Reshape Your Body With The Bar Method

Turn your body into a tight, little package in a relatively short period of time with this intense shape-shifting workout program.

MONEY WELL SPENT | Ever heard the term “Bar butt” before? No, it’s not something disastrous that happens to your bottom when you spend too much lounging around quaffing cocktails. Bar butt is actually desirable, a high, tight, sculpted backside that comes from doing the glute recruitment exercises in the killer workout known as The Bar Method.

The Bar Method is a strength and stretching system that combines yoga, Pilates, ballet moves (hence the bar), muscle-shaping isometrics and body elongating stretches to tone and reshape your body. Focused practice will result in a lifted seat, slimmer hips and elongated, toned legs and arms in a relatively short time. Definitely enjoying a moment, The Bar Method, which has been around since 2003, is one of the currently fastest growing exercise franchises in North America; the first Canadian studio opened in Vancouver last October.

What Happens When You Hit The Bar

I’ve tried The Bar Method workout and I really like it, though it’s intense with a capital I. Each one-hour session involves exercises for arms, legs, seat and core done in groups of three increasing levels of difficulty, with deep stretching done between work on these four major areas. The number of repetitions with each exercise is excruciating in a good way, and there’s no question you’re going to feel The Burn—a lot. And if you’re doing the exercises with proper posture and sufficient intensity, you’re also going to experience something particular to this technique, muscle-shaking fatigue, but that’s a good thing, too.

If you need a little motivation to give The Bar Method a try, look no further than Lotte Berk-trained founder Burr Leonard (pictured above), who is an attractive and stunningly fit sixtysomething, or her equally in-shape boomer sister Mimi Fleischman, who runs the company’s southern California operation. We should all be so fit. —C. Rule

In Vancouver, The Bar Method is located at 837 Beatty Street, 604-681-6188. Visit www.vancouver.barmethod.com. Class drop-in price is $22, which is competitive with other local boutique exercise studios and hardcore circuit classes. Right now there’s a special for new clients: 30 days unlimited for $100.