Megaformer training at Rock Your Body Pilates has helped one local runner shave 30 minutes off her race time, she said.
“Before taking classes at RYB, I had a personal trainer, but my race times were staying the same,” Kristin Kalakay, 27, of Roseville, said. “But after I started on the Megaformer, my race times went down by 30 minutes.”
Running is considered by many to be one of the most — if not the most — intense workout out there. An average runner in a marathon can expect to burn about 2,800 calories during the approximately 4 1/2-hour race.
But running alone isn’t enough for many racers when they are training for a marathon. Many marathon runners like to weight-train or do other resistance training when they are getting ready for the grueling 26.2-mile race., to make sure their muscles are in tip-top shape.
Although varying the training regimes is necessary, worry about muscle fatigue, strain or even injury sometimes keeps racers away from weight training or other exercises.
But Kalakay said the answer to runners’ weight-training goals can be found in the Megaformer.
“It’s really low-impact, but really big results,” Kalakay said. “That is a huge thing when training for a race.”
And Kalakay should know. She has completed two marathons, 20 half-marathons and “so many 5Ks I’ve lost count,” she said.
“This past winter, I didn’t really run at all,” she explained, “but I was taking usually five or six RYB classes a week. I stayed in shape enough for my time to go down, even without regular running.”
What makes RYB and the Megaformer different than traditional Pilates classes is the cardiovascular and calorie-burning element — and that is what makes it a complete workout. Founder Sebastien Lagree said participants in a single 50-minute class can burn up to 800 calories — perfect cardio training for runners.
A traditional Pilates class is more stationary, and can be slower-moving. While that can be beneficial in some instances — especially during times of recovery — it is not the complete, total-body workout that is a class at RYB, which includes the calorie- and fat-burning benefits of a cardiovascular workout.
“It drastically helped with my stamina,” Kalakay said. “And it was great for my leg muscles, too. I never really struggled with the leg exercises at RYB, but when I first started coming, the ab exercises were really hard.”
Everyone knows running is a great workout for your lower body — everything from your glutes to your quads to your hamstrings is going to feel fatigued after a run. The Megaformer does that, too — but it also adds in an unbeatable workout for your core and your arms, too.
But Kalakay said another big draw of the Megaformer and the RYB classes is one element a lot of people don’t associate with a typical workout — fun.
“When I was working with my trainer, I was thinking, ‘When is this going to be over?'” she said. “But RYB, with the music and everything, it goes by really quickly.”
Since RYB opened in November, Kalakay has lost 30 pounds. In addition to running and RYB, she also takes barre classes.
Kalakay said she would recommend RYB and its Megaformer — which is the only one studio in Michigan that is home to the machine — for all runners, whether they are seasoned or newbies.
“I like that it doesn’t feel like you’re working out, but you’re really pushing yourself,” she said.