The Bar Method

I am so glad my friend introduced me to bar method. I lost a lot of weight by just doing cardio and at some point I knew I’d have to branch out and add different workouts to keep progressing. Adding bar a few times a week to the cardio I keep doing was the right move. I drive 20 min to get to the studio but the awesome workouts and kind instructors keep me from going elsewhere.
Every class is extremely challenging but it seems that the time goes by very quickly. I think that’s partly because in each hour long class you work out all the major muscle groups and you move from muscle to muscle so just when you hit the wall, the instructor changes what you are doing. I could have easily done weight lifting classes for no extra cost at my gym but I go to bar because the instructors are well trained and constantly making sure I have proper form so I feel safe knowing I can tone and strengthen and haven’t yet pulled anything the way I did lifting weights on my own. I can’t say enough good things, I think it’s the perfect compliment to my cardio and I’m doing things at bar I would never be able to do on my own.

Such an amazing workout! And everyone that works there knows you by name! I found this studio after trying a few different ones with ClassPass. This was by far my fave. Every single class is a challenge, and I just love that the teacher’s know you by name and take the time to correct your form. I am sore after every class, and even going only twice a week I can see results. I am so much more flexible than when I started, and I feel more lean and toned. I really like that they focus so much on form. Another studio I went to focused mainly on cardio, not form, and I feel that here I get such a better workout. Try it, you’ll be addicted in no time!

Conveniently located in CMR (across Costco shopping center), I love that (if I have the energy) I can maximize my #ClassPassAddict classes that I take by doing SPX Pilates at Corebody across the street and barre. Again. If I have energy, as both workouts kick your booty like there’s no tomorrow!
I’ve only taken Cassie’s classes, which I love. But I’m sure they’re all good. Compared to other barre studios I’ve taken, this seems to be the least chance of injury for me personally. At least with Cassie, she’s excellent at walking around and correcting form. I swear, the girl has got eyes on the back of her head!
I also like Studio Barre CV a lot (they have great music and super fun instructors), but at SB there isn’t as much hands on corrections. So it depends what you’re looking for. I also gave SB 5 stars, they were my first barre experience, but after trying various studios… I would have to give the slight edge up to TBM because of the quality of instruction/​providing corrections. For me, that’s very important, given that I have lower back/​hip issues. Compared to all the other studios I’ve tried on CP (SB, TDM, TBM, Barre 59 and Barre 3), TBM had the most amount of correction and really making sure we had proper form, hence less chance of injury.
I just wish TBM had daily 12pm classes and offered all of their classes on ClassPass (Studio Barre does).
They have a little locker room/​shower area (SB doesn’t) and 2 bathrooms. Studio wise, TBM is nicer/​bigger. Their floor is carpeted, but clean (unlike Dailey Method, seems dirtier carpet). I like SB’s wooden floor, but prefer the comfort of the padded floors at TBM.
Overall, TBM is awesome and everyone is super friendly. FYI: no child care.

I was having a hard time finding a way to motivate myself to get back in shape. A friend recommended this place. I also price compared other pilates, yoga places. This place has reasonable pricing 1^st timers and ongoing membership. I’ve joined for a few months now and really admire all the instructors. All the instructors are very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. The class pace is very good with stretching. If you need to take a break from the reps there is no judgement as everyone else is working at their own comfort level. Class age is a full range so you easily fit right in. The bathrooms and general areas are very tidy. Haven’t had any problems booking classes.
This amazing place has helped me emotionally and physically. You will feel challenged but are very empowered after completing class. Normal neck and back pains have subsided for me. Their excellent focus on technique and pointing out incorrect form is very helpful to get the most out of your workout plus to strengthen muscles and improves your overall posture. After 1 week you’ll see your buttox and legs look amazing. My husband noticed right away. I highly recommended trying this place for a month, or at least 1 to 2 classes.

Wow! I had been to plenty of other barre studios before, but it’s the Bar Method that I had been most impressed with! You could tell by those who came here regularly just by how warm, friendly and welcoming everyone was! I felt instantly at ease during my first time here! The instructor, Darci, was such a doll! I loved how she knew everyone’s names. Expect to get called out if you’re doing things incorrectly, but you’d hear some praises as well, so that was encouraging. Since I was new to the class, I did get picked on a lot, but I didn’t mind it at all because I appreciated the attention and I still felt that I had a lot of support from everyone around me. I actually felt a little special with all the attention I was getting. :) Out of all the barre studios that I had been to, they played the best music here, which was a mix of the latest hits.
If you’re new to barre, I highly recommend that you start at the Bar Method! You won’t get the personal attention like here at anywhere else! They’re great at correcting your form. They were the first to correct me on doing my plank. Gosh, I guess I had been doing it wrong this entire time!

The workouts here are amazing! After just 2 times I am already feeling my posture change. For my first time, they knew exactly who I was the moment I walked in and they introduced me to the instructor, gathered the equipment I needed, and settled me into a good spot. They told me what to expect. The instructors learn everyone’s names and it’s very impressive! The workout is fun and goes by fast. I highly recommend this studio!

I’m addicted to bar method!!! I look forward to every class and seeing the instructors. They truly care about your success and encourage you to meet your goals. I have always done group workout classes at big gyms like 24 hour fitness and over the last year my knee was bothering me so much I could barely work out. After just 2 months of bar method I rarely ever feel my knee pain now and my workouts are back on track. The instructors at bar method focus on your form and correct you constantly through class which you would never get at a big gym. If I’m having a bad day I can count on the classes to uplift my spirits and improve my mood. When I walk into the studio I feel like I’m home and I look forward to many, many more years with my new bar method family.

Bar Method has literally saved my life. I cannot thank the staff enough for truly caring and pushing me to breathe and focus.
As a young person living with Crohn’s disease, I struggled finding a workout routine that was low-​impact and accommodating. I was a member of a big gym and had a personal trainer, but did not get the attention and modifications like I have with Bar Method.
Bar Method has taught me how to breath through the struggle and focus on the outcomes. Stress-​relief is a huge factor with my disease and Bar Method has made such a difference.
The first few weeks are rough! I felt sore in muscles I never thought I had. Even with the soreness, I became addicted. I can proudly say I have lost 7 inches on my waistline! I go at least 5x a week and have never felt this good about my body. I keep coming back for more shaking!
The staff greets you by first name every time you walk in the door and forms real relationships with their clients. There are even fun challenges to motivate you.
Thank you Bar Method for making me shake daily! You guys are amazing!

While looking for some options for evening classes, I found this wonderul studio! Wow… they get it! An amazing workout, fabulous well-​trained instructors and super clean. Did I mention very friendly? LOVE this place. Laurel

I have been a member of the bar method since the beginning of 2015 and have loved every single class! This place is a dream for any competitor. I am all about bettering my ‘self’ and ensuring that I am getting the most out of any challenge. I am critical of myself and enjoy constructive criticism from coaches and mentors. Every single woman who teaches at The Bar Method CM is wonderful. They’re critical yet kind, patient and nurturing. I have only had positive experiences and would encourage any one of my girlfriends to give it a shot.
I thought I was a strong ‘fit’ young woman but these classes put me in my place– every single time! I walk out of each class feeling like, is it ever going to get easier? What fun is a work out class if the challenge starts to fade? I feel like I’m making progress and have definitely lost some weight which is always a bonus. I can’t see myself ever belonging to any other type of ‘gym’. I’ve found a home in this place and it feels great!
:)

The bar method is like nothing else I’ve ever done. You can read reviews, but until you try it for yourself, you won’t get the full picture. I especially love the instructors at the Carmel Mountain studio.

The entire staff at the studio has successfully blended a challenging, safe and inspiring workout with a warm and friiendly environment. I have never seen a studio so dedicated to each and every member. I work in the fitness industry and just moved here. This studio, these women, are the best thing I have found in San Diego. They all are committed to giving every person a positive and challenging workout. They feed the soul here, in addition to the body!
It’s perfect!

This is where I re-​learned how to exhale on my own.
After a family tragedy that changed my world forever, I had started smoking cigarettes.
When I am stressed, I gasp for air, but forget to exhale. I continue gasping, my shoulders hunch, my posture slumps, my collar bones protrude and a nerve in my neck pinches.
Smoking forced me to exhale. The smoking helped with the unbelievable grief and stress from the loss of a family member. Smoking became my best friend.
It didn’t take long before the devil inside the breathing apparatus took over. I was hooked and could not stop.
Fast forward three years; my bereavement a bit settled, I was still trying to quit.
I tried Patches, gum, medication, online, 1:1 and group support. I tried variations and combinations of all 6 efforts. It was a miserable struggle. I was climbing the walls. One day clean, one day dirty, two days clean, one day dirty, and so on.
I spent more years trying to get OFF the cigarettes than actually being a, «smoker.»
I HAD FORGOTTEN HOW TO EXHALE!

I decided to try and get healthy.
About 18 months ago I came to the Carmel Mountain Bar Method. I was greeted by the most friendly, beautiful young woman working at the desk, (Darci.) She made everything so easy, she was so welcoming and cheerful, how could I not try this?
The first class was hard… like effin’ HARD! About 3 minutes in, I was beginning to wonder what the frig I had gotten myself into. How are these 2 lbs weights so hard to lift?! Why are my legs shaking uncontrollably?! «BREATHE!» The instructors would prompt! «BREATHE THROUGH THE BURN!» Everything was about breathing!
I was cursing the svelte and perky instructor who memorized my name immediately (which I’ve come to learn that all the instructors do). Somehow I got through the hour and walked out with my legs feeling like wet noodles. I had to check into Panera for a juice before I could drive home.
The next day, sore as all heck, barely able to walk up the stairs in my own home, I was craving another workout. Thus my new addiction began and I started to learn to exhale again; exhaling out my crazy need for nicotine.
So yeah, I sound like a commercial (albeit one with filthy language) but I really do believe in this. Not only is it changing my body, my spirit and my health, but it has also changed my outlook. I am officially 2 years and 4 months clean of nicotine and breathing on my own again! Life is so much more clear now that I am not sitting under a cloud of cigarette smoke!
Thank you so much ladies! I couldn’t have done it without you!

I took one class at this place and was sold! I’m moving down to San Diego soon and went with a friend, who takes these classes every week. And boy oh boy! The shaking! The burning! The intensity!
Love it! If you are looking for a great sculpting workout, a way to burn calories and push your physical limits — try out one of their classes!

The Bar Method is hands-​down the best barre workout program. Having tried numerous barre studios including Xtend, Pure Barre and the new Barre3 I have found that BM instructors are the most knowledgable and the choreography provides a challenging workout without promoting injury. As others have mentioned, the workouts become more challenging with time as you are constantly trying to improve your form and technique.
The Carmel Mtn Ranch studio is staffed by caring and fun instructors, and the regular «bar addicts» are a fun and lively group.

This is the first place I’ve ever been to with this focus of activity (only haven been to 24hr fitness before bar method) and it was INTENSE… obviously for the right reasons, to achieve a banging body! I’ve met the owner of this establishment and she is very engaging, informative, and super sweet.
The teachers correct you if needed, encourage the students, inform you what muscle does what, and why this exercise is beneficial to the body.
The facility itself is very clean; lockers available with a key, showers, fresh towels, hairdryer to use, bobbybins, hairspray, cottonballs, dry shampoo-​pretty much whatever to make you look better after a sweaty intense bar method class.
Good luck!

My usual Bar Method studio is in Pasadena. While vacationing in San Diego, I thought it would be a good idea to take a Bar Method course so that I wouldn’t have to miss a class. Luckily for me, the Carmel Mountain location was just a few miles from where I was staying in Rancho Bernardo.
Bar Method packages run with the studio. Classes for one studio are non-​transferable and cannot be used in a different studio. Nevertheless, using the MindBody online signups, it was easy enough to create a new account and sign up for classes. Carmel Mountain charges $ 10 for the fist class.
This location is in the corner of a big shopping plaza, so parking is free and ample. The facilities are very new and thus, very nice. They have two shower stalls, lockers, and cubby holes. The studio has one workout room, which is big and open. The only thing I didn’t really enjoy about the studio was the location of the stall bars. They were installed at the very corners of the room and quite narrow. One location was behind the door so it very much felt like an afterthought.
It was great to be able to maintain my work out routine while away. There’s a Bar Method exercise play book and Carmel Mountain definitely calls different plays than I’m used to so it was nice to be introduced to different moves. The instruction is a little rougher here too which caught me off-​guard. Nevertheless, I’m in Rancho Bernardo annually so I’m ecstatic to find my workout away from home.

Here is my breakdown:
Facility: 5 stars. beautiful, clean, and elegant. They have a couple showers too. High end wood lockers and cubbies to put your belongings in. The floor in the workout room is carpeted in a nice, plush, cream color burber.
Staff/​Instructors: 5 stars. Very friendly. The instructors always know everyone’s name by heart and they are constantly correcting your form to make sure your are getting the maximum workout and to prevent injuries.
The Workout: 5 stars. It’s a ball busting workout. It doesn’t matter how much you are in shape. It will be challenging. What I really love about the workout is that you can work your body out as much as if you were doing a run or high intensity workout but everything is low intensity which is good on your joints and body all around. The Bar Method workouts take me to a level I would not be able to get to because of limitation I have with my joints. Also, the workout routine is never the same.
Music: ugh… there’s music? Yes, they play music during the workout but I only notice it in the warm up and cool down. Everything else is like a blur because my a** is getting kicked.
Price: 2 stars. It’s pretty pricey to solely do only bar for your workout routine. However, they have deals periodically. I also think its worth the price for a short duration to get to your workout goals. For instance if your pre or post pregnant. A cheaper alternative is to buy their DVDs. It’s a great and cheap substitute but the down side is that no one will correct your form. Your muscles will get used to the same routine and you probably wont push yourself as much as if you were in a class. Im not sure why Bar classes are so ridiculously expensive.
Overall, I love The Bar Method. No longer do I think it’s a bar-​tending school. Yes, when they first moved in, I thought it was a bar-​tending school. Now I know it’s a place where I can get my ass handed to me but I will love the results.

I was teetering on 3 or 4 stars for them and here is why:
This workout is great for toning your muscles. I find that there is more cardio involved in other bar-​type classes (which is what I prefer) but if you rather strengthen muscle than do cardio, this is the method for you!
The only reason why I am not giving them more stars is because there are way too many people for the amount of classes they have. For example, the weekend classes are always full and waitlisted. I prefer my classes to be smaller so I feel like the instructor can keep an eye on me and give me corrections. I also am a college student working part time so the convenience of weekend classes would be what I prefer. This is why I am not going to continue to go to Bar Method. Also, I was surprised to find carpet instead of hardwood floor. Maybe it’s the germaphobe in me but when there is 20-​something people in one class and they are all sweating at the same time, I feel like carpet isn’t the best flooring solution. However, this could just be a «Bar Method» standard so I am not taking any points off for this.
All in all, the instructors are super sweet and the staff is super friendly so if you want a great workout to tone your muscles and you don’t mind large classes, come here! Your first class is free so why not give it a try!

I am officially addicted! I am not good (YET!) but I am addicted. Everyone is so nice. I feel a little bit bad that the instructor always has to be after me to maintain my correct position. But it is a great class, with great music and great instructors.
Row, Courtney and Caitlin are great. The staff is great… Darcy, Dan, Lauren… awesome. Starts with a little bit of weights, then push ups, the dreaded thigh, seat work, abs all with stretching in between. Try it! You will LOVE it!