My At-Home Barre Setup

This post is for the fellow Bar Method enthusiasts working out at home and trying to figure out an optimal setup! As I mentioned in my last post, I recently upgraded what I use for livestream classes. Before this, I was MacGyvering with whatever I had around the condo: a chair instead of a real barre, throw pillows instead of risers and mini mats, an old yoga mat that wasn't cushy enough for my joints. That was okay for the short term, but over time these improvised solutions didn't support me in trying to get into my best form. I could feel myself holding back (not great for maintaining strength and trying to get stronger), and the limitations of my equipment were starting to create bad muscle memory habits and imbalances. The new gear definitely helped me achieve a more intense burn in tilted seat, a more balanced posture in foldover and arabesque, and a deeper ab contraction in curl work.

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What's In My Barre Beauty Bag

After 3 years and 250 classes, I've come to adore the ritual of the post-barre class shower. Working out hard, washing away the sweat, letting the hot water take the ache out of sore muscles—it's just the best! The kit I currently bring to barre contains natural and free-from skin and body care in travel-friendly sizes; they're products that are easy and quick but pack a bit of pampering into what's otherwise a straightforward post-workout shower. Now that I've committed to attending 36 classes over the next 90 days as part of the Fitness Challenge, I'll be toting this round-up of essentials to the studio much more often.

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On Bar Method As An Investment

The other day, I got an email from Bar Method congratulating me on my 249th class and notifying me that the next class would be my 250th. This was definitely an exciting milestone, but it also led me to do some quick mental math and arrive at a couple of shocking numbers. In the past 3 years, I've spent 250 hours tucking, squeezing, and sweating—and approximately $6,000 in membership fees. That's a lot of time and energy, and as for the money, twenty-something me would've been appalled that thirty-something me has spent the equivalent of a Chanel bag or a trip to Europe on boutique fitness classes. So has it been worth it? Yes, as it turns out, because this small fortune has been an investment in much more than just workouts.

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Bar Method Post-Surgery (Plus An Intro Offer For You!)

Exactly two months ago I underwent a minimally invasive laparascopic surgery, but let's face it, even minor surgery is still surgery. Thanks to Bar Method though, the 4-6 week recovery process was quicker and more painless than expected. You've probably heard me talk about Bar Method on the blog time and again, and if you haven't tried it yet (or you tried ages ago and haven't been back since) I have an amazing offer for you at the end of this post!

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Bar Method 2.5 Year Check-In

Water bottle | Workout clothes | Natural deodorant | Cleansing cloths | Face cleanser | Lip balm | Grippy socks

As of June I'll have been going to Bar Method for 2.5 years, and although I'm not the gym selfie type, I do enjoy reflecting on my fitness journey and documenting my progress on the blog. It still boggles my mind that when I started, I was so out of shape I couldn't hold a plank during the warm-up portion of class and I had to mentally pep-talk myself into completing 3 reps at a time during leg work; now I can do push-ups on my toes and the instructors are calling me out to go lower in leg work! I posted progress updates a couple months into doing Bar Method regularly and a year in, and I'm happy to report that I'm still seeing physical, emotional, and mental changes, which is pretty amazing. Here's where I'm at right now.

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10 Changes I've Seen Since I Started Bar Method

Water bottle | Sports bra | Grippy socks

One of the best things I did for myself in 2015 was sign up for Bar Method. My attendance waned during the fall with night school, admittedly. But now that that's done, I'm so psyched to join the topknot-wearing, grippy-sock-sporting denizens at the Yaletown studio. 2-3 Bar classes a week (or 10 times a month) is my goal, and if I lose motivation I'm going to return to this list of positive changes that have resulted from Bar to give myself a much-needed push.

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The Bar Method: A Progress Update

Back in January, when I tried the Bar Method for the first time in 5 years, I was so out of shape I couldn't even hold my plank during warm-up. It was a humbling experience, to say the least. After that class, I kept returning thanks to the $80 one-month-unlimited new client special Bar Method had gifted me (blogger perk FTW!). When it expired, I bought a monthly membership.

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The Bar Method Revisited + Giveaway

When the Bar Method opened its first studio in Vancouver five years ago, I tried a class and wrote a glowing review afterward: "The workout definitely lived up to its reputation for being tough and effective. Over the next two days, soreness lingered in my upper arms and quads, and my abs ached a little whenever I coughed or sneezed. But was the Bar Method such a scary workout that it would intimidate beginners? Probably not." Well, I still stand by that glowing review. The Bar Method is the same tough and effective workout it always was, combining exercises inspired by yoga, pilates, and ballet. When done in intervals in quick succession, these small, precise movements isolate and strengthen key muscle groups.

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The Bar Method Comes To Vancouver

Despite doing some salsa dancing here and hatha yoga there, in reality I'm a major fitness and workout phobe. So when BeautyMark invited me to accompany them for a free preview class at the new Bar Method studio, I hesitated. If someone like Erin--a former member of the national softball team and a brilliant athlete--complained that her legs were completely numb post-workout, what chance did I have?! And she wasn't the only one--numerous people have said that the workout is tough. In the end, my curiosity got the better of me and I agreed.

One of the studio rooms

For those who are unfamiliar with it, the Bar Method is a workout program that combines exercises and movements derived from ballet, yoga, and pilates. Much of it involves small repetitive motions intended to isolate, tone, and lengthen muscles as well as strengthen your core. During class, the instructors made us do exercises with light weights that worked our biceps and triceps. We also did exercises at the barre for our calves, quads, and glutes, then moved on to pilates-inspired moves on the ground for core strength. Some exercises were definitely tougher than others. During the leg exercises, I was shaking from muscle fatigue at the barre and I wasn't the only one. Some of the BeautyMark folks later said their legs "were shaking like Elvis."

The instructors (pictured here at their media launch event) did a lot to motivate students, correct our postures, and keep us going when we were about to call it quits.

The workout definitely lived up to its reputation for being tough and effective. Over the next two days, soreness lingered in my upper arms and quads, and my abs ached a little whenever I coughed or sneezed. But was the Bar Method such a scary workout that it would intimidate beginners? Probably not. I don't consider myself to be particularly coordinated or fit, but I could follow along well enough, and the instructors are very helpful throughout the class in case you don't get it.

Oh, and did I mention the grade A facilities? Not being a gym-goer, I don't have much to compare it to, but the ladies locker room and studio are spectacular. New fixtures, fluffy towels, a sauna, and shower stalls equipped with Aveda toiletries. The studio floor features soft plush carpeting and the entire place still has that "newly renovated" smell.



The only drawback to the Bar Method is that the classes are relatively expensive compared to other fitness/recreational classes. Depending on whether you buy a class package or a monthly membership, the price per class can range from $5 (if you're a new client paying $100 for your first month, and you go 5 times a week) to $22 (if you do a single drop-in class). Their website breaks down the pricing schemas in further detail if you're interested.

I'd love to see the Bar Method work out a deal with neighbouring Yaletown businesses and offer their employees a discount. After all, the studio's location would be very convenient for Yaletown people leaving work. I might go back for a few classes at a time, but because of the cost and because I'd be taking the classes on top of yoga and salsa, I don't think this is something I can continue to do long-term.

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