A new kind of workout is coming to downtown Wilmington this fall.

Megarounds, a fitness studio that's in the works on the ground floor of Pier 33 Apartments, will be the first studio in Wilmington – and North Carolina – to teach Lagree method workouts and use Megaformer and VersaClimber machines, said Megarounds owner Melissa Reeck.

Reeck fell in love with health and fitness in her 20s while living in California. There, she came across Lagree while cross-training for a marathon.

“It wasn't until I discovered Lagree that I was like, ‘Oh, wow. This is a complete mental and physical challenge. This is amazing,’” she said.

Lagree is performed on a Megaformer machine (shown at right), which is similar to reformers used in Pilates. But the Megaformer workout is more intense, targetting muscular development, cardio endurance and mental endurance. 

“Unlike Pilates, which is low intensity, low impact, this is high intensity but low impact,” Reeck said.

The VersaClimbers complement the Lagree workout by providing a low-impact but high-intensity cardio exercise. The machine uses both the lower and upper body and provides a workout similar to that of a spin class or a session on an elliptical, Reeck said.

Reeck moved to Wilmington from Los Angeles in October 2020 during the pandemic to be closer to her mom. She decided to stay in the area and noticed a need for Lagree and VersaClimbing studios.

A few years later, she decided to open her own studio and began looking for space. She eventually found the spot under Pier 33 Apartments.

Reeck signed a lease for the roughly 1,400-square-foot space at 30 Harnett St. in March, and it’s currently being built out into a fitness studio. Construction began about a month ago and is expected to wrap up this fall. She chose the spot because of its location – near the Cape Fear River and Live Oak Bank Pavillion – and the area’s continued growth.

“I wanted to bring business and awareness and sort of a different demographic to downtown,” she said. “So that’s why I picked the space, as well.”

The studio will eventually house nine Megaformers and nine VersaClimbers (shown at right), Reeck said. She wants to bring a “nightclub feel” into the studio, “so it’s going to be darker in the studio, gorgeous lighting in there, lighting synched to the music,” she said.

Reeck trained to teach Lagree in 2021 and previously taught at a studio in Wilmington. She now offers classes out of her home. She will also be certified to teach VersaClimber classes at the end of the month, and she plans to play an active role as an instructor at Megarounds.

“This is my baby. I definitely want to be in the studio every day,” Reeck said, “training, starting to establish the vibe, the feeling that I want to convey.”