My First Class at The Bar Method

Hey everyone! Candice Becker here… 31-year-old mother of two young kiddos ages 5 and 2. I’ve been involved in fitness for about 13 years now and workout 5-6 days a week. I love to exercise because not only does it makes me feel good, but it lowers my stress too! And we all know as a mom of two young children, I have plenty of stress to sweat off. Over the years I have tried many different types of workouts; hot yoga, boot camps, spin, Pilates, and was even a trainer for about 4 years before having kids. I am always looking for a new fitness challenge. My husband travels about 50% of the time, so life is usually pretty crazy, and taking an hour for myself to workout keeps me going.

Lately, most of my workouts involve weightlifting or HIIT (high-intensity interval training), but I have noticed that in the past couple of years, these types of workouts have caused a real loss in my flexibility. Despite lifting weights almost every day of the week, I also struggle with my “problem areas” such as my inner & outer thighs and my weakened core from having my babies. When a friend of mine invited me to take a class at The Bar Method, I was intrigued but wondered if I could actually be challenged in a workout with 2-pound dumbbells. I am not one to say no to trying new fitness classes, so I decided to head over to the Newport Beach location and give it a try…

When I arrived at the studio, I was immediately greeted by two really friendly ladies at the front. I remember the studio itself actually smelling good, which is crazy because most studios smell like sweat lockers! After getting my equipment I headed into the classroom and was impressed by all the light and mirrors. The clock hit 7:00 AM and we started moving right away. Let me just say, this workout really surprised me in the best way! Remember those problem areas I was telling you about? ON FIRE! My arms and legs were shaking 20 minutes in and I had that “pit in my stomach moment” holding a “tuck” halfway down in a bodyweight squat up on my toes! Lol, sounds crazy I know, but effective! Those little 2-pound weights were anything but light after a couple of minutes of work and made me feel the burn in the tops of my shoulders, which is normally really difficult for me to develop and isolate. As you can tell, I definitely appreciated the “burn” moments in class, but I also loved the stretching that was incorporated throughout the entire class. Besides a yoga class, I don’t think I have ever been to a class that has put so much focus on stretching and elongating a muscle after it was worked. Stretching is such an important component of every workout, and I was so delighted to see that The Bar Method understands and embraces this.

Another thing that keeps me going back to a studio or gym for more is the community. The community at The Bar Method was so uplifting. I really appreciated being surrounded by women, and the instructor stayed positive and full of tips and encouragement the whole time! The instructor knew everyone’s name and provided compliments to every woman throughout the class. She really helped me laugh through the burn and knew just when to provide some extra encouragement so I wouldn’t give up. I later found out that all Bar Method instructors go through months of training with professionals to learn how to spot proper vs. improper form and make hands-on corrections so that you are getting the best & safest workout possible. After class, the instructor thanked me for coming and asked how I liked the class. I think it’s the little things studio staff can do to really make the experience memorable and they were checking all my boxes.

All things considered, you will definitely see me popping into The Bar Method again, and suggest you give it a try too! There are over 100 locations across the U.S and even into Canada, all owned by a woman! What an amazing concept! If you guys haven’t had the chance to try The Bar Method, I suggest signing up now. Everything is top notch and I am loving the female empowerment here.

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Candice Becker

@thisfitwife