Pilates Plus by Lagree Fitness, Studio City

In pursuit of sunnier weather and a more outdoorsy lifestyle, Kristi Vacanti left the Midwestern town of Omaha, Nebraska and settled in LA, where her love of fitness led her to became a personal trainer. Like many, she soon became distracted by the stress of her job. Because of its professed ability to calm the mind and body, Pilates caught Kristi's attention, and she began taking classes at Sebastien’s Pilates Plus. Sebastien Lagree’s approach to the exercise regimen had such an effect on her that she decided to become certified in Lagree Fitness, his proprietary blend of Pilates and strength training, which she shares with fitness seekers to this day. At her three studios, Kristi and a team of instructors lead intense 40- and 55-minute classes that combine resistance exercises with ProFormer Pilates in sessions centered on the idea that students need more intense rather than longer workouts. Movements isolate the core, hips, and thighs to a degree that provokes muscle failure, which, like not wearing your skin, is one of the best ways to achieve muscle definition.