Studio Barre Mission Hills

Studio Barre Mission Hills is a sneaky good workout. It’s an adorable little studio tucked on Washington Street, right between the Hillcrest/Mission Hills neighborhoods, with a super welcoming and friendly staff. But the workout is far from friendly. And don’t forget grippy socks – you’ll need ‘em to take part in the fun (or torture). If you’re in the area, Studio Barre Mission Hills is a solid option.

RUNDOWN

WORKOUT

We started class with a very fast, light warm-up. We quickly transitioned into a pretty basic arm series, utilizing a small ball and light weights (think 3 – 5 pounds). We threw that ball between our legs and squatted it out, all while performing curls, hammer curls and tricep extensions. The movements were easy to follow, but we wish we went a little heavier on our weights. It wasn’t the longest or toughest arm series we’ve ever done.

Then it was on to the barre: Nicole led us through no-fuss thigh and seat work with all your favorites: leg raises, parallel squats with pulses, and waterski. We continued the fun when we grabbed a band and secured it above our knees. We worked our outer thighs, inner thighs and butt as we tried to break that slippery sucker. Even though we didn’t come close to breaking the band, our outer thighs and glutes were seriously feeling it. We were screaming for a break only half-way through.

We then came off the barre to perform abs. We faced the barre, wrapped a band around it for support, and placed our backs on the ground for a sequence of crunches, side crunches and curls. We enjoyed the series, but just wished it was a little more challenging. We’re really into crop tops right now.

Ahhhh stretch. Nicole turned the lights low and guided us through a very relaxing stretch, focusing on our hamstrings, IT bands and thighs. Although we left Studio Barre with wobbly legs, we felt refreshed and ready to take on our Friday night.

INSTRUCTOR

Nicole. Love her. Not only does she have a great personality that sparkles throughout class, but she leads a challenging barre workout. She floated around the class, providing hands-on modifications and adjustments when necessary. She also playfully chatted throughout class, giving us much-needed distraction from the torture we were putting our legs through. She has a bubbly, light-hearted personality that we really enjoyed.

STUDIO

Although Studio Barre is a franchise, the Mission Hills location doesn’t feel like it. The studio is small. V small. The front area consists of a little check-in desk, a few cubbies and a significant amount of merch. It’s like a little boutique. There is also one changing room in the front. The studio itself is clean and bright with very nice equipment. There’s one bathroom in the back of the studio, but no shower – so if you take a morning class, make sure you have enough time to swing home and shower before work. You won’t be able to freshen up here.

***Shout out to Lauren at the front desk. We were dopes and didn’t bring socks, but she let us borrow some. She was a rockstar!