Two friends who bonded over a workout regime are about to open their own studio to share that passion in PhinneyWood. If your experience turns out to be anything like theirs or others who’ve tried the Bar Method, prepare to discover your new workout community. Look for them in the new Phinney Flats building on 68th and Greenwood starting in November.
The Bar Method, which has studios around the country, offers “a full body workout that incorporates interval-based strength training, cardio and strategic stretching sequences to tone all major muscle groups and really improve flexibility,” says Mari Neubauer, one of the partners. “All of the classes utilize a ballet-style barre, but there is no dance experience required.”
Her partner Kat Conlon explains that “also people will notice some more traditional workouts. We do plank, we do pushups. There is a familiarity to it as well.” They explain that it’s a “smart and strategic workout” where each part of the body is worked and then stretched.
“You step out of the class,” says Mari, “and feel like from head to toe every little part has been engaged.”
Both Mari and Kat began as Bar Method clients in other cities. Moving periodically for work, Mari began to look for housing near a Bar Method studio, realizing how important it had become to her. Kat started in a Boston studio and “instantly fell in love with the workout.” She also saw results physically very quickly. Independently, they both became instructors in the practice. They met at a Bar Method studio here in Seattle—at South Lake Union, which is now closed—and friendship led to partnership.
Besides opening this studio, both women work full-time jobs. Mari is in political consulting for a private firm and Kat works for an energy investment firm and does paralegal work in intellectual property law.
They both rave about the PhinneyWood neighborhood. Kat’s a Greenwood resident, while Mari lives in Lake Forest Park. They’ve been doing Zoom live classes as well as classes in the parking lot at the Phinney Center during the nicer summer weather. “We’ve been really warmly received, even in these six-foot socially distanced times,” says Kat. They’ve started doing partnerships with other neighborhood businesses and hope for more collaboration, maybe even with a local watering hole. “Barre and brew has such a great ring to it!” says Kat.
The pair will continue online classes this fall, but begin indoor classes in their studio that will follow all Covid protocols. “You’re not doing that much heavy breathing,” says Kat, “so working out in a mask is very achievable.”
Besides the light-filled and mirrored studio, Bar Method designs incorporate spa-like locker rooms, a kids’ room, child-care and some workout-related retail items for sale. They’re not able to offer all of that initially due to the coronavirus limitations, but plan to eventually provide the full experience.
Both Mari and Kat will teach classes, but they also have other trained instructors ready to jump in.
If you’re ready to jump into a new energetic, uplifting workout, check out their offerings here.