A few months ago, when taking a class at my local barre3 studio, I noticed heavier weights on the shelf. Now this franchise has, since its inception, been offering clients comparatively lighter weights for their signature barre classes. That’s because traditionally, barre classes use lighter weights to help you focus on toning the right muscle groups more precisely. We’re talking about in the two to 5-pound range generally.
Sitting on the shelf were 12 and 15-pound weights, a considerable jump from those lighter sets. I also started noticing specialty mats around the perimeter of the room. The owner announced over the speaker that they are getting ready to roll out a new class format and to stay tuned for more details. I couldn’t help but wonder what it might be.
It turns out that those heavier sets of weights are for a brand new class format called b3 Strength, and the company has been testing out the format through their online platform since 2021. According to the official class description, it is designed to build strength in mind and body while moving slowly and with intention.
Weights sit on a shelf at a barre3 studio.
It’s not just at barre3. Major players in the barre franchise world, like Pure Barre and The Bar Method, have been adopting new class formats that cater to strength, cardio, stretching and other modalities.
Even though fitness franchises like Orange Theory and F45 Training are in different lanes, there are many clients I know who complement their barre activities with an additional modality or two on the side, so it came as no surprise to me when I heard Pure Barre announce earlier this year a new strength-based barre class called Pure Barre Define™ was going to be joining the suite of offerings. Similarly, The Bar Method announced they would be rolling out Bar Strength, which according to their Brand President Stephanie Schon, is an amplification of their signature barre exercises with weight work and circuit training.
For reference, when I refer to signature classes, I’m talking about the classic barre classes. Some franchises like Pure Barre consider their suite of offerings to include 5 signature classes, with their classic barre class being one of them.
Photo credit: Jenn Byrne
The History of Expansion Barre Classes
Let’s dig a little deeper into how these barre brands began to offer more than just signature barre classes.
The Bar Method
The Bar Method has been around since 2001, and so has their signature Bar Method class, followed two years later by Bar Advanced. A decade later, Bar Move was introduced, designed to keep clients moving with larger ranges of motion. In recent years we’ve seen the introduction of Bar Restore (2018), a 30-60-minute Bar Method class followed by a 15-60-minute Restore class and Barre Flow (2022) that incorporates Vinyasa Flow sequences.
That brings us to 2023. After a 10-year run, Bar Move was replaced with Bar Method Cardio earlier in the year. This class is designed to increase your heart rate and calorie burn.
The newest class in The Bar Method family is Bar Strength, a circuit training class with weights. Some classes might consist of exercises like weighted planks, rows, shoulder walks and lat pulls. They let you know when to go with the lighter and heavier set of weights.
barre3
Launched in Portland, Oregon, barre3’s signature class has been their, shall you say, pièce de résistance since the beginning. The signature barre3 class has been combining strength conditioning, cardio and mindfulness into a full-body balanced workout since 2008.
barre3 is somewhat unique in that their core product has mostly carried them through its 15-year history, and they haven’t ventured far from the Signature class much, at least in terms of in-studio offerings.
With the recent announcement of b3 Strength and b3 Cardio, we’re seeing a new era of barre3. b3 Strength is intended to focus on slow, intentional movement to help move safely with heavier weights while b3 Cardio is designed to increase cardiovascular endurance while increasing stamina and improving overall heart health.
“We designed this class to be accessible and safe for all, focusing on working in the mid-range heart rate zones where most health benefits are realized,” said barre3’s Subject Matter Expert: Body Mechanics and Training, Lisa Schale-Drake. “In this class we focus on the importance of internal measures of breath vs. technology readouts and how to move safely with impact and speed.”
Photo credit: Jenn Byrne
Pure Barre
Pure Barre launched onto the scene around the same time as The Bar Method with their signature barre class, now simply referred to as Classic™. You can read all about it here.
In 2015 Pure Barre brought out the platform props to offer clients bigger ranges of motion with the added element of cardio. Pure Barre Platform lasted a couple of years before being shelved. It was eventually replaced with a new signature class called Pure Barre Empower™ which is still on the schedule today.
A few years later, Refom came on the scene with the use of sliders and resistance bands. Reform has disappeared from some locations’ schedules as of late, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it doesn’t return. It’s quite possible we may see their newest offering Pure Barre Define™ take its place since the classes have similar resistance training goals. Pure Barre declined to comment for this article when asked about Pure Barre Define™.
We can’t forget about Pure Barre Foundations™, which sounds like their classic class but is actually an introductory class that was brought in a few years ago to help new clients get familiar with the technique and is offered for free as a way of incentivizing people to try a Pure Barre class.
In the earlier part of 2022, they announced Pure Barre Align™ would be added to the roster. This was after they offered the stretch and restore-type format through special intensives, like pop-up classes. Pure Barre Align™ is an iteration of the Stretch and Restore classes.
That brings us to the latest Pure Barre offering, rolling out in the summer of 2023, Pure Barre Define™. This is their weight-based strength training class. Using heavier weights, clients will move through resistance training exercises using the principle of progressive overload.
What’s Behind the Evolution?
In my opinion, a few factors contribute to the diversity of classes. Firstly, client feedback plays an important part in dictating what gets on the schedule. Listening to clients was part of why you’re seeing new class offerings at barre3.
B3 Strength was an instant hit on our digital platform when it launched in 2021. Clients commented that b3 Strength was not only building their knowledge and confidence in lifting heavy weights but that they were feeling the results in their everyday lives. With excitement to try something new with a brand they trust, we knew that b3 Strength would be a success in the studio and an ideal complement to the barre3 Signature class.
– Lisa Schale-Drake, Subject Matter Expert: Body Mechanics and Training at barre3
The Bar Method was also paying close attention to what clients wanted. “Client feedback suggested that we needed to diversify our class format, so we introduced Bar Method Cardio,” said Brand President Stephanie Schon. “We learned from consumer data that our clients were unaware of the cardio workouts available to them in our barre programs. Despite offering Bar Move, we learned we needed to optimize the cardio class format to change this mindset.”
In my opinion, market trends also play a significant role in what gets rolled out. Stephanie Schon partially attributed market trends to why Bar Strength is now on their schedule. “Our market trend research led to the introduction of Bar Strength,” she said.
Exercise trends come and go; if clients can’t find what they’re looking for at your studio, they’ll go somewhere else. I believe we’re seeing more weight and resistance-training-infused barre classes because there is a lot of demand for those classes. In order to facilitate clients who might turn to other boutique studios for complimentary workouts, barre studios are trying to keep clients within their franchise by offering alternative classes to a straight-up classic barre class.
“Many clients informed us they had workout routines outside of The Bar Method and were looking for more variety in their classes.”
– Stephanie Schon, Brand President, The Bar Method
Photo courtesy of The Bar Method
How Do Signature Barre Classes Fit Into The Mix?
Don’t panic! When I spoke to representatives from The Bar Method and barre3, they assured me that signature classes aren’t going anywhere. After all, it’s their bread and butter. Lisa Schale-Drake had this to say. “While barre3 Signature is a mainstay class offered at every barre3 studio, b3 Strength and b3 Cardio are optional classes for studio owners to add to their schedule as desired by their specific client base.”
She also added that the Signature class is always evolving. “For the past 15 years, we have continued to evolve the Signature class to meet our client’s needs and implement the latest scientific research in body mechanics. Our objective has and will always be to pursue clients’ needs and not fitness trends.”
Stephanie Schon of The Bar Method commented about how important it is to root all their classes in barre. “While we offer a diverse range of class formats at The Bar Method, it’s imperative all our offerings have a foundation in barre. Barre is the basis of everything we do – we not only incorporate real elements of ballet, yoga, and Pilates into our workout techniques, but test our formats to ensure they’re both safe and effective before introducing them to clients.”
Final Impressions
Over the last few years, my observations have shown that the barre landscape is changing. Boutique studios that once had a narrow niche focus on one signature class or modality are branching out. Though we looked at the big three barre franchises in North America, if you look at other barre chains like The Barre Code, Neighborhood Barre and Physique 57, they’ve been offering classes like HIIT, Bootcamp and strength classes for years.
For the most part, these classes still incorporate barre exercises to some degree, maybe some more than others. The Barre Code’s Brawl class is a standalone cardio class that doesn’t have any barre elements in it.
I predict we will continue to see the landscape evolve and react to client feedback and market trends. I don’t believe signature classes are going anywhere. So long as there is demand for barre, studios will continue to offer their signature classes.
Do you think these barre franchises are heading in the right direction with these new class formats or will trying to appeal to everyone’s taste water down the brand? Are there any formats you miss that you wish would return from the barre class graveyard? Let me know in the comments.
