exercise doesn’t last long and after a few minutes of pulsing, we move on to the next core-centric exercise – the Giant Bear, for which I get down on all fours to engage my abdominal muscles, triceps, shoulders and lats.
Despite having done CrossFit for more than six months, I find it difficult to keep my balance, and getting into a deep squat becomes tough.
As I had feared, it’s proving impossible to stay upright on a machine with moving bits.
“We spend a lot of time on the legs in these classes because it is the largest muscle group,” says Kirpalani, who is a certified nutritionist (she also offers diet advice during sessions).
“And even after you are done, you continue to lose calories for a good 48 hours.”
Our final 15 minutes are reserved for the upper body. We do the Superman, facing the front of the machine in a downward, almost flying position to work the shoulders and lats; and then the Chest Opener, which involves kneeling on the carrier and pulling straps upwards to the chest. We use long black cables for bicep and tricep exercises.
Tension is created by adjusting the spring-load on the carrier, with weights that range from 3.5 to 104 kilograms.
“The beauty of the MegaFormer is that a 14-year-old and an 85-year-old can both do the same routine – the spring-load is changed to challenge the student,” says Kirpalani. “It’s all about slow-twitch fibres to build endurance. We don’t go fast, so you are always safe and will never hurt your lower back.”
Kirpalani says she tried the MegaFormer after she suffered a spinal disc herniation after lifting heavy weights.
“I have Type 1 diabetes and a few years ago weighed more than 96kg. My doctors said I wouldn’t live past 30 if I didn’t take control of my situation. I tried all sorts of diets and exercises, putting my body through hell. After my accident, my physiotherapist put my on the MegaFormer. That and a healthy diet have done wonders for me,” says the trainer, who now clocks in at a lean 60kg. By the end of the 40 minutes, I expect my legs to feel like jelly, but that doesn’t happen until the next day.
And although I missed the adrenaline surge that comes after a bout of lifting weights, I would recommend the MegaFormer as an effective – and satisfying – tool for people looking to ditch their sedentary lifestyle and get fit.
•Core Fitness Evolution in Dubai offers daily 40-minute classes starting at 9am. Dh140, book at www.corefitnessevolution.com or call 04 354 3220.
aahmed@thenational.ae
