Cardio Barre La Jolla

Amazing! I love this place! It feels like a real dance class and the teachers are sticklers for form, which I LOVE as a healthcare professional… We don’t need people hurting themselves with bad form to try and burn a few more calories!
I wish I lived closer so I could go all the time!

I keep meaning to write a long blog post (and will) about CBLJ, but for now a Unilocal review will have to suffice.
So, I started taking this class on a No Seriously Get Off Your Butt whim and it has CHANGED MY LIFE. Seriously!!! Found out about a $ 39 Groupon for 10 classes, which is a $ 160 value. Figured if I didn’t like it — less than forty bucks, no big.
It’s right by the Vons in the Fay/​Girard section of La Jolla. Do NOT park in the Vons lot. You’ll usually snag a street spot within once or twice of circling. Do your best at getting there 10 min early or the parking hunt will mean you’re rushing in just as they’re starting. These classes start/​end PROMPTLY, so if you know you are always late, do what you gotta go. All you need is a towel and water. Grab a pair of mini-​weights at the beginning of class. No steps, no bands, no big sets of weights, etc like you might have to grab at a gym’s workout class.
Cristiana at the front desk was way nice and gave me a brief rundown of what would happen. The check-​in was easy, and although there are a decent amount of people (20?), it’s not so crowded that you won’t get a space. There are bathrooms down the hall but no water cooler, so don’t forget your own agua.
If you are used to working out, have taken any kind of barre method or boot-​camp style class, you will be fine and can skip the next 5 paragraphs. If you haven’t worked out in a long time, don’t know anything about ballet, or this brand of fitness is new to you, then prepare yourself. Learn (at least) some standard ballet foot positioning, so when they say «1^st position, plié, now up and out to tendu for 8, now out to 2^nd, plié, relevé, now up and out to sous-​sus for 8»…you’ll know.
I signed up for this wanting a full body workout that would prep me to start taking ballet again, & specifically wanted to regain having a dancer’s body. I was expecting an up-​tempo ballet class with more reps. I was *not* expecting a boot-​camp style class with current popular/​hip-​hop music, and wasn’t even expecting to use any weights (all the photos I’d seen were of people working out at a barre).
The first class was super hard for me and made me also kind of angry. I was very out of shape, barely able to keep up, and unhappy with seeing all these other people with killer bodies appear to not struggle. It was frustrating and during class I became very sad/​cranky, but kept telling myself «it’s only $ 39, just stick it out and don’t forget why you came here in the first place. Don’t give up!»
So class starts, and the instructor is running around yelling instructions into her headset, and it was HARD. (You should watch some videos online of Cardio Barre before you take it, because I forgot to do that and wasn’t prepared.) This is just a heads up for those of you who think it will be similar to taking a ballet class.
While the instructor will come around and occasionally adjust postures, they are working out right along with you and don’t really have that time during class to say «Here watch me do a few examples; Pink Shirt did you have a question? Okay, try squaring off your hips more, okay, you’ve got it, oh now Blue Shirt you’re off, do this…», et cetera. If you need a class that gives you that personalized one-​on-​one feel, this is not what you want. You WILL be working out and sweating for the full time. If you don’t like sweating, don’t come to this class. Your starting goal is to keep up. There are not many breaks, although they’re not going to yell at you if you take a moment to catch your breath, adjust your posture, or have a sip of water. It becomes frustrating when, just as you feel like you’ve gotten the pose down, they move to the next set of reps. FYI — show up well-​hydrated or you’ll get leg cramps.
However, don’t give up. If you stick with it, you will begin to understand the movements and have less of a struggle. You transition from «How can I keep up? I can’t breathe!» to «My leg IS extended, why can’t I keep my hips square?»
All that said, there IS good stuff: The instructors are sweet, nice, and motivating. I was spoiled by taking my first ten classes with Alyssa, & now primarily take class with Amber, but sometimes Nicole. They all have their own styles. If you want visual proof of what cardio barre can do for you, just look at your teacher. You can also ask them to explain something after class if you’re super frustrated.
By Class 2 I was less frustrated & by Class 3 I started to actually enjoy myself. It’s a great, solid workout. Finished up all 10 classes and liked it enough to take advantage of 30 days of unlimited classes for $ 169. I also took my first advanced class last week: it’s got less breaks & more reps. Good luck. ;) You’ll also start finding yourself practicing everywhere.
Just finished up my first class of that this week and am COMPLETELY hooked. Definitely prepped me to start adding in my old ballet classes. It’s changed my life and I freaking love it!

I came here because of the Groupon. $ 39 for 10 barre classes is a STEAL. I normally pay $ 17/​class for PureBarre, the other barre class I take. Since I have taken barre classes before, I will mainly be comparing it to other classes I have taken.
The class, like other barre classes, focuses on toning the muscles in your body but has more cardio involved than other barre classes. You work groups of muscles in sets for the first 50 minutes and stretch for the last 10 minutes. At PureBarre, you work a specific group until its completely fatigued and then you slow the pace down and stretch it out and the cycle continues (arms, core, butt, legs, core). PureBarre classes have a cyclic pace while CardioBarre is fast paced/​high energy for 50 minutes straight.
After 4 weeks (1 – 2 classes per week), I definitely SEE better results doing PureBarre. HOWEVER, I feel much more «in shape» doing CardioBarre because it incorporates so much more cardio. Going forward, I am going to to do combination of CardioBarre and PureBarre as part of my work out régime. While they are both barre classes, they yield completely different results.

I have to say, after my initial review, I have noticed a great improvement in the class instruction in my subsequent visits. The instructors have been great and have really gotten to know me. They make sure to correct all students in class and keep you motivated and energized throughout class. The atmosphere is very inviting and they are very welcoming to new students.
After taking classes on a more consistent basis, I did feel my cardio improving and ab muscles actually starting to take shape. I would definitely recommend Cardio Barre La Jolla.

* This studio is offering free classes for 2 weeks, so definitely check out the studio to see if it’s for you!
I heard a lot of things about cardio barre from my friend in LA who’s tried and loved the program. The goal of the program is to create a «dancer’s body» without actually knowing how to dance… using «dancer» moves. Lots of upbeat & fast-​paced music, welcoming front desk staff, and friendly instructors. I took the beginner class today and it was pretty tiring b/​c I had a hard time catching up. Although it was a little stressful on my part to try to «follow» all the moves and I didn’t break into that much sweat, I’m still looking forward to trying out other instructors and classes. The class was divided into parts (warm-​up, working on abs, legs, lower back, etc) with repetitive movements in different tempos and at various angles.
— Edited 9÷11÷12 —
I’m more of the mellow, peaceful ashtanga yoga type, so this workout wasn’t for me. I’ve really tried to love barre, but the constant booming music, the frenzy to catch up, and the lack of adjustments from the teacher (because I know I’m doing things wrong a lot) really break it for me. It was a good way to expand my workout and I’m glad I tried it, but I will not be returning. I will be sticking to reformer pilates and yoga instead.

I was scared to try a class but Cristiana and her husband reassured me there was nothing to be nervous about. They are the sweetest people ever! It was such a good workout! I worked out muscles I didn’t even know existed. You definitely get your cardio on at Cardio Barre.
Would I come back? YES! Count me in for a package of classes. It’s a great addition to my workout routine.