Monday, September 29, 2014

Hitting the barre with ClassPass

I had shared here that I recently won a 30-day ClassPass membership thanks to Katie, and also to Jessica. I was so excited to have won this prize!


I've been using ClassPass for two weeks so far and wanted to share my thoughts.

As I mentioned before, ClassPass is a monthly subscription where you can visit numerous boutique fitness studios under one membership. There are almost 90 studios included in Chicago, and the number keeps rising. The offerings span everything from yoga and pilates to barre, strength training, cycling, dance, and any combination/variation thereof that you can possibly think of (e.g. barre done in bikram-like conditions, ballet boxing, etc.). They've even got things like Bollywood dance, aerial silk acrobatics, and rowing fitness.


It's been incredible (and almost overwhelming) to have so many choices in so many locations. I'm working hard to take as much advantage of my membership as humanly possible. This means that I've been going to a new class every day/night that my schedule permits. From a timing perspective, it's unfortunate that I'm training for the Prairie State Half Marathon right now. This is because my running regimen knocks out three days per week that I could be trying classes (unless I do two-a-day workouts, of course - but I am not that hard-core).

My membership strategy has been to focus on barre classes. I've heard so many claims of amazing results from folks that do barre classes at least three times per week - so that has been my goal. Over the last two weeks, I've taken seven barre classes. (My hips, thighs, abs, and arms are feeling the burn, big-time. It is easy to see why barre is effective.)

These women look serene but barre is a LOT tougher than it looks in pictures like these.
Source
Another part of my rationale for focusing on barre is that barre classes are expensive in general, whereas things like yoga classes can vary a lot in price. In Chicago I think the drop-in rate for barre typically runs around $20 per class, and non-intro monthly memberships start around $200. ClassPass is $99 per month, so it's more affordable than a monthly barre studio membership.

One catch is that under ClassPass, you are only allowed to attend three classes per fitness company per month. However, there are so many barre studio companies and barre classes to choose from that it will still be easy to take 3+ barre classes per week, and then some.

A screenshot of the ClassPass reservation page

So far I've tried barre classes at The Bar Method, Barre Code, Zen Yoga Garage, and the Dailey Method. Additionally, in prior months I had taken Pure Barre classes on my own - and I am attending more of them through ClassPass. I plan on trying Exhale Chicago next.

All of the studios that I've visited have been solid, but there are definitely some that suit my preferences more than others. After I've completed my trial membership, I'll pull together some thoughts about my comparative experiences.

A few precautions I've noted with my trial ClassPass membership:
  • The reservation system generally only allows you to reserve classes up to one week in advance. I like to schedule things out as far in advance as possible, so I've never had issue reserving any class that I wanted. I'd actually prefer to be able to reserve even further in advance than one week. However, I have heard others say that popular classes fill up quickly.
  • From what I've seen, certain studios only make select classes available to ClassPass attendees. There are a few studios who only offer daytime classes on weekdays, which I will rarely/never be able to attend.
  • It goes without saying that if you're focused on marathon training or some other fitness event that requires a lot of specific focus, then maybe ClassPass is more effectively utilized another time.
  • If you make a reservation and change your mind, you have to cancel at least 24 hours in advance. Otherwise you get charged a late cancellation fee. This can be a bit tricky for me as sometimes things arise in the office at the last minute, etc. So far I haven't had a problem, but I have learned to be cautious when selecting classes to reserve. 
Mix it up, mix it up!!!

Precautions aside, I really do love all the amazing and diverse fitness options that ClassPass provides. With so many choices to pick from, you would certainly never get bored! I also think that ClassPass is a great way to test-drive and evaluate different studios before committing to any one place. For me personally, ClassPass very well may be my long-awaited alternative to a hefty monthly barre studio membership, too. HOORAY!

13 comments:

  1. I've heard of that class pass and in seems like a good idea and for only $99 you probably can't go wrong as long as you can make it to one or two classes per week. It would be fun to try the different studios and fitness types before settling in on one that I liked the best. It's kind of like taking a cruise of a bunch of islands one year and then visiting your favorite one the next! I did not realize that there was a cancellation policy, but I guess it makes sense.

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    1. Great comparison on taking a cruise to a bunch of islands to determine which ones you like the most for return-visits! $99 is really a great deal, considering how many options and how much flexibility you have. It's been super convenient for me to pick studios all around the city to visit depending on where my schedule might take me! If you get a chance to try it out, I think you'd really enjoy it!!!

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  2. I have a month of ClassPass scheduled to start the week after the marathon (gotta give myself some time to recover!) and I'm SO excited to try it out. I have every intention of hitting up as many studios as possible, especially since I don't plan to do much/any running during that time (this poor body needs a chance to heal!). I've done The Bar Method and The Dailey Method before, and man, those barre classes do not mess around. Personally I found The Bar Method to be harder than The Dailey Method, but I think my Dailey Method class was kind of a "Dailey Method Lite," if you will, so it's probably not a fair comparison. Either that or I'm way stronger this year than last year...I'd be fine believing that :P

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    1. Good call on trying ClassPass AFTER the marathon. There are lots of great yoga classes and other cross-training selections that would be fantastic to explore during post-marathon recovery. I remember after I ran Chicago, I had zero interest in running for quite some time so it was really nice to mix things up afterwards. YES on those barre classes not messing around! And I do think you are way stronger this year. =) Every time I read your weekly training recaps, my jaw drops!!!

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  3. What a cool opportunity! I love the idea of getting to partake in a smorgasbord of fitness classes all across the city! I've been pretty lax about hitting up fitness classes lately myself. I'm making a point this week to go to the gym more frequently and even brave a few new-to-me classes. We'll see how that pans out.

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    1. Go, Amy!!! Rock on! I know how scary it can be to try out new classes, so I hope that the ones you pick turn out to be enjoyable. Can't wait to hear more details!

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  4. I hear you, the studios are very much concentrated within city limits. Although, at least your office is downtown, so that would help if you ever wanted to go for it! ClassPass would be really tough for someone that lives and works in the burbs, though.

    The barre classes are addictingly challenging, indeed! I remember the first time I went, I was sore for a week afterwards. I think my muscles are finally starting to get the hang of things!

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  5. I just signed up for ClassPass yesterday, I was going to wait for after the marathon but didn't know I could somehow have it start after and I wasn't going to try anything new, I was going to use it to go to barre classes and a yoga class. After the marathon I'll branch out! I go to Pure Barre but this morning I went to Bar Method - definitely not as good of a workout!! Not bad but I'm not sore like I usually am with PB.

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    1. Yay for you signing up! Likewise - I've been hearing about all these folks who have their memberships starting up after the marathon. I wish I had known that because I would have asked for a mid-October start, too!

      I've had days when PB felt easy, and days when it was killer! Likewise with BM - for me the classes seemed to vary in intensity on a day-to-day basis. I am looking forward to hearing your comparative thoughts on the different venues you try!

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  6. I am so curious as to what you think about the barre classes. I definitely have favorites in mind, too. I was a religious Bar Method attendee, but out here in the 'burbs, there is currently only a Pure Barre location, and a Dailey Method is opening next month. Anywho, I am starting my Class Pass after the marthon, so I look forward to perhaps trying some new barre classes next month!

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    1. Ooooh, we'll have to sit down and swap notes! I am very excited to hear what you think once you get started, too! Since PB was the first place I attended barre classes, it's probably the standard by which I compare everything else. At a high level, though, I've liked all of the studios I've been to with the exception of Barre Code. This is primarily because BC doesn't emphasize form at all, in my experience. More details to come...!

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    1. I think you'd enjoy ClassPass! I do hear you, though, about how the locations definitely favor the north side. I don't mind journeying up north when the weather is nice, but in the wintertime it would be a tough sell!

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