Lifestyle
This Pilates class is harder to get into than the Magic Castle
![This Pilates class is harder to get into than the Magic Castle This Pilates class is harder to get into than the Magic Castle](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9e869b9/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4954x2601+0+351/resize/1200x630!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ff9%2F4b%2F24561b014aa9ab3e21827e8d58b3%2F1399328-wk-forma-pilates-jja-0009.jpg)
In a cozy pool house in Holmby Hills, 33-year-old Liana Levi counts backward from 10 as I move my leg in a slow circle. “Think happy thoughts,” she says as the deceptively simple movements cause my muscles to shake on the Pilates reformer. Her distinctly Californian voice wafts over a Bad Bunny-heavy playlist. She has a deep tan in January and dainty gold jewelry. Her sweatshirt, emblazoned with the logo for athleisure brand Sporty & Rich, seems custom made for her. Underneath it are her signature washboard abs. We’re talking a Marvel movie, can’t believe it’s-not-CGI eight-pack that her 130,000-plus Instagram followers know intimately. Her secret? Her Pilates method, Forma.
Levi did not invent the movements she teaches, but with her body as a case study, she quickly became their gatekeeper. Forma Pilates elevates the fundamentals of classical Pilates with what Levi calls “athletic edge.” Rather than shouting buzzwords, Levi breaks down what it means to engage your pelvic floor or really feel your outer glutes and guides clients until they really feel it. The slightest tweak transforms a two-inch movement. The walls of Forma studios are adorned with signed rubber resistance bands that past clients have snapped in half with the strength of their thighs.
Rubber resistance bands, snapped and signed by past clients, adorn Levi’s home studio.
Los Angeles is no stranger to trendy workouts. Classes promoting Joe Pilates’ famed technique have existed in America’s fitness capital since 1972. There have been plenty of copycats, too. Faster-paced classes using supersize machines like Solidcore or the Megaformer take inspiration from Pilates, but can’t use the name. Like Champagne versus sparkling wine, Pilates is exclusive by nature. Forma is exclusive by design, an invite-only exercise community that charges $100 for semi-private reformer classes and $250 for private sessions. Forget Raya, Soho House, or even the Magic Castle — getting into one of Levi’s Forma Pilates classes might be the hardest ticket in town.
Levi grew up “very sheltered” in the manicured suburb of Holmby Hills. While a student at the elite private Jewish day school Milken, she played sports and danced competitively. At 16, she took her first Pilates class to supplement her training and was immediately hooked.
“I worked muscles that I didn’t know existed,” she said “I felt longer and taller and my core was as strong as it had ever been. I realized this is the most elegant and beautiful type of fitness out there.”
![Liana Levi.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/bbe0f08/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2554x3831+0+0/resize/800x1200!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F45%2F25%2F72fc842341e6a8921ca4748abf9e%2F1399328-wk-forma-pilates-jja-0007.jpg)
Liana Levi.
![Liana Levi guides Kassia Taylor in the use of pilates q](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/08237bc/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4000x6000+0+0/resize/800x1200!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F3c%2F9a%2Fcae6dd66439a9ec72d1a173766f6%2F1399328-wk-forma-pilates-jja-0014.jpg)
Liana Levi guides Kassia Taylor in the use of pilates equipment.
Following a handful of fashion-industry jobs in her 20s, Levi took a chance, and earned her Pilates teaching certificate. She’d long been frustrated by local Pilates classes that failed to teach correct form or emphasize the importance of “mind-body connection,” and thought she might be able to do better. In 2020, she launched Forma Pilates out of her mom’s pool house during the thick of the pandemic lockdown. With safety in mind and only room for two reformers, she had no choice but to start small. First with informal classes for friends, then friends-of-friends. Word of mouth about her rigorous technique spread from her well-connected acquaintances to a handful of celebrities. Within four months, the small business Levi began as a pandemic experiment was drawing A-listers like Hailey Bieber and Bella Hadid.
A year after launching, Levi expanded Forma to a Melrose Avenue studio in West Hollywood. Despite demand, she kept the studio intimate, at just four clients a class. Soon, The Daily Mail was running paparazzi pics of Kendall Jenner leaving the studio, and interest in Forma ballooned. Levi extended her clientele to connections up to six degrees away from herself. “I wanted to keep it exclusive and unique and niche and boutique and luxury,” she said.
In November 2023, Forma debuted heated mat pilates classes in a new Beverly Glen studio that fits 14 people. It’s the largest and least expensive of Forma’s classes. Levi calls it “more accessible,” but it remains true to the exclusivity at the core of the brand. At $50 a pop, it tops Barry’s Bootcamp ($34), SoulCycle ($34) and Solidcore ($40) in price-per-class. Like all Forma classes, referral is required. When I took a class at noon on a Friday, there were just five students. A paparazzo lurked in the parking lot.
![Liana Levi, owner of Forma Pilates, chats with her students Kassia Taylor and Colleen McCabe at her home studio.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9c67f82/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3984x2656+0+0/resize/1200x800!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F03%2Fdf%2Fea4c0d1b42eea64af3b020143b49%2F1399328-wk-forma-pilates-jja-0005.jpg)
Liana Levi, owner of Forma Pilates, chats with her students Kassia Taylor and Colleen McCabe at her home studio.
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
Today, Forma has a total of six locations across Los Angeles, New York and Phoenix. There are upwards of 3,500 approved clients who have the choice of more than 50 classes a week, taught by 16 different Levi-trained instructors. Levi, meanwhile, travels for pop-ups and teaches 10 classes weekly in L.A.
Despite the droves of followers who would happily fill a spot in Forma’s classes, those outside Levi’s charmed orbit must settle for Forma’s online platform. The $50-a-month service is updated weekly with pre-recorded mat and reformer workouts. They may not hold the mysterious allure of membership to an invite-only exercise cult, or the possibility of sweating next to Kaia Gerber. But hey, you can actually get in.
![](https://newspub.live/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np-logo.png)
Lifestyle
'Wait Wait' for August 31, 2024: Live in Minnesota with Nate Berkus
!['Wait Wait' for August 31, 2024: Live in Minnesota with Nate Berkus 'Wait Wait' for August 31, 2024: Live in Minnesota with Nate Berkus](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4032x2268+0+0/resize/1400/quality/100/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fdc%2F79%2F6c7afa6242ce9a53f9c10f64e374%2Fgettyimages-1436835915.jpg)
Nate Berkus speaks onstage during the Celebrity Cruises newest and most luxurious ship, Celebrity Beyond, makes north American debut in NYC on October 25, 2022 in Bayonne, New Jersey. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for Celebrity Cruises)
Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for Celebrity Cruis/Getty Images North America
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Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for Celebrity Cruis/Getty Images North America
This week’s show was recorded at the Orpheum Theater in Minneapolis with host Peter Sagal, judge and scorekeeper Bill Kurtis, Not My Job guest Nate Berkus and panelists Joyelle Nicole Johnson, Bobcat Goldthwait, and Josh Gondelman. Click the audio link above to hear the whole show.
Who’s Bill This Time
Beware of Babies; Coffee Conundrum; Even Killer Whales Need Practice
Panel Questions
The Buddy System Fails
Bluff The Listener
Our panelists tell three stories about someone saying “I told you so,” only one of which is true.
Not My Job: We quiz celebrity designer Nate Berkus on tattoos
Interior Designer Nate Berkus plays our game called “Try Some Exterior Decorating.” Three questions about tattoos.
Panel Questions
A Suspicious Promotion; Chicken Fried Television; Out Of Office/Out of Patience
Limericks
Bill Kurtis reads three news-related limericks: Pizza Face; Eau de Crayola; Caffeinated Commerce
Lightning Fill In The Blank
All the news we couldn’t fit anywhere else
Predictions
Our panelists predict what surprising thing Starbucks will add to its menu next.
Lifestyle
How to have the best Sunday in L.A., according to Tony Gonzalez
![How to have the best Sunday in L.A., according to Tony Gonzalez How to have the best Sunday in L.A., according to Tony Gonzalez](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7ff408f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2400x1260+0+170/resize/1200x630!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fd4%2Ff1%2Ffd25a1cc42e0b6c61ddabf5a2ead%2Fla-wk-sunday-funday-tony-gonzalez-lead-static.png)
When NFL Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez was growing up in Torrance, he remembers spending Sundays watching the Los Angeles Raiders on television. After all, “they had Bo Jackson,” Gonzalez says of the famous running back. (The Rams, led by quarterback Jim Everett, were a close second.)
Like Jackson, the 48-year-old grew up to be a multisport athlete, playing basketball and football at Huntington Beach High School and UC Berkeley and later playing 17 seasons in the NFL as a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons.
He may have retired from playing football, but Gonzalez is back on television as an analyst for Prime Video’s “Thursday Night Football,” a job that requires considerable travel during the NFL football season.
![sunday funday infobox logo with colorful spot illustrations](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/bba0672/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2078x1385+142+0/resize/510x340!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fa1%2F5c%2F2910e6494d1180e8b1c9f9aa5f56%2Fla-sf-series-graphic-tony-gonzalez.png)
In Sunday Funday, L.A. people give us a play-by-play of their ideal Sunday around town. Find ideas and inspiration on where to go, what to eat and how to enjoy life on the weekends.
During the offseason, however, Gonzalez cherishes his time at home with his family. Now that he, his wife, October, and their three kids have returned to Los Angeles after living in Texas, Gonzalez is happy to be back in L.A. (Gonzalez also has a son from a previous relationship with Lauren Sanchez, Amazon founder Jeff Bezo’s fiancée.) “When I left, I thought, ‘Why did I ever leave California?’” Gonzalez says. “I missed my family — my mother and my brother who live here. I also missed the ocean.”
When the NFL season kicks off on Sept. 5, Gonzalez will have to forfeit his Sundays — a day he describes as his “sacred day” — because he will watch football all day to prepare for his halftime and postgame analysis for “Thursday Night Football.” Until then, Gonzalez can be found cruising the tree-lined streets of Montana Avenue in Santa Monica on foot and bicycle as he enjoys a car-free day.
Accustomed to doing play-by-plays, Gonzalez offers the following commentary on his perfect Sunday in L.A. when he’s not on the road.
This interview has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.
![](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5c848a4/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1000x1000+0+0/resize/40x40!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ff8%2Ffe%2F45b0eb564e64b514c51cff393780%2Flat-sunfun-tony-g-spots-hands.png)
7 a.m.: Meditate before starting the day
The first thing I do when I wake up is meditate. I pray, sit there, think and close my eyes. I don’t get out of bed; I take time to be alone and get my thoughts right. It’s a sacred moment for me and lasts about 10 minutes.
9 a.m.: Grab a coffee at Sweet Lady Jane while walking the dogs
Midmorning, I’ll take my two dogs, Chica and Bronx, a standard black poodle and labradoodle, for a walk. During our walk, I’ll stop at Sweet Lady Jane off Montana Avenue in Santa Monica for coffee. Montana is where I will concentrate my day. I’m used to traveling for “Thursday Night Football” and am always on a plane. So Sunday is my sacred day. If I need to go somewhere, I’m walking; I’m walking everywhere. I’m not getting in the car.
10 a.m.: Shop local at the Santa Monica Farmers Market
After coffee and cake, my next stop is the Santa Monica Farmers Market, where I’ll do a little shopping. I like the local farmers’ eggs, cheese and meats, and they have the best yogurt I have ever tasted. I love going up and down the aisles and trying new things. It’s such a cool spot.
![](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/40e4a3f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1000x1000+0+0/resize/40x40!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F9a%2F3e%2Fb052372b46c5ab92876d4c536f11%2Flat-sunfun-tony-g-spots-wave.png)
11 a.m.: Enjoy the ocean views at Palisades Park
If I don’t go home, I’ll walk over to Palisades Park, north of the Santa Monica Pier. I’ll pick a street, say Marguerita or Montana, and walk until it ends. After sampling some things at the Farmers Market, I’ll walk over to the cliffs overlooking the water. It’s so peaceful and beautiful there; it’s like you’re in a different country. That’s California at its best. You can sit on a bench and look out over the water. Anytime people come in from out of town, we’ll take them there and have a picnic. The ocean is one of the reasons I wanted to move back to Los Angeles.
Noon: Afternoon workout
Jogging to Palisades Park from where I live is a good workout. It’s about a mile from my house. I love walking to the ocean from my home and seeing the water. So after I take in the ocean views, I’ll walk or jog back to the house and take a shower.
![](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/15039d0/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1000x1000+0+0/resize/40x40!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fc9%2F0d%2F2a52a3f941d59f3af9c919bbfe5c%2Flat-sunfun-tony-g-spots-sandwich.png)
1 p.m.: Take a bike ride over to Bay Cities Italian Deli & Bakery
After showering, I’ll bike to Bay Cities Italian Deli & Bakery. Their sandwiches are the best. I usually customize my sandwich and order turkey, roast beef, avocado, provolone, tomatoes, pickles, onions and mayonnaise. And the bread is outstanding. That’s what makes a good sandwich — the bread.
![](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0438772/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1000x1000+0+0/resize/40x40!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F3d%2F3b%2Fa738071c401781d3894ade304488%2Flat-sunfun-tony-g-spots-beer.png)
3 p.m.: Grab a craft beer at Father’s Office gastropub
Later in the afternoon, I might head to Father’s Office, Sang Yoon’s gastropub in Santa Monica, where they have a great beer selection. It’s an excellent place to grab a beer on Montana Avenue, which is my favorite area. Father’s is small, but they have a nice outdoor area and terrific burgers. I might grab a beer and then head back to the house to relax.
7 p.m.: Enjoy an Italian meal at La Condo Portofino
At the end of the day, I’ll have dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, La Condo Portofino on Montana Avenue. It’s an unassuming Italian place near 11th Street and located next to a cleaners, which I love. They have some of the best Italian food in L.A., and the staff is so nice. After the COVID-19 pandemic, they expanded and created seating in the parking lot. So now you can sit outside if you prefer and finish the day with a nice plate of pasta, a veal chop and a glass of wine.
![](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/1af90f2/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1000x1000+0+0/resize/40x40!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fa8%2F15%2F70185f4c462a8a75a32442b701f5%2Flat-sunfun-tony-g-spots-pasta.png)
10 p.m.: Read a book, catch up on TV and appreciate the day
After dinner, I’ll go home and read a book or try to find something to watch on Amazon Prime before I go to bed. That is my perfect day. The billion-dollar stadiums around the NFL are all centered around the fan experience. At home, this is my ultimate experience. In fact, I want to go do this right now.
Lifestyle
Court orders a new hearing for Adnan Syed in 'Serial' case. Here's what to know
![Court orders a new hearing for Adnan Syed in 'Serial' case. Here's what to know Court orders a new hearing for Adnan Syed in 'Serial' case. Here's what to know](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/8018x4510+0+0/resize/1400/quality/100/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F9f%2Fc9%2F3cb30dc142deb062b859125cf4bb%2Fap23278570929892.jpg)
Adnan Syed, standing with his mother Shamim Rahman, talks with reporters outside Maryland’s Supreme Court in Annapolis, Md., on Oct. 5, 2023.
Susan Walsh/AP
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Susan Walsh/AP
Less than two years after Adnan Syed was released from prison, Maryland’s top court has ordered a redo on the very hearing that freed him.
On Friday, the Maryland Supreme Court upheld an appellate court’s decision from 2023 to reinstate Syed’s conviction. That ruling was based on the argument that the murder victim’s family did not receive adequate notice about the hearing that led to Syed’s release.
Now, the case will head to a new lower court judge, who will determine the fate of Syed’s conviction. The Maryland Supreme Court said Syed can remain free in the meantime.
![Prosecutors drop charges against Adnan Syed, the subject of 'Serial' podcast](https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2022/10/11/ap22262747625739_sq-5232ba5af5f54fa9ddd4c4929f15521eb2b9c89c.jpg?s=100&c=100&f=jpeg)
The 43-year-old spent 23 years in prison for the murder of his former high school girlfriend, Hae Min Lee. His case drew national attention after being the main focus of the Serial podcast’s first season. The episodes raised doubts about some of the case’s evidence and led to calls for a new trial. Syed was originally facing life in prison until a Baltimore judge vacated his conviction in 2022.
Syed went on to work for Georgetown University’s Prisons and Justice Initiative. But his case is far from settled. Here’s what to know.
A recap of Syed’s criminal case
In 1999, Baltimore high school student Hae Min Lee’s body was discovered in a city park, a few weeks after she had gone missing. Her autopsy determined that she had been strangled to death.
Syed, who had previously dated Lee, was charged with her murder and in 2000, he was sentenced to life in prison. At the time, he was 18 years old.
![How the investigation of Adnan Syed became a podcast phenomenon](https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2022/09/20/ap22262749491425_sq-60fd835cbead35cd8c99f1e79eee9927897922c5.jpg?s=100&c=100&f=jpeg)
Syed had long maintained that he was innocent but his case received renewed attention in 2014 after it was chronicled in the debut season of the Serial podcast. Over the course of 12 episodes, Serial probed at the details in Syed’s case and exposed flaws in the legal system. One poignant question from the podcast was about the reliability of cellphone tower evidence.
Syed’s lawyers raised similar concerns and in 2016, Syed was granted a new trial. The state appealed the ruling and his case went through various courts. In 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear his case.
Things took a turn in 2022 after a year-long investigation resulted in new information about two possible, alternative suspects. In September of that year, Syed was released from prison and prosecutors later decided to drop all cases against him.
Why Syed’s murder conviction got reinstated
In 2023, Lee’s family urged the Appellate Court of Maryland for a redo of the hearing that won Syed his freedom. The family argued that Lee’s brother, who lived in California, received about three days notice about the hearing and therefore, was unable to attend in person — violating Maryland victims’ rights, the Associated Press reported at the time.
“We’re not on a campaign to have Adnan Syed put back in jail,” attorney David Sanford, representing Lee’s family, said in 2023. “This is about respecting victims and their representatives.”
![Adnan Syed's case is unique. Withholding of potentially exculpatory evidence is not](https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2022/09/20/ap222627476257391_sq-18a1ef0ca5b0af1dab5f8716245323ceddaf3e48.jpg?s=100&c=100&f=jpeg)
The appellate court ruled in favor of Lee’s family and reinstated Syed’s murder conviction. The court also a ordered a new hearing in the case. That ruling was upheld by Maryland’s highest court on Friday.
“In an effort to remedy what they perceived to be an injustice to Mr. Syed, the prosecutor and the circuit court worked an injustice against Mr. Lee,” Maryland’s Supreme Court wrote in an opinion on Friday.
What’s next
Baltimore’s state attorney’s office said it was reviewing the high court’s decision and had no further details about next steps forward.
In a statement, Lee’s family’s attorney, Sanford, applauded the court for reaffirming crime victims’ rights and giving the family the chance to be heard properly in court.
“If there is compelling evidence to support vacating the conviction of Adnan Syed, we will be the first to agree,” Sanford said.
Syed’s attorney, Erica Suter, said she disagreed with the court’s decision, adding that it will put an emotional toll on both Lee and Syed’s family.
“Though this latest ruling is a roadblock in the way of Adnan’s exoneration, we have faith that justice will prevail, and will work tirelessly to clear his name once and for all,” Suter said in a statement.
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