Boston Body

We were pleasantly surprised to find out that the barre class at Boston Body does not follow the exact same format as other studios in the city–so refreshing! While it may not be our all-time favorite barre class, after 45 minutes with Kathleen, we’ll now be penciling Boston Body into our weekly schedule to get the job done.

RUNDOWN

WORKOUT

We began in the center of the room, warming up our legs and hips with plenty of squats and pulses. We also held some planks and performed “knees to elbows” while holding the position.  Once we were nice and warm (and we were!), it was time to belly up to the barre.

Barre work began with pretty standard stuff, starting in a parallel leg relevé and working through a sequence of pulses and holds. We then we grabbed a ball and–shocker–placed it between our knees for some glute and butt action.  At this point, we were expecting the rest of class to be the same ol shiz we’ve seen before.  But then–wait for it– we went back to the center of the room for more cardio. This was definitely not in the description, but it was good stuff.  We performed more squats, pulses and planks.  Those 10 minutes were a game changer, leaving our legs with that wonderful jelly feeling–you know the one.

Afterwards we did a minimal arm series, which was a tad disappointing but not a deal breaker. We finished up the class with a killer ab series. Note: It was not your typical “curl.”

INSTRUCTOR

The only way we can describe Kathleen is to compare her to Kristin Chenoweth. It was as if the Broadway star herself was teaching class.  And we loved it. Kathleen was friendly, warm and sweet. She had a calmness about her that made the class almost relaxing.  We say almost because she still managed to make us SWEAT.

SPACE

Boston Body Pilates is located in the heart of the Back Bay, spitting distance to Chanel (not that we’ve ever been there). Like most studios along Newbury, the space is old but charming.  The owners did a good job of keeping the studio clean and welcoming. However, in regards to amenities, the place is lacking. There are no showers, no towels and minimal cubby space, but the barre studio itself is top notch.