There is a realitvely new exercise studio in town that offers a different kind of workout. I tried it and it nearly killed me. OK, I might be exaggerating, but not by much. PLNK|STL opened at The Village at Schneithorst in July and, based on the number of people attending classes, it seems St. Louis has lots of people who are into torture. I’m being dramatic, so let me move on to the facts.

PLNK|STL offers the Lagree method of Pilates. Think of it as Pilates on steroids. It’s the kind that, if done consistently, ends up in long, lean, toned muscles. The difference is the approach. The Lagree method, founded by Sebastien Lagree in 2005, is a 50-minute workout that not only improves your flexibility, muscle strength, endurance and balance but also gives you a cardio workout at the same time. It is low-impact, and the exercises are performed on a megaformer and focus on your slow twitch muscles. The megaformer looks like a regular Pilates reformer but is larger and has more parts that move and more resistance (torture) options.

Brooke Meeke is the owner of PLNK|STL. Last September, she took her first class in Kansas City and quickly decided St. Louis needed its own studio. You can find this Lagree method taught in all the hot spots: L.A., NYC, S.F., you know, all the cities that only need initials.

So, let me tell you about the class. I will be the first to admit I am a bit out of shape, which is why I always bring my 19-year-old, very fit daughter to classes I’m trying. We provide a good balance: I want to leave immediately, and she can hardly wait for the music to start. That is pretty much what happened here. Brooke, who taught the class, started the countdown clock, and 5 minutes and 26 seconds into the regimen, I told her I had enough information for the article and saw no reason to continue. My daughter Tess scoffed at me and said ‘Mooooom’ in a way that all mothers have heard. It caused me to suck it up and continue for the next 44 minutes and 33 seconds.

As Brooke took us through the moves, I kept waiting for the rest period, but there weren’t any. The Lagree method keeps you moving the full 50 minutes, so by the time you are finished you are one complete puddle of sweat. Brooke assured me that no one has fainted or thrown up while taking the class, but I’m not sure I believe her. I do know I could not move my legs or stomach muscles for a full two days after my workout. I also know that while the workout was hard, it was fun, in part thanks to Brooke but also because it was different. I couldn’t ‘phone it in.’ It is not just a set of bicep curls followed by time on a treadmill. I had to actually engage both my brain and my core to make sure I was doing everything right.

PLNK|STL is the only studio in St. Louis to teach the Lagree method of Pilates. It is a homegrown St. Louis business, so give it a try. And if I haven’t convinced you yet, consider this: Sofia Vergara swears by this workout. With a few classes under your belt, you too will look like Sofia. That I guarantee. Well, not really, but isn’t that great motivation?

Pictured: From left, instructor Brooke Meeke with Tess and Patty Hannum
Photo: Bill Barrett