A New Year's Fitness Resolution Worth Keeping at Megaformer Lab

By That's Shanghai, January 20, 2023

For most people, no matter how many times you’ve said “New year, new me,” by the time February rolls around, you’ve already completely forgotten about the days marked “gym time” in your Google Calendar.

The Megaformer Lab: Time Under Tension Principle

This is where Megaformer comes in – a high-intensity, low-impact workout that results in lean, toned muscles, without the added risk of injury or stress on joints.

It’s a combination of the style of workout that fits within a variety of lifestyles, the approachability of the exercises and the community that surrounds it that make Megaformer a workout that won’t lead to immediate burnout after just a few sessions.

Image courtesy of The Megaformer Lab

So many times, people kickstart a new year’s resolution, vowing to make too many lifestyle changes at once. It quickly becomes overwhelming, and that person falls off the bandwagon after a few short weeks, resorting to old habits.

The best way to make sustainable changes is to take incremental, manageable steps that compound into new lifestyle habits.

Image courtesy of The Megaformer Lab

Loved by Hollywood celebs, Megaformer was created by Sebastien Lagree in the early 2000s for just that reason. It was ahead of its time on the latest en vogue trend to see consistent and measurable results at the gym, known as “time under tension,” or TUT.

Belle Zhang, a Shanghai-based entrepreneur and certified Lagree instructor who opened The Megaformer Lab almost two years ago, the first Lagree Megaformer workout in Shanghai, tells us, “Once you try it you’ll be hooked; it’s different from anything else you’ve experienced.”

Read More:Spotlight: Belle Zhang, Founder of The Megaformer Lab

But Why?

It’s about endurance, working all major muscle groups in a 45-minute session.

Somewhat comparable to a Pilates Reformer machine, the Megaformer is like a Reformer on steroids, with the ability to combine cardio and endurance strength training elements.

You’re in constant tension, working slow-twitch muscle fibers during this endurance training.

Image courtesy of The Megaformer Lab

It’s the amount of time a muscle is working during an exercise set, rather than the variable-prone metric used by most of counting reps, that is a much more reliable indication for measuring gain.

Paying attention to when the muscle is being fully challenged throughout an entire range of motion, rather than just the binary count of completing a single rep or not, will help gym-goers set realistic goals to help them achieve their desired results.

Image via TML

This cuts down on “wasted time” during workouts – “the body doesn’t care how many sets or reps you did,” says Rob Darnbrough, co-founder of Smart Fit Method. “It only matters how much time the muscle is truly under tension.”

Image courtesy of The Megaformer Lab

Because Megaformer hones in on time under tension, it’s a guaranteed workout every class, a challenge to multiple muscle groups in a sustainable format.

The Megaformer Lab Community

“Fitness businesses in China are littered with people selling private classes, looking to sell dodgy year-long memberships. I was also looking for places to work out and found that people were fixated on numbers on a scale,” says Belle.

“I found that to be very toxic, especially for younger girls. There needs to be some type of exercise or fitness community that encourages you to pursue a healthy lifestyle in a healthy way. And Megaformer creates that community.”

Image courtesy of The Megaformer Lab

This year, challenge yourself to focus on your long-term health by surrounding yourself with a motivating and friendly community that values these same targets to help you achieve your health and fitness goals.

To make it easier, The Megaformer Lab is offering a handful of New Year's promotions this to fit each person's schedule.

For Jumpstart January, if you purchase a one-month unlimited pass for RMB2,980, receive a bonus week of workouts for free. That's 37 days for the price of only 30 days, a 23% saving!

Or, for those aiming to purchase a pack of 20 classes for RMB4,880 that can be used over the course of six months, receive an extra two classes for free.

Plus, for a special offer for That's Shanghai readers, if you message The Megaformer Lab customer service WeChat program upon purchase with the code "That's Shanghai," you can receive two additional classes for FREE – that's 24 classes for the price of 20, a 20% saving.

Taking it a step further, those who pass the Jumpstart Challenge – completing 15 classes during the month of January – will receive an additional five classes for free to be used in February.