Barre Crawl: 8 Ballet-Inspired Workouts to Try in the City

Years ago, barre classes were a novelty. Today, it feels like they're everywhere. The ballet-adjacent workout gained popularity because it tones the hard-to-teach muscles in the arms, legs, and core, but not all barre classes are created equal. If you won't stand for a half-ass class, try these Rockyt-approved studios. As always, there's a map at the end of the post to help you find the location most convenient to you.

Avant-Barre

Vogue and San Francisco magazine both give this SoMa studio mad props. The small, sun-filled space is intimate, but not cramped. Classes move quickly, and include cardio—so you never feel like you're stuck in a single position for too long...though you'll definitely be sore the next day.

592 3rd Street

The Bar Method

The Bar Method was one of the original barre obsessions in the city. (The 16-year-old chain has more than 100 studios across the US and Canada.) Before there was a fitness studio on every corner, Marina girls (and, later, FiDihards) were flocking to this ballet workout for a mix of sick beats and knowledgeable instructors. While the barre field may be more crowded now, this OG is still one of the most popular spots.

3333 Fillmore Street and 3 Embarcadero Center

Crunch

Crunch is a massive gym chain has over one million members and a roster packed with creative classes, including barre. Crunch's Barre Bootcamp fuses ballet and strength-training in a high intensity class targeting the arms, core, thighs, and booty.

61 New Montgomery Street and 1725 Union Street

The Dailey Method

If you're prone to injuries—or currently recovering from an injury—try The Dailey Method. The company is obsessed with form, and instructors offer a full body workout from the inside out by ensuring proper alignment and laying on small range of motion movements with high repetitions. Spoiler alert: those micro movements lead to a mega-burn.

1853 Market Street, 2399 Greenwich Street, 121 Spear Street, and 2301 Ocean Avenue

MNTstudio

Classes at MNTstudio are small, so you'll get lots of one-on-one attention as you plié and relevé your way to long, lean muscles. MNTstudio also offers childcare during select hours throughout the week. Pro-tip: grippy socks are required, so don't forget to bring yours.

766 Brannan Street

Pop Physique

This LA-born barre class was developed by former professional ballerina and Pilates instructor Jennifer Williams. (Fun fact: Jennifer taught Pilates in San Francisco for seven years before trading NorCal for SoCal.) Pop Physique says you will see and feel results in as little as six weeks if you take class 3-4 times a week.

2424 Polk Street and 2744 Mission Street

Pure Barre

Most of the city's boutique fitness choices are packed into SoMa or the Marina, but Pure Barre puts the lovely (and oft-forgotten) West Portal on the map. (Don't worry, there's a Marina location, too.) This national barre change brings the burn with classes that are fast-paced, energetic, and challenging.

162 W Portal Avenue and 3727 Buchanan Street

SALT

The best-named barre class in the city, SALT's Barre Fight is a 60-minute full-body fusion of barre and boxing. Expect high intensity interval kickboxing drills for caloric burn, and isometric strength movements to build lean muscle in strategic places.

327 Divisadero Street

fitnessRobyn CainMarch 15, 2019barre, Pop Physique, Pure Barre, avant-barre, Crunch, SALT, MNTstudio, The Dailey Method, The Bar Method