New Megaformer Pilates Studio Coming to Philly

The future home of Sculpt Fitness Studio. | Photo via Google Maps

The first time former Philadelphia Soul dancer and fitness instructor Stephanie Tolar hopped on a Megaformer Pilates machine, she was hooked. “It was the hardest thing I had ever done,” she says. A friend of a friend owned a studio in Hoboken with a fleet of the massive 10-foot-long, 250-pound machines, and Tolar knew immediately after trying a class there that she wanted to bring them to Philly.

More than a year in the making, Tolar’s brainchild, Sculpt Fitness Studio, will open in the SouthStar Lofts building at 521 South Broad Street in early December. Hers will become the second Megaformer studio in our area—folks out on the Main Line have been enjoying Plank Studio in Wayne since April—and the first within city limits.

Sculpt will have 10 Megaformer MS3 machines, the fifth and newest version of the apparatus. I tried out a Megaformer at Plank earlier this year and, in just the few minutes I was on it for a demo, I was shaking like a leaf. Tolar’s right: It’s hard.

In a 50-minute class, you’ll work pretty much every muscle in your entire body, from every conceivable angle. The machines have pulleys, a sliding bench, straps and various resistance options to make sure you don’t miss an inch. While they look complicated and intimidating to use, the machines are relatively user-friendly, and any instructor will give you the full rundown on how to use them before you hope aboard. Just don’t be fooled by the slow, deliberate, low-impact movements: You will get a pretty incredible workout, resulting in long, lean, toned muscles.

Sculpt Fitness Studio is currently in build-out mode. Tolar says the first-floor studio will have a loft, industrial feel, so the machines won’t feel too overwhelming. It’ll have a shower and two changing areas for convenience.

While the workout traditionally skews female, Tolar hopes to hire a male instructor who will run classes specifically geared toward men. “It would be a great addition to any workout regimen,” she says. “You get a little bit of cardio, but you get more of the muscle lengthening and toning with some stretching in there.”

The grand opening is pegged for early December. Tolar plans to offer free classes on opening weekend, but once the full schedule kicks in, she’ll continue to host free 15-minute intro classes to give newbies a chance to see what the workout is all about, risk-free. Drop-in classes will be $30, with class packages lowering the per-class price, of course.

Stay tuned for more info on the studio’s opening. Meantime, check out Sculpt’s website.

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