After hearing lots of buzz this summer about SLT, I finally got to try it out for myself. When asked what to expect, my friend told (warned) me: “it’s like Pilates on steroids.” Yes, that’s just about exactly right. I was sore for days and days…which means…it works.
SLT’s Water Mill studio is new and clean, but the reformers of all reformers, Megaformers (aka torture chambers) aren’t particularly welcoming. Lucky for me, I got there early enough to see the previous class wrapping up. Each and every one had that clenched look of pain across their face…that got me a little nervous for what was to come, not going to lie. And I was right, pain was to come.
As you can see, the Megaformer has lots of tools and toys to sculpt in different ways. Various moves allow for heavy resistance for weight-training or lighter resistance for Pilates. Don’t try this at home, folks. We worked our abs, legs, glutes, obliques, back, triceps, biceps…is that all? It was a different sense of toning, more like pinching. The Megaformer creates motions we don’t usually perform with the body.
Did I mention how sore I was? I did like the fact that we packed so much in, just when your muscles wanted to explode and the pain became unbearable, it was time to switch to a new muscle group. Sweet relief.
It’s definitely impossible for this workout not to shape and tone. Good form and precision is key here, both for safety and for results. If you’re looking for a social workout, SLT isn’t it. You don’t go to this class to chit chat, you go to strengthen, lengthen, and tone. Good thing the music was good because it was the only distraction from the pinching pain.
One Healthy Breakdown: Consider this ‘the Mega-reformation of Pilates,’ if you will.
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