At a Glance:

Website: http://www.thestudiomdr.com
Address: 13357 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90066
Class Length: 60 min
Price: first class/$18, first week/$39, 1 class/$35, 10 classes/$265, month unlimited/$229
Sweat Scale: high
Energy Level: medium

If you’ve read my Pilates reviews or chatted with me in person (or even virtually), you know that I have been searching east to west for an approachable mega reformer (specifically, Lagree Method) studio. Well, we’re in luck…because I found one!

Pre Sweat

Although there is no studio-specific parking lot, there is a ton of street parking. I parked in the neighborhood, which was unpermitted/2 hours, and there were plenty of meters, too. I walked in, signed the waiver that was fancily on an iPad, put on my sticky socks, and grabbed a reformer. Lindsay, the instructor, introduced herself and asked if I had any pain or problems she should know about. Since it was the basic intro class, she started by explaining all of the parts of the mega reformer to the class, about half of which were first-timers.

Sweat

In general, I sweat but I’m not a sweaty person. I was dripping sweat during the warm up—enough that a droplet fell to the floor. And that was a perfect indication of how the 60-minute class went. Throughout the workout we did a million varieties of planks, push-ups, lunges, and squats all on the moving carriage. Lindsay and another instructor walked around to make sure everyone’s form was correct. Lindsay also explained modifications for each exercise. While mega reformers can be extremely daunting, the whole experience was very approachable and great for beginners without compromising the difficulty at all.

Post Sweat

Costco is next to the studio so walk on over for bulk necessities and cheap gas. In N Out is also in the Costco parking lot if you really want to splurge on cals after feeling the burn. There’s a Pitfire Pizza a few blocks away that I actually treated myself to after class. The burrata pizza was to die for, topped with arugula, pesto, walnuts, and burrata cheese. MDR East is also 1.5 miles away from the Venice boardwalk, the perfect place for people watching!

Tricks of the Trade

• If you are new to mega reformers, this class is a must. Lindsay said that until you’ve taken around 10 classes, you are still a beginner.
• The class will kick your butt but you’ll feel comfortable enough to ask questions and won’t feel embarrassed if you have to come to your knees during any of the planks. The clientele aren’t intimidating at all and the instructors are extremely friendly and helpful.
• You know it’s a good workout when my abs were painfully sore for 3 days.
• They have a water station if you need to fill up.