Elevate Training
The Telomere team visits Elevate Training in San Diego, CA.
At A Glance
Vibe: No-frills, high-output, results-first
Standout Feature: One of San Diego County's largest Lagree networks with five locations across the county.
About Elevate Training
After a Rheumatoid Arthritis diagnosis in college, Rebekah Burns discovered that Pilates was the only movement her body could handle. Wanting to share her discovery with more people like her, she signed up for what she thought was Pilates teacher training (her friend recommended it), and it instead became a surprise Lagree certification changed the trajectory entirely. She built Elevate around the premise that low-impact and high-intensity aren't mutually exclusive, and can help support functional fitness for individuals who thought their best movement was behind them.
That conviction now spans five locations across the county, Downtown, Solana Beach, Rancho Bernardo, Carlsbad, and Carmel Valley, leaving a geographic footprint that holds its own in a market where fitness studios are fighting for the same clientele.
What They Do Best
The core offering is the Megaformer, Lagree's signature machine. Classes run 40 minutes and are built around slow, controlled movements that keep muscles under constant time under tension. There's no momentum to cheat with here. The method hits slow-twitch muscle fibers through planks, lunges, pike presses, and oblique-focused variations built in logical progression that fuels intensity without feeling like chaos.
Beyond the signature Full Body class, Elevate also offers VersaClimber sessions designed to embody the rhythm of movement with a community connection for clients who want more cardiovascular flow. Recovery amenities including infrared sauna round out the menu at select locations. It's a cohesive program with Lagree as the anchor.
The Experience
Check-in moves fast, the layout is intuitive, and there's no ceremony around getting started. Visiting the Clairemont Mesa location, the essentials are covered with storage, bathrooms, and well-maintained equipment. Instructors are ready to show you around the Megaformer, just don’t be afraid to ask for help.
The Full Body class flows with good progression: core first, then a leg and glutes section that made the next morning memorable. The cues track with how bodies actually move, so you’re not feeling like a twisted pretzel trying to loops your foot into a strap. Even though you’ll be shaking through movements, the mindset never reaches “this is too hard for me.” Beginners will want to take advantage of the recommended spring adjustments and modifications; anyone who's been on a Megaformer before will appreciate being left to work. Either way, the 40 minutes passes fast and you can expect to feel it the next day.
What Makes Them Special
Five locations, one standard. Spreading across San Diego County without diluting the product is harder than it looks; Elevate's consistency across sites is a real operational achievement.
Two distinct class formats. Full Body Lagree and VersaClimber give members variety under one membership.
Infrared sauna available for recovery: Select locations offer infrared sauna sessions to complement the training.
Why We Love It
Elevate has done something different: built a multi-location Lagree brand in a saturated market without losing integrity of the offering. Rebekah Burns came to this method out of necessity, and that practicality shows up in how the studios are run. While they may not have mood lighting, they’re a standard-bearer in the San Diego Lagree space. Come in, do the work, feel it tomorrow.
Visit Elevate Training: 7330 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, San Diego, CA 92111 • www.elevatetraining.com • @elevatetrainingsd
About Telomere Consulting
We're a boutique fitness studio consultancy and marketing agency working with over 650 studios globally through our signature Studionomics program. We help studio owners build profitable, sustainable businesses through strategic consulting and full-service marketing implementation. Our team of former studio owners and industry experts partners with yoga, Pilates, barre, HIIT, cycling, and boutique fitness studios to solve their biggest business challenges—from filling classes to scaling revenue.
Ready to elevate your studio? Book a strategy call to explore how we can help you grow.
Want to be featured in The Studio Index? We're always looking for exceptional studios to visit and showcase. Request a studio visit and let us experience what makes your space special.
Define Lagree
The Telomere team visits Define Lagree in San Diego, CA.
At A Glance
Vibe: Clean, straightforward Lagree
Standout Feature: Exceptional facilities with elite, attentive instruction.
About Define Lagree
As a former dancer, Pilates and Barre instructor, and personal trainer, Define Lagree founder Carina Hodgins spent years mastering movement, training top talent, and leading certifications across San Diego. When COVID hit, she took her passion outside where crowds of 80+ people would join her Pilates classes. Her mission was clear: create a studio where top-tier instructors could deliver the best Lagree workouts in the county, and Define Lagree was born. She opened her first location on the historic Rosecrans Street in Point Loma, a bustling commercial corridor perfect for commuters to pause and take a class before or after their workday. Their second location, newly opened in Bay Park, sits on a hill alongside sunny, suburban sprawl surrounded by other niche shops in a cool, industrial park.
What They Do Best
Define Lagree was built entirely around the Megaformer. Every session is 45 minutes rooted in the principles of slow, controlled movements under constant tension that are low-impact on the joints and high-intensity on the muscles. Classes are aligned with where you want to focus. Full Body Lagree is the flagship featuring head-to-toe work that hits every major muscle group. Abs + Ass and Arms + Abs focus on specific upper and lower body areas for a targeted burn. Lagree + Lengthen pairs 35 minutes of full-body work with a dedicated 10-minute stretch, balancing intensity with recovery. The method is the same across all formats; what changes is where you’re feeling it.
The Experience
Define Lagree earns its reputation as a studio that gets the fundamentals right. Every class is coached with the same standard of technical precision, encouragement, and care. New students receive a proper orientation to the space before class begins, and it creates a culture around setting guests up to succeed.
The Full Body Lagree class is 45-minutes of progressive, controlled work on the Megaformer that lives up to its name, efficiently hitting every major muscle group until you’re shaking. Form corrections happen naturally mid-class, and modifications are offered for the more advanced movements. Transitions are explained and executed quickly and seamlessly so they are easy to navigate even if you are new to the modality. Make no mistake, Lagree is hard, and Define doesn’t try to soften that. The class feels effective, and sticks with you the next day.
The studio itself is immaculate and the equipment well-maintained. The atmosphere has a good balance of holding high standards without feeling intimidating which makes Define Lagree a growing benchmark in the San Diego Lagree scene.
What Makes Them Special
Consistent Instructor Quality Across the Board: no matter what class you take, you’re going to have a good workout with impeccable instruction.
High Standards without Intimidation: studios can skew performance-driven or community-forward, but Define Lagree sits in that rarefied middle – hard work and clear expectations all while creating a real sense of belonging.
Why We Love It
Define Lagree is proof that bells and whistles are no match for exceptionally-executed Lagree. Carina built this studio with a clear vision and hasn't drifted from it, and you feel that the moment you walk in. The instruction is elite, the environment earns your trust, and the workout delivers every time. In a market crowded with boutique fitness options, Define stands out by doing less and doing it best.
Visit Define Lagree: 1053 Rosecrans Street San Diego, CA 92106 • definelagree.com • @definelagree
About Telomere Consulting
We're a boutique fitness studio consultancy and marketing agency working with over 650 studios globally through our signature Studionomics program. We help studio owners build profitable, sustainable businesses through strategic consulting and full-service marketing implementation. Our team of former studio owners and industry experts partners with yoga, Pilates, barre, HIIT, cycling, and boutique fitness studios to solve their biggest business challenges—from filling classes to scaling revenue.
Ready to elevate your studio? Book a strategy call to explore how we can help you grow.
Want to be featured in The Studio Index? We're always looking for exceptional studios to visit and showcase. Request a studio visit and let us experience what makes your space special.
Sculpt Shop
The Telomere team visits Sculpt Shop in West Palm Beach, FL.
At A Glance
Vibe: Serious training, unpretentious energy
Standout Feature: Commitment to challenging, high-level workouts
About Sculpt Shop
Sculpt Shop sits inside a low-key commercial complex in Jupiter, Florida, a well-trafficked inland corridor flanked by residential neighborhoods and a cluster of wellness and fitness studios. The location was chosen intentionally as a a like-minded community space who value fitness. Owner Nicole spent two years in the industry before founding Sculpt Shop, a place where intensity and joint longevity are not at odds with each other. Her business partner (and walking proof-of-concept) Nicole joined the crew in 2019 as a self-described functional strength obsessive who helped bring HIIT to the Xformer. Together, they bring a passion for innovation that pushed boundaries, but never past your comfort level.
What They Do Best
The flagship offering is XFORMER Sculpt — a 50-minute full-body session on the Xformer. The method is low-impact on the joints and high-demand on the muscles: slow, controlled movements under constant tension. Exercises can be modified, but the programming skews toward clients who have a bit more experience on reformer-type modalities. Beyond the XFORMER class, the studio runs Strength and Conditioning sessions through The Body Shop — a HIIT-driven, equipment-rich format using kettlebells, dumbbells, plyometric boxes, and resistance bands and are affiliated with Deka and Spartan Races. The two formats share a building but serve different training styles; making Sculpt Shop one of the more complete boutique fitness setups in Palm Beach County.
The Experience
Sculpt Shop is a clean, functional space that reflects its focus on serious training. Check-in was handled efficiently, with staff managing the administrative process smoothly. New clients can expect to feel welcomed and asked about their previous XFORMER experience. The instructors take the time to learn the depth of the guest’s practice, understanding where they’re coming from so they know just how hard to push.
The session is a demanding and challenging workout. The programming requires significant familiarity with the equipment and movement patterns, requiring coordination and control over your body. Transitions move at a pace that assumes some experience with the format. While modifications are offered, there’s no hand-holding. The studio has clearly built its reputation on this level of intensity, designed for clients who want to be challenged at an advanced level
Newcomers should have a good background in fitness, but don’t necessarily need years of Xformer experience. The community is inviting and creates a real uplifting vibe throughout the burn.
What Makes Them Special
Two methods under one roof: The XFORMER studio and The Body Shop serve different training goals that compliment each other in intensity, strength, and longevity.
Owners who actually show up: Nicole and Maria are both on the teaching schedule, creating an owner-to-client relationship of accountability and trust.
Why We Love It
Sculpt Shop was built by people who train seriously, for people who want to train seriously. Nicole’s 20 years of movement expertise and Maria’s journey from client to co-owner give the studio a credibility that can’t be replicated. The XFORMER Sculpt class delivers on its promise: low-impact on the joints and unforgiving on the muscles. In a market full of studios competing on aesthetics and ambiance, Sculpt Shop competes on substance.
Visit SculptShop: 4909 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach, FL 33405 • sculptshops.com • @sculptshops
About Telomere Consulting
We're a boutique fitness studio consultancy and marketing agency working with over 650 studios globally through our signature Studionomics program. We help studio owners build profitable, sustainable businesses through strategic consulting and full-service marketing implementation. Our team of former studio owners and industry experts partners with yoga, Pilates, barre, HIIT, cycling, and boutique fitness studios to solve their biggest business challenges—from filling classes to scaling revenue.
Ready to elevate your studio? Book a strategy call to explore how we can help you grow.
Want to be featured in The Studio Index? We're always looking for exceptional studios to visit and showcase. Request a studio visit and let us experience what makes your space special.