The Barre Code

I feel compelled to leave a review for this Barre Code location after taking class there this past week.
For starters, the studio is pretty difficult to find. Another girl and I struggled for about ten minutes trying to find a way in for our 6 am Dio class.
The studio leaves one door a tiny crack open, and then you have to be buzzed in and take the elevator down. The studio should probably send new students the 411 on this ahead of time.
Another thing I would have appreciated the 411 on is my class. The description sounded sweet: «a choreographed sequence of dance-​inspired moves interspersed with strengthening sections for the arms, abs, and glutes.» The class was really nothing like that, however. It felt like bootcamp gone awry… In a dark basement room without windows, we repeated the same eight moves (that were not dance-​inspired in the least) for 50 minutes. It was practically the makings of a horror movie. Need I mention I was also bored out of my mind?
There’s no place to rinse off because the facility doesn’t have showers… or a changing room. Not that it mattered– I couldn’t wait to get out of there!
I wouldn’t recommend taking classes at this location– it’s really rather depressing. I can see now why there were only five girls there that morning, including two newbies.

I originally bought a gilt deal last year for this place, it is conveniently located close to my apartment, so it was perfect walk during the cold winter months. I was nervous about going, because I was going solo and I had no clue what to expect. To my surprise I loved it, only girls attending the class, each class is a little different, but then you use the bar as well. My FAVORITE class is brawl, I can typically only attend on Wednesday evenings Kaye was my favorite, but she moved to Lakeview. Every instructor who teaches it is great though. I have yet to try HIIT or TBC but will hopefully try both soon. I joined class pass, so have a little bit more flexibility now with the classes.

Updating my review: Myra emailed me from the Gold Coast studio and apologized for the missed communications and is going to correct my billing issue. Thank you!
This Barre Code location gets 1 star for poor customer service and billing issue resolution.
Over the past week I’ve called twice and emailed the studio twice to resolve a billing question and have received no response from the studio manager.
Their email inbox has conveniently been full both times, you can’t actually leave a voicemail, and the polite associate that answered the phone when I did get through couldn’t address billing issues (but suggested I try emailing again).
I’m doubtful that the manager would be around if I went to this studio to speak to them, so I won’t bother.
Why is basic customer service difficult? Unless you want to deal with similar issues, I’d go to a different studio.

The set up of the studio was awkward. It is in the basement of an apartment building. I wasn’t sure if I was going the right way, as I walked though long white hallways. The class I did was an okay workout.

My experience with Barre Code started out having no idea how to enter the building, because apparently the office manager wasn’t there yet. Nonetheless, after a few chilly minutes waiting outside very early in the morning, I made it in. The studio isn’t what I expected, considering the locker room is basically a hallway, but I did appreciate that the lockers all had individual locks. I honestly had no idea what to expect considering I’d never been to a kickboxing class before. As I signed in, the instructor, Lara, informed me that the class was about 25 minutes of cardio, followed by 10 minutes of strength, followed by 10 minutes of cardio, and then 5 minutes of cool down.
The studio room itself has padded rubber floor and it really dark, which, when we’re doing unfamiliar boxing moves, I kind of appreciated so I didn’t have to fixate on my own awkward movements in the mirror. I like that Lara was no-​nonsense and high-​energy — she really made us want to work hard. The class began some easy warmups, and then we launched into learning a series of positions, and then combinations. We would learn a move, repeat it over for a number of counts, then learn the following move, and then repeat the combination. We repeated this process until we had a whole sequence of moves, and then we did the entire combination the whole way through four time before breaking for strength. Which. Was. Brutal. Those tiny barre movements are always so deceptively hard, and even harder when your muscles are fatigued from the cardio. I’ve taken two Brawl classes now, each with completely different strengths sequences which were both very tough. We switched back to cardio for a few more repetitions of the full sequence. Lara’s cues were really helpful as we went along, so I could remember what was coming next. Even for a kickboxing newbie like myself, it wasn’t too tough to keep up (though my legs always get tangled for the first few sets of cross kicks). We ended with a cardio burst of high knees and running in place before cooling down. I have to say, I loved it! The studio itself is nothing special, but I’ll definitely be back for the awesome classes.

I would’ve given this studio 4 – 5 stars about 4 months ago, but I’ve been going here for two years and have seen a steady decline in instructors. They just raised the monthly fees yet their classes (or should I say instructors) are less than stellar. It’s unfortunate as I enjoyed coming here 4 – 5 times a week but now I can maybe find 2 – 3 instructors who are worth my money. It may be time to say goodbye and try barre elsewhere.

Just took my first class here and i’m already obsessed! If you want to get your a** kicked (in a good way), get strong, and be challenged. this is the studio for you! Emma is awesome!

I worked out at this BBF location consistently (4 – 5 days a week) for just over a year, and I liked every class I took. Every instructor is encouraging, empowering and supportive of each woman and her place on her own fitness journey. There is no negativity in a BBF studio, and no ‘survival of the fittest’ mentality. It sounds so cheesy, but sometimes during the cool-​down after a tough class, I would have tears in my eyes from the coursing adrenaline and sense of pride of pushing myself. Shout-​outs to Susan, Lex, Jenny, Megan, Kate, Jenna and Jacklyn for motivating me in the morning and helping to start my day on a great note. I am moving out of the gold coast, so early mornings at the barre won’t be as frequent, but I’ll be back! Thank you for the muscles, Bad Ass Bees. Tuck, tuck, tuck — over and out.

I already have a gym membership. But BBF… oh BBF. Now I have 2 gym memberships…
This is a great lunch break, and while I know I should be switching up my routine, I love this so much that I do it every day. The express class is perfect because it’s high energy, but you’re not a hot sweaty mess afterward. Also, my best friend just told me she’s jealous of my biceps, so I hugged one of my instructors for that.
Jestina is leaving the city studios to start one in Park Ridge. I was so sad when I found out. However, out of despair comes great things — Nicole is freaking awesome. She will really kick the crap out of you, and as a genuinely happy, bubbly person, she couldn’t be more thrilled about it.
I highly recommend Nicole — if you want a great cardio workout take her Interval Barre (20 – 25 minutes of HIIT, 10-​ish minutes of arm and ab toning, 20 – 25 minutes of HIIT). You will hurt the next day, but you’ll have fun getting that hurt.

i’m in the best shape of my life.
remember to breath.
you won’t regret taking classes here.

I had heard such amazing things about Barre Bee Fit and I was so excited when I purchased the 5 pack on Gilt City. I knew some of the teachers here and in the new location in Michigan and they promised me an amazing work out. My first class was Barre Burn and I normally cant do the heat, but and absolutely LOVED IT! I felt incredible when I left and pleasantly sore the next day! I also took the ever so popular Barre Brawl on Tuesday with Cerissa, and my body was completely rocked! It is an amazing up beat weighted kickboxing class with focus on lean stretching and toning. I can’t wait to purchase more classes and even attend the location in Detroit when I go home as well. I cant wait to come back and I highly recommend this!

Love me some BBF! It’s such an amazing workout that I actually enjoy doing. I’ve definitely found my workout calling! The instructors are great. Kelly L. kicked my butt the other day in a Barre Bee class– girl loves her push-​ups! She’s great and you can tell she loves teaching the class! Actually all instructors I’ve had are pretty awesome. Keep it up girls. See ya at the barre :)

I tried Barre Bee for the first time last night and absolutely loved it. It is such a great workout and really tones the areas that are sometimes hard for women to tone. I loved the energy of the class and felt really great after the workout. I can’t wait to go back here, they have a wide variety of classes available and I am really looking forward to trying them. This is a great place for an amazing feel good work out!

Did you know the Barre Bee Fit chain offers free community classes? That’s right — each location offers one free class per week and there’s no limit to how many you can take. I will gladly admit to being a non-​committal free-​loader when it comes to fitness classes.
I had never taken any kind of barre class before and I was pleasantly surprised. To be honest, I thought the class wouldn’t be that tough or that I would leave feeling like I got a ‘meh’ work-​out. Imagine my surprise after I attended the Barre Burn class Sunday at 8AM. Extra points for making an 8AM class on the weekend, right?
Barre Burn is a heated class with both barre work as well as (yoga) mat work. There is a huge focus on tiny incremental movements that seem odd at first but you’ll definitely feel them later. I am happy to tell you there were a few times throughout the class that my legs were violently shaking. Although I didn’t leave the class out of breath or exhausted, I felt good about working muscles that probably never get worked.
As far as this Barre Bee Fit location specifically, keep in mind that it’s located in the basement of the CVS building. Therefore, there are no windows and it’s pretty dreary down there. Also, the bathroom is not directly attached to the studio — it’s down the hall — which is a slight nuisance since you’re walking around barefoot or in your socks. One last thing… If you attend an early morning weekend class like I did, be prepared to wait at the building door until the instructor shows up. I went to 3 of these classes and each time the desk girl was either late or pulled a no-​show. Kind of annoying when you want to get warmed up and situated before class starts. All of these are minor things but they add up to me taking off one star.
Overall, would I purchase a class package? No, because I like variety in my workouts and even though there are different kinds of barre classes, that’s not enough to keep me interested. However, if someone gifted me classes, I would definitely enjoy them!

I might consider Barre Bee Fit if I didn’t already have a gym membership at FFC. Barre Bee Fit just does not compare to a full-​service gym. They offer barre classes — primarily for women.
It’s in the CVS building and does not have a sign. In fact, you can’t just walk into it either. You have to be buzzed in twice: once for the outer door and again for the inner door. Next you go down the elevator and walk down a hallway.
There is a small reception room that serves as a locker room (just lockers — no showers or privacy for changing), store (you can buy water and cute clothing), and customer service.
There is one classroom. It has a padded floor, mirrors on 2.5 walls and barres all around. There are a good amount of free weights and straps; however, it is important to bring your own mat and towel.
I’ve only experienced one instructor and she is fabulous. She is challenging, energetic, encouraging, and provides good descriptions/​demonstrations of exercises. She is everything I could want in an exercise instructor!
I’ve come to about three or four of their free community classes and I cannot be convinced to switch from my regular gym. In fact, I cannot even be convinced to supplement my regular gym with Barre Bee Fit and these are the reasons why:
1) The employee who is supposed to arrive early, heat up the room, and buzz people in has shown that she’s not dependable. About 50% of the time that I’ve gone to classes she’s been late which means that I have to wait outside for her to arrive and/​or the room isn’t very hot.
2) One time I was taking a class and steaming hot water spouted out from a machine on the wall and made a scalding puddle right by my mat. Class continued as if nothing happened but I was freaked out that I was a hair’s breath from being badly burned.

I like most of the instructors, the reason for my low review has to do with the receptionists. I find it very rude and unprofessional when the person working the desk claims a spot at the barre before any of the members arrive (by setting up her water and equipment). Therefore a prime spot is unavailable for us, the ones who are paying to be there, so that the receptionist on duty can come back and forth during the class to work out during her shift. I’ve seen this happen even when the class is so full there was barely enough room for us to work out without bumping into each other.

The location is convenient, and I would especially recommend trying the Barre Burn too. Just because the room is heated does not make it a lot harder. Some of the exercises can be less ‘intense’ than some Barre Bee ones, but target to get that burn. I’ve also observed a mostly young age group here (17 – 20’s). Only thing negative I can say is that the music is usually really loud (bring ear plugs if you are sound-​sensitive), and somewhat repetitive. And if you aren’t a new member, class packs can be a bit pricey. Either way, I’d try going back!

Love this place! Finally found a place with an exercise routine that never gets boring!
I’ve been looking for something ever since in injured my back while running a half marathon. I was going to FFC but slowly stopped going as I didn’t have a friend to help keep me motivated. Going to Barre Bee, where the instructors are super outgoing and the music is usually top forty/​radio hits is just what I needed!
They suggest that you try all the classes (there is a variety — Barre Bee, Barre Burn, Bardio, etc) and my favorite so far is the Barre Burn. If you want an extreme workout you need to try the Interval Barre — I was sore for days after!
Even if you choose to only do the Barre Bee classes, no class is alike. I love this because each instructor will use different props — one class might be a green strap and weights, the next just a black strap, the next a kettle bell! I absolutely love the variety and I have definitely seen the changes in my body — my arms, butt, and thighs. Thank you Barre Bee!
I would suggest trying the first class (they offer at a discounted rated of $ 8) but then just do the auto-​memership at $ 99. It’s definitely worth it. If you plan on doing 6+ classes a month you’ve already got your moneys worth.
*Note, they have started enforcing a $ 10 fee for a «late cancel» — four hours or less from the time of your class, which I actually really like, because it holds me accountable when I’m not feeling like working out!

I’ve been looking for fun and challenging workouts and a friend and fellow Unilocal Elite member, Jen, told me about Barre Bee Fit. I have heard about it but never really looked into it because I’m so afraid to take a class alone. In February you could take your first class for free and Jen said she’d go with which was perfect! We signed up for a Barre Burn class which is a heated class. I know what you’re thinking… crazy girl doing the heated class for her first class… yep thats me :) It was actually great. I’ve never felt an hour go by so quickly. Trish was the instructor and she had us moving nonstop. Time flew by and it was just great. I look forward to attending more classes in the future.

Really great combination of classes. This was my first attempt at trying Barre Bee, which is not as hard as Bar Method, but close. The movements are really tiny but you can feel the soreness the next day. I try the 6am classes because parking is free until 8am.