Check out the $9,499 Pilates machine that Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber use in classes at a referral-only celebrity studio

Claire Cali

• Forma Pilates in LA is a go-to workout for celebrities like Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner.
• Liana Levi, the owner of Forma, uses a machine she calls the "Rolls-Royce of pilates equipment."
• Merrithew's V2 Max Plus Reformer costs upwards of $9,000. Levi's classes range from $100 to $500.

Liana Levi, owner of Forma Pilates in LA, teaches Pilates to celebrities including Hailey Bieber, Kendall Jenner, Cara Delevingne, and Kaia Gerber. "I'm young, I'm relatable, I'm cool... I create personal relationships. A lot of people in the fitness industry are…tree-hugging, nature people," Levi told The Wall Street Journal.

Claire Cali

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Forma Pilates and other high-end Pilates studios use Merrithew's V2 Max Plus, a $9,499 reformer. "To me, it's the best and also the most luxurious equipment," Levi told the company. "I call Merrithew Reformers the Rolls-Royce of Pilates equipment."

Merrithew

Source: Merrithew

The V2 Max Plus reformer is three machines in one: a raised mat platform, a reformer, and virtual Cadillac. It has six features, including a rope and spring system that allow for including lying down, side-lying, standing, kneeling, and sitting. There are 34 classic Pilates poses that range from yoga-like moves to ab workouts.

Merrithew

Models have long claimed Pilates to be an "essential workout" because the exercise both tones and lengthens muscles. "People really enjoy working muscles they never knew they had," Levi told Meritthew. "The greatest part of doing Pilates is watching your body transform. Everything feels tighter and stronger."

Getty Images MEGA / Contributor

Source: Merrithew

In the 1920s, gymnast and circus performer Joseph Pilates first introduced the exercise to New York City. "I invented all these machines," said Pilates. "It resists your movements in just the right way so those inner muscles really have to work against it."

The Merrithew V2 Max Plus reformer.      Merrithew

Source: The Pilates Foundation

Forma Pilates only accepts clients through referrals, but it offers online classes. If you lack celebrity connections, an online subscription costs $49.99 per month. Levi told The Wall Street Journal that she currently has over 750 subscribers.

Claire Cali

Source: The Wall Street Journal

"The COVID-19 crisis has put fitness, health, and wellness, and in particular mindful movement, in the spotlight." Lindsay Merrithew, CEO of Merrithew, told Insider. "Over the last year, we've experienced increased demand for our premium Pilates, fitness, and mind-body equipment and accessories, especially from home users who wanted to recreate the studio experience at home."

Merrithew

The Merrithew V2 Max plus weighs around 185 pounds and can be up to 6 feet tall. "At Home SPX," the least expensive Merrithew reformers, cost $2,999 on Amazon and ships 90% assembled. Most reformers cost over $1,000, with popular reformers by Allegro and AeroPilates averaging around $3,000. Machines without springs and fewer features are occasionally priced under $500.

Merrithew

Hailey Bieber was one of Forma Pilates' first celebrity clients. After Bieber's first class, she visited the studio with her husband Justin Bieber, friend Kendall Jenner, and even her stylist, Maeve Reilly, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Getty Images / MEGA

Source: The Wall Street Journal