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Raising the
Bar
THE BAR METHOD MIGRATES TO
CHICAGO
JUST IN TIME TO TONE UP FOR WARMER WEATHER
by Colleen Curtis
 As
Chicago begins to slowly thaw from its months-long
deep freeze, it’s time for us to –
believe it or not – start thinking about
achieving that slammin’ summer body.
And who knows summer bodies better than people
on the West Coast? Luckily for the Midwest, popular
California gym the Bar Method made its Chicago
debut in mid-January. As the namesake implies,
the exercises here revolve around a ballet bar,
with various stretches and resistance training
working muscle groups. Always game for a challenge,
I trekked to the new studio hoping for a breath
of (forced) air into my workout routine.
The sessions I attended involved a series of
poses that exhausted, then stretched, the large
muscle groups, creating length and definition
in the thighs, glutes, abs, triceps and biceps.
Utilizing the ballet bar, body weight resistance,
calculated breathing and intense repetitions,
the Bar Method works the large muscles until they
shake, which co-owner Catherine Wendel says “creates
a vulnerability that will allow the muscle to
be reshaped and stretched.” Giving the phrase
“get your ass in gear” new meaning,
the Bar Method not only works the muscles, but
keeps the heart pumping with intervals of intense
effort followed by stretching.
 Wendel
and co-owner Lis Settimi – both certified
instructors – teamed as business partners
after becoming devotees of the Bar Method in San
Francisco. They do a wonderful balancing act while
leading classes: They manage to kick it into high
gear without leaving anyone behind, guiding and
instructing newbies like myself and more experienced
students seamlessly.
The hour-long classes are challenging, yet well
paced: the tempo of the class ebbs and flows to
a stellar soundtrack; intense reps are buoyed
by dance-club beats, and more mellow tunes accompany
stretching sequences and cool down. Just when
it seems to be all work and no play, the high-tech
sound system pumps out “R-E-S-P-E-C-T”
by Aretha Franklin or Trace Adkins’ tribute
to booties, “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk”
in the sequence know as “back-dancing,”
an intense rear-busting series.
The Bar Method’s attention to detail is
what sets it apart from similar workouts like
Pilates. Founder Burr Leonard designed and tweaked
the Bar Method with input from physical therapists
and fine-tuned the series of moves to be easy
on the joints while still achieving maximum results.
I definitely felt a “good pain” for
several days after a class, particularly in my
thighs and triceps. After a few classes, though,
the pain was not as intense (but I still felt
challenged physically during sessions). Overall,
I noticed that my thighs looked trimmer and my
arms had a more defined line in the tricep area.
My lower back felt stronger, which contributed
to a more balanced, straighter posture.
And minimal requirements make showing up for
class as easy as walking into the gym –
just wear socks and workout pants that cover the
knees, and there’s no need to carry large
mats or equipment. The studio is fitted with a
posh locker room, complete with showers and private
lockers. The Bar Method makes it pretty easy to
stop by: It’s located right off the Belmont
El stop, and patrons can park in the garage for
up to 90 minutes for $2. Plus, there’s convenient
online scheduling and onsite child care so there’s
no room for excuses anymore.
Settimi and Wendel recommend three to five sessions
per week for three months but say clients will
see significant change after just 30 days. Fittingly,
they offer a new client special (30 days of unlimited
classes for $100), which should be just enough
to become a Bar Method believer. Not convinced?
The first class is free, so there’s nothing
to lose – except that winter chub. Shake
a leg (seriously), and get moving just in time
for summer.
The Bar Method is located at 3144 N. Sheffield
(773-935-2150)
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