It’s a battle of the fitness personalities—a legal battle, that is. As reported by The Fashion Law, celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson, founder of her eponymous workout method, is suing Megan Roup, founder of Sculpt Society, for copyright infringement.
Tracy Anderson, her website bio states, moved to New York City on a dance scholarship when she was 18. After years of developing, studying, and refining her workout method, she released the first Tracy Anderson Dance Cardio DVD in 2003. She opened her first studio in LA in 2005, and in 2006, she met and started training Gwyneth Paltrow. Two years later, she appeared on Oprah and has since trained celebrities such as Madonna and Cameron Diaz, to name a few. (Her bio also claims she “started the printed leggings craze” in 2003.)
Megan Roup studied dance at NYU’s Tisch Dance Program and told Verywell that she became a fitness instructor “to make ends meet” while trying to land dancing gigs. She launched The Sculpt Society in 2017 and its app in 2019, and has trained the likes of Shay Mitchell, Elsa Hosk, and Hunter McGrady.
In the court filing, Anderson claims that Roup worked as a trainer for Tracy Anderson Method between 2011-2017. Roup’s LinkedIn is absent of any mention of having worked at Tracy Anderson Method, and her biography on her website references her past as a fitness instructor, but does not specify her employer.” I spent years teaching fitness and developing The Sculpt Society method before launching in 2017,” it reads. (Betches has reached out to a representative for Roup and will update this article if we receive comment.)
In the filing, Anderson alleges Roup “capitalized on the years of research, money, and sweat equity” she put into developing the method and her business, and that shortly after becoming employed at Anderson’s company, Roup began to “plan or create the choreography routines, business plan and structure, and promotional materials that would form the foundation of and help launch TSS.” The Sculpt Society launched one month after Roup left Tracy Anderson.
“In short,” the filing reads, “Roup had access to all material necessary to replicate the TA Method and related business, and she wasted no time in doing so.” Both routines consist of a “choreography-based fitness and mat movement program,” incorporate hand or ankle weights (or other materials), and have a dance cardio component.
Anderson is also claiming that Roup violated an agreement she signed as a trainer which prohibits her from “using or disclosing ‘Confidential Information'” including training materials, manuals, and methods.
Another one of Anderson’s issue with The Sculpt Society is that she alleges it is branded similarly to her program. Both programs emphasize the respective founders’ dance backgrounds, and the abbreviations for both programs contain the letter T and the word “method” — TA Method and TSS Method. (Yes, really.) The filing also alleges the programs are structured similarly — Roup offers 28- or 30-day programs compared to Anderson’s 30-day method. (A Google search for “28 day workout” and “30 day workout” yields numerous results; neither TA nor TSS show up on the front page.)
Nonetheless, Anderson is claiming these similarities create “a likelihood of consumer confusion as to the origin, nature, source, and development of the TSS Method.” The complaint points to The Sculpt Society’s app reviews as evidence of this alleged confusion, citing reviews including “ is brilliant – don’t know how she does it – her reps and routines are genius,” “ movements are unique and better than I could have ever thought of,” and “I am a fellow instructor and her movements/choreography blow me away. How does she come up with such fun and creative workouts?” In other words, Anderson takes issue with the fact that people believe Roup created the workouts used in The Sculpt Society classes.
The Fashion Law notes that copyright applies to choreography “if it contains a sufficient amount of choreographic authorship.” The U.S. Copyright Office specifies that movements such as “a series of aerobic exercises,” “a yoga sequence” (a court ruled in 2015 that a sequence of 26 yoga poses did not meet the bar for copyright protection), or a “complicated routine consisting of classical ballet positions or other types of dance movements intended for use in a fitness class” are “not copyrightable as choreography.”
Anderson is seeking damages and injunctive relief.
It’s finally come to the point where we can all agree it’s time to switch out of the tie-dye sweatshirt that we haven’t taken off all of quarantine (busted) and into the go-to workout outfit that might actually inspire movement, specifically, movement off the couch. If you’re anything like me, you’ve been binge watching the first season of Too Hot To Handle, snacking on yesterday’s banana bread, and telling yourself you’ll work out when you know it’s not gonna happen. In all honesty, a lot of the reason we aren’t motivated to work out is because we simply don’t know what to do. Thankfully, a lot of workout instructors are providing virtual classes that are easy to follow and help get you motivated. One of these instructors is Megan Roup, founder of The Sculpt Society, who’s given Betches readers her top four simple exercises to tone your butt. The best part? All these exercises can be done on your living room floor.
1. 90-Degree Angle Lift
On your elbow, cross your ankles and lift your leg to a 90-degree angle. Make sure your knee is behind your head and your abs are tight as you extend your leg up and down. You’ll do 24 reps of this first combo.
2. 90-Degree Angle Pulses
This step is the same position as set #1 but you will leave your leg up as you pulse it in the 90-degree angle up and down. Squeeze your glute each time and make sure your core is tight. You’ll do this for 24 reps as well.
3. Hydrant Extend Straight Back
For this exercise, you will extend your knee into your shoulder and push it back. By this step, you’ll definitely be feeling the work in your glute. Do this for 24 reps.
4. Straight Leg Pulses
For this final move, you will hold your leg straight behind your head and make tiny movements up and down. Your leg doesn’t have to be super high, just make sure to focus on squeezing your glutes and keeping your abs tight. Another 24 reps!
Megan suggests sequences these exercises together and repeating it 2-3 times through. Check out the video below to watch her demonstrate all the moves.
If you’re in need of more at-home workouts during your quarantine, check out @meganroup and @thesculptsociety on Instagram for more tips. If you want to find out more about The Sculpt Society, download the app and enjoy a 14-day extended free trial. You’ll find many at-home workouts to complete with not a lot of equipment and availability to do each exercise in a small space.
Images: Megan Roup; dietstartstomorrow / Instagram
It’s safe to say this is a pretty stressful time for… literally everyone. Whether you were just forced out of your dorm to go back to living with your parents, or you’re now working from home all day with your roommate who breathes way too f*cking loud, we’re all feeling the same thing: antsy and overwhelmed as f*ck. Not only because you’re now learning which of your friends are complete idiots who thought it was still okay to go out on St. Patrick’s Day (hope they’re prepared to be roasted about this for years to come), but also because you’ve eaten through your entire two-week hoard of quarantine snacks in one day. And, you know, the general anxiety about everyone getting sick and the economy crashing and the healthcare system collapsing and all that fun sh*t. It’s like, kind of a lot to handle.
With all the stress and nervous energy about this Black Mirror episode of a world we now find ourselves in, it’s more important than ever to find a way to get that energy out. And since all the gyms and fitness studios are closing their doors for the time being (low-key kind of nice to not have to deal with dudes hitting on you while you’re just trying to listen to a podcast on the treadmill), many fitness apps and studios are offering their home workout services online for free. Here’s a roundup of all the ways you can break a sweat while at home for free:
obé fitness
obé fitness is an immersive online workout experience with energetic instructors that guarantee you’ll get a good workout and have a great time doing it. They’re offering a free 30-day trial, with hundreds of live classes per week. They offer classes for whatever you’re into, from HIIT to pilates to yoga to barre to a whole lot more. Most of their classes are only 28 minutes long, which is about the amount of time I can step away from my computer without anyone getting suspicious. You can access their classes here.
Sculpt Society
The Sculpt Society, created by Megan Roup, is doing a 14-day free trial of their dance-cardio and strengthening routines, which honestly kind of sounds like a party. There are a bunch of videos of all different time increments, so if you have 15 minutes or 50 minutes, there’s a workout for you. Check out Megan’s classes here and also keep an eye out for your inbox because she’s doing live workouts throughout the day.
CorePower Yoga
CorePower is offering free online classes for everyone, which you can stream here. They offer yoga classes for people at every level, which is perfect for those of us who haven’t been able to touch our toes since we were like, five.
Peloton
Despite how much sh*t we all gave their commercial during the holidays, I bet we’re all wishing we’d gotten a Peloton bike for Christmas right about now. Even if you don’t have an exercise bike at home, Peloton is offering a 90-day free trial, which can be used for not only spin classes, but also body weight, yoga, strength training, and meditation classes. You can find their free trial here.
Sweat440
The Miami, Coral Gables, and Manhattan-based HIIT class is creating at-home bodyweight workouts (that require no equipment) that will be emailed daily. Each workout is 40 minutes long and only requires downloading an interval timer app. Visit their Instagram for more details.
Downdog
All of Downdog’s apps (Yoga, HIIT, Barre, and 7 Minute Workout), which specialize in home workout routines that can be done anywhere, are free until April 1st for everyone, and until July 1st for all students and teachers. All of their apps can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play.
Fit Body App
Not only do you get a 7-day free trial with Fit Body App, which offers workout challenges, custom workout programs, and meal plans, you can also get four weeks free when you use the code DAJEITALIA if you sign up through their website.
Tone It Up
Tone It Up is offering a free month for new users who download the app from the App Store or Google Play. They have yoga, weight training, HIIT, barre, and a variety of other classes, which is great if you have the attention span of a goldfish and get bored after doing the same workout more than once.
P.volve
P.volve is a low-impact workout that focuses on activating hard-to-reach muscles with precise movements. You can get 30 days of P.volve free, which gives you access to hundreds of videos that vary in length and area of focus, through their website.
305 Fitness
Dance like no one’s watching (except maybe your dog) during one of 305’s famous dance cardio classes, live at noon every day on their YouTube page. We promise you will get a serious sweat in.
Neoufitness
Neoufitness lets you stream live and on-demand fitness classes from wherever you are. They offer a ton of different options, like dance, cardio, kickboxing, and a variety of other classes. Neoufitness is now offering 30 days free for new members. Our fav is Sydney Miller’s Housework. You can access it here.
Openfit
Get a 21-day free trial of Openfit, which has live and on-demand classes of all kinds. All classes are under 30 minutes long, with some fitness classes as short as 10 minutes, and they offer classes for all levels of experience. Get your free trial here.
Blogilates
While Blogilates is always free on YouTube and Blogilates.com, there’s a 14-day quarantine home workout plan available, along with lots of apartment-friendly workouts so you don’t have to be that annoying upstairs neighbor who’s loud as f*ck during someone’s conference call.
Barre3
Barre3 is offering a free 15-day trial to stream their hundreds of online workouts, with new ones added every week. This is a low-impact workout that is all about building better posture and finding balance in your body. Access the free trial here.
Dancebody
Get a free 7-day trial of Dancebody, which offers live and on-demand dance-based cardio classes that will work muscles you didn’t know existed in a fun but challenging way. You can access their classes here.
Melissa Wood Health
Melissa Wood Health has a free 7-day trial of her yoga and pilates-inspired workouts, which I’m pretty excited about cause I swear this is the routine every influencer does. These are low-impact, flow-style classes that focus on slow and controlled movements. You can find her classes through her website.
This situation may be the absolute worst, but at least you’ll get to try out some new home workout apps for free that can keep you busy and hopefully get your mind off things. (Just set like, a billion reminders on your phone to cancel everything before you get charged.) And at the end of the day, just be glad you’re not in quarantine with your ex. And if you are, best of luck to you.
Images: Form / Unsplash
‘Twas a dreary hungover Sunday when I decided I needed a new workout to help drag my ass out of bed. I had seen The Sculpt Society tagged in a bunch of Victoria’s Secret models’ Instagrams (yes, I’m a masochist for following them), which led me to try it myself.
The workout started with a dance cardio routine (have I humble-bragged that I was a dancer yet? I was totally in my element), went into some arm exercises with light hand weights, transitioned into some leg and ab sculpting using sliders, and then finished with a leg/butt routine that absolutely killed me (in the best way possible). Despite my nausea from the 3+ margaritas I’d had the night before, I left the class feeling super accomplished—without that icky sense of “I hate that I just paid to have a psycho in leggings and a bra yell at me.”
Megan Roup, the founder of The Sculpt Society, is fortunately NOT a psycho in leggings and a bra. Working as a professional dancer and fitness instructor for six and a half years, Megan saw a gap in the dance fitness space. “There was so much intimidation around it. I thought, it doesn’t have to be like that!”, explains Roup. “I wanted to create a safe place that feels warm and welcoming and like you’re part of a community.” After a ton of hard work, certification training, and practicing rounds of sequencing on her boyfriend (he must have a great ass at this point), The Sculpt Society was developed. Models, influencers, and celebs like Arielle Charnas (who Megan credits as her “big break”), Elsa Hosk, Devon Windsor, Shanina Shaik, and Morgan Stewart became fans, and the class took off from there.
But don’t let the fact that legit models are taking this class scare you—Roup is constantly reminding everyone that “there are always ways to modify to feel successful.” Any exercise can be made easier, and you can always use lighter hand weights or no weights at all—so it’s completely customizable for whatever level you’re at.
Me: I mean, I’ve never had to modify since I’m a hard-o but I’m sure it’s a great option for other people.
Also me: Can’t remember the last time I used the ankle or hand weights.
Since all the people, models, and influencers I just mentioned are cooler than you kind of intimidating, I had to question if The Sculpt Society was really staying true to its roots of being an approachable workout class for women at all different fitness levels. Roup totally gets this, though, which is why she likes to highlight people of all shapes and sizes on her social media accounts. “I don’t want to perpetuate one way to look,” she explains.
Love that, thank you! Like, do I want to look like the Victoria’s Secret models you train? Yes. Is it going to happen for me? Hahahhah, no. (I like bread too much.) So, I love that Roup features people like Hunter McGrady both on social media and on her new app where you can take The Sculpt Society workouts ANYWHERE. I personally started with the 7-day free trial and am now paying the $19.99/month to continue. It’s the best workout that I can do right in my living room with zero equipment necessary. Lord knows no matter how many New Year’s resolutions I’ve made to go to the gym in the winter, it’s not happening and it’s really time for me to face the music and find a better solution.
You can experience The Sculpt Society for yourself at Energi in NYC, Studio B in LA, and of course on the app. (Sidenote: Megan told me that she filmed all the routines for the app in two days only. Those are 10 hour days. Can you imagine being strong enough to literally workout for 10 hours and not being able to cheat a workout because you’re being filmed? The horror).
No matter how many times I take the class, I still feel my muscles working so hard throughout it and am usually sore the next day. I know what you’re thinking, “this betch (me) is just weak AF,” but calm down, Roup actually relates. She said she is “dying” every class too, and for that, I applaud her because I truly cannot imagine how many times she’s taken/taught her own class since its inception three years ago. I’ve also gotten comments that my butt looks bigger since I’ve started, so there’s no turning back now! Appreciate you, The Sculpt Society.
Images: thesculptsociety (2), meganroup / Instagram
