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The Bar Method™
The Bar Method™ is a one-hour total body workout comprised of muscle strengthening and stretching techniques partially performed at the ballet barre, strategically choreographed and executed to music. The system is designed to create a uniquely lean, firm, sculpted body by combining the muscle-shaping principles of isometrics, the body-elongating practice of dance conditioning, the science of physical therapy, and the intense pace of interval training.

The Bar Method™ workout is available in class format at studios across the United States and on DVD’s. There are currently two DVD’s: “Change Your Body!” and “Accelerated Workout”.

The Experience
The Bar Method™ is comprised of a warm-up, upper body, thighs, seat, and ab work, and a final stretch. Each section finishes with stretching to create length and flexibility in the muscles that were just worked. Class starts with the warm-up, a series of leg lifts to increase the heart rate. This is followed by free weight work, push-ups, and tricep dips for the arms. After a stretching series at the bar, class moves into calf raises and approximately six minutes of intense thigh work, performed standing in precisely aligned isometric positions while holding the bar. After another stretch the pace moves into an intense set of seatwork. Stretching and a series of core work exercises followed by a final stretch finish the hour-long class. [3]

Unique Elements
Effectiveness The Bar Method™ was designed to be as safe and challenging as possible. These two key components of effectiveness compliment each other- the safer it is the less the movements hit the joints increasing the recruitment of muscle making the exercise more challenging.

Flow There are two components to "flow". One is transitioning the exercises so that the last beat of one exercise is the first beat of the next exercise. This creates an interlinking of sets. The second piece to “flow” is The Bar Method’s counting technique. The technique’s counting system interlinks the choreographic sets (i.e., the three sets performed in thigh work) which keeps the students involved and engaged. [4]

In Relation to Other Exercise Experiences
Isometrics are a type of strength training in which the joint angle and muscle length do not change during contraction and performed in static positions. Isometrics increase the maximal strength at the joint angle and isometric contractions recruit muscle fibers that can be neglected in other types of exercises. [5] The Bar Method format similarly maintains a static joint angle and muscle length for each sub-set that isolates each major muscle group that is pushed to exhaustion then stretched. Students gain a level of muscle tone and joint stability beyond that offered by yoga, Pilates, or the gym. [6]

Dance Conditioning incorporates slow, repetitive movements at the bar. It is an important tool to help dancer’s build strength while creating a long, lean physique. [7] The Bar Method thigh work, some seatwork, and some of the stretching are performed at the bar. The bar provides stability during these exercises, helping to focus on proper positioning to increase muscle strength and flexibility resulting in firm, elongated muscles. [8]

Physical Therapy provides techniques to develop, maintain, and restore maximum movement and function ability with some physical therapists focusing on the use of muscles’ interconnectedness to improve overall body alignment. [9] The Bar Method exercises have been created with Physical Therapy research and guidance to develop, maintain, and restore maximum movement and function ability while ensuring safety. The Bar Method uses multiple body parts to play different roles for each exercise, some muscles moving, others holding, all staying simultaneously challenged. The Bar Method also acts therapeutically by strengthening the muscle groups around joints that are especially vulnerable to injury such as knees and shoulders. [10]

Interval Training involves bouts of near maximum exertion alternated with periods of rest or low activity resulting in effective cardiovascular build-up and fat-loss induction. [11] The Bar Method, a form of Interval Training, alternates between exercises that demand intense bursts of energy and slower, deep stretching. This format increases cardiovascular output and a high caloric burn. [12]

Aerobics, or aerobic exercise, involves or improves oxygen consumption by the body and by definition are performed at moderate levels of intensity for extended periods of time. [13] The Bar Method challenges the body’s strength and endurance throughout the class providing periods of aerobic activity. [14]

Pilates uses machines and mat-work to work the small muscle groups and re-align the core muscles. In particular, Pilates exercises teach awareness of breath and alignment of the spine, and aim to strengthen the deep core muscles. [15] The Bar Method uses the body’s own weight, working the large muscle groups to isolate and strengthen with a continuous focus on the deep core muscles. The result is muscles that look longer and more defined. Posture becomes more erect. [16]

Yoga is a highly developed method of physical, mental and spiritual release and renewal. This spiritual approach to movement focuses the body on surrender and enlightenment while also improving flexibility. [17] The Bar Method focuses exclusively on fitness. It strengthens, stretches and aligns all major muscle groups resulting in power, physical grace, stamina, flexibility, and body reshaping. [18]

History
The Method is derived from exercises created by Lotte Berk, a German dancer who opened her Lotte Berk studio in 1957. Ms. Berk certified instructors who opened studios bearing her name around the world.

In 1969, Lydia Bach, a schoolteacher and lobbyist, visited Lotte Berk in London and brought the technique back to the States. She opened her flagship studio in 1970 on 67th Street and Madison Avenue in New York City.

In 1991, Burr Leonard, with her then husband Carl Diehl, bought a license from Lydia to operate Lotte Berk Method studios in Southern Connecticut. They opened four studios under the Lotte Berk name in the 1990s in Fairfield County Connecticut. During that time, Burr worked with physical therapists to make the class safe and more effective. In 2000, they started the Bar Method and shortly afterwards sold their Connecticut studios to one of their teachers. They opened a Bar Method studio in San Francisco in August 2001. Ms. Leonard’s sister, Mimi Fleischman, opened a Bar Method studio in Los Angeles in February 2003.

Ms. Leonard released two videos of her Bar Method classes in 2003 and produced and released two more DVD’s in 2008. The latter set of DVD’s are available from the Bar Method website and in most Bar Method studios.

The Bar Method began licensing Bar Method studios around the Bay Area of California and Los Angeles and then in Connecticut, Illinois, New York and New Jersey from 2004 through 2007. In 2008, the Bar Method registered as a franchisor and has franchised additional studios in California, Colorado, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Washington State. [19]

The Founder
Born in 1947, Burr Leonard formerly worked as a journalist with Esquire, Adam Smith’s Money World, and Forbes covering young innovators and entrepreneurs. She is the daughter of George Leonard, an educator and published author in the field of Mastery and human potential. In 1981 She discovered the Lotte Berk Method and became an avid student. Eleven years later she and her then husband, Carl Diehl, opened a Lotte Berk Method studio in Southern Connecticut and over the next decade added three more studios in neighboring towns. By 2001, Burr had updated and streamlined the exercise technique and renamed it The Bar Method. The same year, she sold her Connecticut studios and opened a large studio in San Francisco. Since then, she has franchised more Bar Method studios in and around the cities of San Francisco, Palo Alto, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Seattle, Portland, and Boulder. She is currently working on more home exercise workouts and a book on the Bar Method. [20]

Studio Locations
California San Francisco- The Marina San Francisco- Downtown Greenbrae San Mateo Walnut Creek San Ramon West Los Angeles West Hollywood Hermosa Beach Agoura Hills San Diego Burbank Colorado Boulder Connecticut Wilton Illinois Chicago-Loop Lakeview/Lincoln Park Highland Park New Jersey Summit Red Bank/Shrewsbury Mountain Lakes New York Rye Brook Port Washington Washington Redmond Future Locations California Marina Del Rey Newport Beach Palo Alto Pasadena New York Manhattan- Soho New Jersey Bernardsville Englewood Oregon Portland [21]

Franchising
In early 2008, The Bar Method Franchising Company, LLC, launched a new franchising program that is now expanding The Bar Method studios over the United States, Canada and elsewhere. The Bar Method has a national reputation for superior teacher training and excellent support for its studio owners.

Applicants for Bar Method franchises must be either current Bar Method teachers or Bar Method students who demonstrate the potential for becoming excellent teachers. Bar Method studio owners are required to teach classes, serve as models for their teachers, and maintain a high quality of teaching at their studios. [22]