The Bar Method

My favorite workout! The place itself is very spa like… clean, spacious, soothing music. Staff is all so friendly and welcoming, and what impresses me most is that they all remember your name after you go only once or twice!
The locker room is stocked with supplies like hairspray, deodorant, hair bands and lotion. I haven’t used the showers but they look clean.
There are two studios inside so they have a ton of classes which works very well with my schedule. I love the big ceiling fans in each studio — they keep it really cool in there so you don’t sweat much, if at all, throughout class… very convenient if you are going straight to work or out with friends after class!
The only negative would probably be the music selection. They never seem to have current or particularly upbeat songs in their playlists. However, in barre the instructors are constantly giving instructions so you don’t really focus on the music anyway.

I’ve taken many barre classes before and this is by far my favorite studio. The locker facilities are nice and clean and have everything you need, the studio is spacious, the prices are comparable and even better on certain packages than other studios in the area. The location is perfect and class times are perfect to squeeze one in during a lunch break. Most of the instructors were excited to be teaching and great about making modifications each class for me for an injury. My favorite thing about this place was their customer service. They were extremely flexible and accommodating with me when I had medical issues that kept me from using my class package. I really loved taking classes at this studio. Unfortunately, when I left my job downtown, I had to stop coming here and haven’t been able to find another studio I love as much as this one.

There’s a lot to talk about around The Bar Method, but the most important thing about reviewing any boutique fitness studio is this: everyone likes what they like. There are serious subjective factors at hand, and I *truly think everyone should try everything* to see if they like it.
Things to know:
— If you like cardio cardio cardio, that’s not this
— if you want your legs to look the best they’ve ever looked or to give your booty a perk up (for REAL), then yes
— If you like to lift heavy weights and bulk up, this isn’t it
— If you’re looking to take a class where there are men, you’re not getting it here
— If you want long, lean muscle, then you’re getting it here
However.
I really liked The Bar Method for myself as a workout, and I did enjoy this studio. It’s positioned nicely in the Financial District and pretty close to South Station so it’s easy to get to. I like that there are a LOT of classes availabile throughout the day — No Sunday classes though — and they have a 1 hour cancellation policy which is good for people like me who change their mind a lot, but it’s frustrating too because you might sit at 11^th on the Waitlist for 5 days, then will probably get added to the class 3 hours ahead of its start time. It’s a double-​edged sword.
For the most part, I’ve liked the teachers. There are some that are a lot better than others — Ashley, Stephanie S, Cara, Alanna are my faves — but unfortunately that, too, is subjective and you’ve just got to try it out. I’ve had a few that just phone it in and do a blasé same routine each class, but the ones I mentioned above seem to switch it up and make it fun. I also want to give a shout out to the teacher played «Let Me Take A #Selfie» on a Friday evening class during our booty portion. You made my life.
The studio is new, so it’s in really great shape. The showers/​locker rooms aren’t huge, but you don’t need it. They have the «lady essentials» which is a huge plus to me because who has room for a hair dryer, dry shampoo, or always remembers a hair tie?
I never found the staff or the other members to be too nice. I don’t workout to «make friends» («I didn’t come here to make friends!!») but you’re definitely not going to get warm fuzzies from anyone here, so don’t count this as a social activity unless you bring someone with you.

I truly love The Bar Method. I try to come here twice a week — sometimes it’s not possible because of my busy schedule, but I try.
The class: Each class is different. No one class is the same as the instructors do something different each time. The class is 60 minutes, and very engaging. If you’re lost, the instructor will come by and help. If you’re doing the exercise wrong, they will come by and fix you, or offer an alternate exercise. My favorite instructors so far have been Julie and Stephanie.
The studio: Lockers are downstairs and upstairs. There are showers, restrooms, coat racks and a few benches. Check-​in is easy, and there’s always socks, water, and the bar method merch for sale. Location is AMAZING — smack dab in the financial district in the 75 – 100 Federal building at Federal and Franklin Streets.
If you’re a beginner, it’s no biggie. Just come by, grab some grippy socks and a bottle of water, and prepare to shake.

I’ve been going to the Bar Method downtown for a couple of months now and absolutely love it. Every single instructor makes a point to know your name. It’s a great class/​studio for beginners because each instructor gives modifications, and even fetches props for you if you need lower back support, a leg strap, etc. My favorite of the instructors however, is Ashley. In my first class there, she made me feel right at home, even when I couldn’t do the moves the same as everyone else was doing and went out of her way to encourage and correct me when I needed it.
The studio has two sets of lockers, which is awesome because it alleviates the after class rush to get your stuff and get out of the way. Both studios have high ceiling fans that keep the class cool. I am definitely a barre convert!

Price not-​withstanding, i would give this business 4 stars. It is a nice, clean, airy space, the staff are very nice and attentive, and in all but one class I’ve taken thus far, the teacher calls students by name, which is thoughtful and appreciated. The workout is good — my muscles, especially my legs, feel shaky after every class. About half of the classes I’ve taken so far had so little instruction beyond, «do X move» that I had to look around and see what more experienced students were doing. It appears that they believe most students have experience in this type of class — which has very specific, and in my experience, unusual moves.
Now, for the price. I signed up for a very good deal for the new studio/​new students. I will likely never go after that expires. After the special price is over, each individual class costs somewhere between $ 22-​$ 26 depending on what package you buy, or you can pay $ 150 – 180 for monthly unlimited. This is way more than I am willing to pay for a single class or the unlimited use of a single class-​type studio — this type of class doesn’t really involve much cardio and definitely focuses more on lower body and abs. In other words, it is not enough, alone, to meet my fitness needs. I am curious to see how their membership does after the promotional period is over.
One final thing — I am not sure men are welcome? I notice only a single lockeroom and have never seen a dude in there.

It’d be pretty sad if the first review for a business WASN’T 5 stars, but Bar Method Downtown totally deserves the full 5 anyway.
I bought the new client package when they opened at the beginning of August, and I’ve loved coming here almost every day since. The studio is super cute, clean, and modern. I like the loft-​style that was implemented, with the locker room/​showers being upstairs from the front desk; you have that feeling of being in an open, airy space because you can hear everything going on downstairs. It’s very cool and unexpected. I can’t think of another fitness studio in Boston that thought of doing that, and it avoids the cramped, narrow-​hallway feel that so many other places suffer from and struggle with.
I don’t typically feel particularly sweaty after a barre workout, but if I ever happen to, it’s nice to know that there are fully-​stocked showers available in the locker room. I’ve never felt crowded while getting dressed, which proves the efficient and effective design of the space. Again, this IS downtown Boston — you almost expect to walk into sardine-​can situations on a daily basis, so it’s nice that somehow this studio managed to avoid it!
Alright, so, the workout itself — along with the vast majority of my fellow Bostonians, I’m not struggling with any weight issues; we walk this city so much that very few of us are attending these classes in hopes of battling obesity or anything close to it. I think I can speak for most of us when I say that I appreciate the toning and strengthening benefits that Bar Method classes offer. It’s a TOUGH class. While the 60-​minute routine definitely varies from day to day, you always leave having done at least 30 – 50 push-​ups, probably about 100 ab crunches, as well as excruciating «thigh work» that is INTENDED to get your legs shaking like tubes of Jell-​O. I feel great when I leave, and thoroughly stretched and challenged. I love the full-​body aspect of barre, and the Bar Method really gives you the idea that they’ve mastered the technique and are teaching you the right way to perform all that tucking, squeezing, and lifting.
Speaking of teaching, the instructors are really the best of the best. I know how intensive their training program is, and it does pay off — every instructor I’ve had, and I think I’ve had most of them at this point, has been exceptional. The fact that every instructor has known every girl’s name in the class by the time the warm-​up ends is impressive enough, but they have also managed to stay completely engaged in the class for 60 minutes — I’m constantly being corrected, adjusted, and encouraged, by name. While I’ve enjoyed each instructor I’ve had, some that are particularly great are Stephanie, Theresa, and Mackenzie.
Check it out, Financial District! Based on the overflow classes and consistently full wait-​list, I think most of you already have :)