Firebrand Sports

I had another amazing workout at Firebrand today! If you have not been here, you need to give it a try! No matter what fitness level you are at, they will accommodate you! From the Pyrolates class to their Full tilt Spin bikes, you will get the best workout of your life! Oh, and I can’t forget the Barre classes too! All of the instructors are so informative, provide great motivation and keep the momentum going — the 50 minutes goes by so quickly! Do your body a favor… try this place out! You will be hooked!

I’ve been a loyal unlimited monthly member for over a year now, and while the workouts are still wonderful there have been some sad and disappointing changes. Great instructors are leaving, and there are increasingly unfriendly&snobby front desk staff… what’s the deal Firebrand? I’ve seen other regulars drop out of my weekly classes and it bums me out… please please don’t lose your soul as you grow!

The «plus one» loves working out here. For me, its location is great to grab eats nearby or a drink. If I’m done before the alotted hr workout, they’ve got comfy chairs and the game playing on 37″ above you.

This is the best workout I have ever done. It’s well worth the membership fee and you will feel a real sense of community. It is a «judgement free zone» and they instructors will push you beyond what you thought your limits were. Since doing pyrolates 2 – 3 times a week I have increased my running time, form and reduced injuries.

I was a total skeptic when I first heard of Firebrand and the Pyrolates workouts but boy was I wrong. These are some of the best workouts I’ve ever had and I’ve played several organized sports at a high level.
The 50min class is the perfect amount of time to get an extreme burn and the staff is great. I’m very glad I took the leap and gave it a shot. I’m hooked now.

I just recently started going to Firebrand Sports. The gym is clean, comfortable, full of amenities, and easy to use. The equipment is all well maintained and the front desk is very courteous. In fact, when I first set up my account, I ended up having some trouble syncing it with my MindBody app on my phone (great app!) so I sent an email to Firebrand to help me reconcile the problem. David called me back within an hour to fix it and it was resolved. The perorates class was unlike any other class I have ever taken, I’m accustomed to muscling my way through workouts, but the isometric isolation of the megaformer and Sarah’s patient, supportive instruction assured me that it would be a great workout, and it was a sweat-​a-​thon. Very rewarding.
If you’re looking for a great gym, give Firebrand a try.

Not your typical barre class!
First let me say the space is beautiful and I got a wonderfully warm welcome at the front desk. On my tour I could see that the facilities were top-​notch, with all the amenities you want in a modern workout studio. I wish more places were set up like Firebrand!
Now onto the class: The barre room is teeny compared to the huge pilates room, which is weird, because it felt cramped as soon as 10 people were inside. But who cares? We were here to WORK. And work we did! I’ve done Pure Barre, The Bar Method, Dailey Method, and a few other barre classes, and FireBarre is like none of them. It’s totally it’s own beast. I’d describe it as a cardio workout that incorporates some barre/​ballet moves. Prepare to sweat your ass off and get your heart rate up (I don’t usually do a lot of cardio and I was dying!).
At no point did my legs/​butt/​arms scream for mercy like they do in a traditional barre class, but that’s not really the point of FireBarre. The instructor focused more on big movements rather than the small/​isometric movements barre is usually associated with. The class moves very fast and there are no adjustments given, so if you like the personalized attention of The Bar Method or the focus on alignment/​form of Pure Barre, this isn’t the place for you. There are no breaks and the loud music means there’s no chance to ask the instructor anything, so you just have to go with it. But if you’re looking for a new kind of cardio class in the style of barre, this class is guaranteed to kick your ass! :)
I’ll probably be back after all the July 4^th BBQ I’m about to eat!

Hey, it’s my 500^th review! I’ve been saving it for something near ‘n’ dear to me so here we go!
I don’t like working out, nope, not at all. But I love Firebrand, which is definitely one of the most intense workouts ever so there’s that. I think what gets me is the motto on one of the walls — «You do not need more time, you need more intensity». TRUTH.
Currently there’s three class types
— FireBarre. Have you taken Barre classes? It’s kind of like that except faster, faster faster. Up, down, in, out, your heartrate is going to take off and not stop for 50 minutes. My only complaint is the room is too small for the size of a full class and I’ve taken my fair share of smacking into my neighbor.
— Barre + Bike. 25 minutes of cycling and 25 minutes of FireBarre. CardioHell, in a good way. I’ve found in general I am just not that into stationary cycling but when I can talk myself into it, I’m always happy I did.
— Pyrolates. The main event. The first time I did this I was an accidental twerking fool and was more sore than I’d ever been after a Crossfit class. The goal is muscle failure and boy, does it. You don’t do anything fast in this class except move between exercises. It’s difficult to truly describe, except maybe a version of Pilates on crack on this devilish device called the MegaFormer. One key thing I cannot stress enough during Pyro is concious movements. Core IN, use your muscles, listen to the instructor. If you keep everything all locked up, you’ll see better results faster.
I love the instructors — especially Sarah, Ellie & Josh — who are the main ones I take classes from. All are super encouraging, come up with challenging classes and don’t let you cheat yourself. However, I haven’t had a single bad instructor in all my time. It’s huge, clean and has your standard needs from a gym, Except bring your own towel.
It’s by zero means cheap, but it is absolutely worth it. I’ve discovered muscles I wasn’t aware of — obliques, what? Even on my worst days, I’ve never walked out thinking «I AM SO UNHAPPY I CAME.» It’s more like «So glad I came… and that it’s over till next time!»
So like I said, it’s not cheap but it is so very very worth. You can try your first class for $ 15, or a whole unlimited month for $ 99.

How can you not love this place? The studio is beautiful — Very modern with an industrial touch. There are three types of classes offered: Pyrolates (Lagree Fitness method), Barre, Spin. I first was introduced to Lagree Fitness at a studio back at home in San Francisco. After relocating to Portland, I was excited to find out that Firebrand offered this class. I’ve been taking the Pyrolates class since the beginning of May — love it! This is a full body workout that you can’t «take it easy» or cheat yourself. My abs have never burned so good! I’ve taken classes with Sara and Elle — both are incredible! They go above and beyond to make you feel comfortable and excited as soon as you walk through that door.

Firstly the studio is beautiful and spacious. Staff were all super helpful. Whitney taught the Firebarre class and it was unlike any other workout I have ever done! It was a high-​energy, fun, upbeat barre class with good music. Class flew by. It really was like being at a morning dance party. Now, off to drink those delicious Portland beers!

I am not a fan of working out, but when my friend dragged me down to Firebrand I became obsessed. This is the best workout I’ve ever had. I love that all types go to the classes and the instructors push you to be your best.

I love this place. Best barre class I’ve ever been to and the best class on the megaformer as well.

Pyrolates is insanely hard! I love it! The instructors are really helpful with beginners.

Eating and drinking one’s way through Portland can leave lasting effects on one’s waistline or rear end (or both!). In order to combat that, I highly recommend paying a visit to Firebrand.
I found Firebrand via Unilocal and the introductory 3-​class package for $ 40 was exactly what I was looking for during my 7ish day stay in PDX (they also do first class at $ 15 or an unlimited month for $ 99 for new clients). It’s located in the Pearl, and I really loved walking through this neighborhood before/​after my class to/​from my hotel (the Ace). I also loved the little pressed juice pop up inside the studio, as well as the fireplace waiting area, and high-​top-​like café seating.
Booking a class was super easy via their online booking system and I had no trouble fitting in the 3 classes in 3 days instead of spreading them out over the course of my stay.
Upon arrival, the guy at the counter just handed me a map that included the instructions for the locker, but no real welcome or walk through of the studio and its facilities even though I mentioned it was my first time. The building is going through some construction, so the «locker room» is exposed to all the hard-​hat wearing stuff they’ve got going on. There are also no showers, so if you’re planning on taking a class and scooting off to work or drinks, load up on the baby wipes for a renegade style rinse off.
The room for the Firebarre class is tiny and they keep it dark, so if it’s your first time, you’ll feel a bit awkward that you’re practically on top of the person next to you while also fumbling all the moves. The class is definitely intense, though. It got my heart racing pretty quickly and never really slowed down. A lot of legs and core! Kate was a great instructor.
While I gave the Firebarre class a shot for scheduling reasons, I really came for the Pyrolates. I take a megaformer class in LA about 16 times a month, so I was ready for the ass kicking that the megaformer workout surely provides, no matter the studio. Firebrand’s rendition was less «why, God, why?» and more «I totally got this, what else you got?», which made me feel awesome. I think the focus on nailing the technique of each move as opposed to pushing you to take the next step with each move (add a push up to a plank to pike, for example) helped me realize the strength I’ve developed over the many months of being dedicated to this type of workout. (I’m sure if I was a regular here, the instructors would definitely focus on the latter, too!) Although I only took it twice, both times with Ellie, I felt like it was my home away from home studio. Ellie definitely made me feel like part of the Firebrand family and I wouldn’t hesitate to return to class of hers when I find myself back in these neck of the woods.

Firebrand offers a great work out for people of all ages. I was sore for 4 days after taking a Pyrolates class… in places I didn’t know I could even be sore, I recommend it to everyone.

This is where you go when you want to SEE results. Period. If you make a commitment and put in the effort during the classes, you will see some amazing changes in your body and I can almost bet that others will start to notice as well (and lets be honest… that always feels good :)
This studio is modern, clean, very spacious, and feels like you might just be somewhere more along the lines of a cosmopolitan city than Portland. They have three different work out studio rooms and offer a rotational bicycle work out, pyrolates, and firebarre. These are all workout classes that offer unique machines that only this studio utilizes. That may sound like a little bit strange but it is one of the things that makes this workout studio one of a kind setting it apart from the others. I cannot attest for the experience of the bikes but I have heard that they move and rotate to work more muscles and a range of motions. It sounds really cool! I have stuck with the pyrolates and firebarre classes. The pyrolates is a great challenge for strength training without putting too much pressure on joints. This is one of the reasons that I loooove this class. It is a whole body workout that after your first five minutes may have you question why the hell you ever thought this was a good idea but will have you craving for more at the end. Pyrolates incorporates a system of pulleys and springs with a moving platform on a machine called a «megaformer.» This little setup has you moving very slowly with 4 second counts of «in and out» or «up and down» resistance movements against varying spring tensions. This builds up great muscle and eliminates any unwanted hard pounding or quick intense movements that may cause injury.
The Firebarre classes are in a small room with a holding bar that runs along the perimeter of the room. They have a nice cushy floor and some fun colored lights. I should also mention that for the Firebarre and Pyrolates they do require special Totes socks with small grips on the bottom or I think you can wear some Nike brand ballet looking socks. I am not sure the exact name of these. You just can’t be barefoot. The Firebarre classes incorporate some ballet moves but it is more of a high intense cardio workout. It does a good job balancing strength, movement, and form. This class will get you sweating!
The cost of membership can be high here but the fact is that you will see the results if you put in the work. I think that it pays off and so I have made a 6 month commitment as it stands now. Your first class is only $ 15. I recommend giving this place a try. My first day was one of the most intense workouts I have ever done… but when I was done… I couldn’t wait to try it again :)

Arrived in Portland and eroded an indoor cycling venue. Firebrand is very easy to walk to, clean, offers cycling, barre and pyropilates. Ellie was the cycling instructor.
Great music with awesome energy. Very cool ambience with a great cleanliness. Highly recommend you try it out.
Front desk staff man on Wednesday afternoon was friendly, efficient, and informative. Great experience.

about 5 minutes into the first Pyrolates class I said to myself «to hell with this, I’ll never make it through this. I’m never coming back.» That was 5 weeks ago and I’ve kept coming back. This is one intense, sweat inducing workout, plain and simple and you’ll never get the same workout as there are so many different exercises to do on the «Megaformer;» in fact I’m still learning new exercises. My class last Saturday was about ¹⁄₃ new stuff after nearly 20 classes attended. Much of the focus is on legs, a lot of squats, lunges, bungee raises (I hate those!!!) but there is also a lot of core, chest and arm exercises mixed into every class.
These classes, in addition to their intensity, have been a real wake-​up call to me as well. I run, do yoga occasionally and have been lifting regularly for years but this workout has shown me that I’m not nearly as strong core-​wise or in the shape I thought. Pyro is about both strength and endurance and I don’t make it through a class without groaning in pain when trying to make it through one of the exercises or leave the class without muscles quivering and having my shirt saturated with sweat — the results of the work is that obvious. That said, since it’s no impact I don’t have joint soreness afterwards.
I mainly do Sara’s classes (the owner) but I’ve also done classes with 4 other instructors (all of whom do the classes themselves when they aren’t teaching) and they’ve been great. All are very enthusiastic, active and helpful. I know my form isn’t the greatest and the instructors come by the help correct me. The classes are limited to 12 (you can reserve online) and the clientele is really chill — not judgmental; like me they’re just there to get their butt’s kicked too. The place is clean and welcoming, there’s a juice bar in the lobby, free lockers to hold your gear and one can reserve showers.
Unfortunately, the price jumps after the initial «firestarter» package so the monthly cost is more than I can take, especially since after getting my butt kicked for 6 weeks I actually gained weight and my body fat percentage increased. However, judging from others there I’m the exception to the rule.

Ok this Pyrolates class was by far the hardest exercise class that I have ever taken. After the brief explanation of where everything was, we were led to the room with all the megareformers. There, our instructor Josh explained all the contraptions and doo-​hickies.
At 6:30, it was go time. Hurt time. Massive sweat time. Burn time. Hatred of Josh time.
Thankfully, the only thing on my body that was sore the next couple of days after were my glutes.
Now, the music was great. Josh was definitely a motivator and a funny one at that. The class was certainly challenging but there are some things that were missing for me.
We went straight into the shit. No dynamic warm-​up. And I don’t count the least painful part of the exercise as a warm-​up. And the only muscles that we stretched afterward were our hip flexors and top of our quads with forward lunges.
We did lots of pushup so I would have expected to stretch the pecs and arm business.
I take normal people’s Pilates on the traditional reformer, Cadillac, and other Medieval devices. There is a huge focus on correct form and length centered around the powerhouse.
The focuses here were working the muscle to failure, which I personally am not about and minimizing the transition time from move to move. I’d rather do something right than fast, especially my first time. There was barely any time to stop for water, but I made myself.
I can see this as a regular workout for people who like crossfit or an extreme form of barre. I myself would only come back here if I wanted to test my weakness or play a mean joke on someone.
It’s not for me, but I would encourage anyone who likes this type of intensity to at least try it, drink plenty of water while doing it, do your own stretching afterwards, and enjoy telling Josh how much you hate him while your muscles beg for mercy.

Yep!!! It really is as good as it gets!!!
I have left with a smile on my face all three times that I’ve been here!
I’m one picky chick too.
The employees are all super friendly and attentive.
The instructors are super sweet and kind as well. They quietly correct you and loudly compliment you during classes!!! You really feel like a rock star!
I have only tried the Pyrolates classes. I feel sooooooo amazing for days after each class.
There are complimentary towels, filtered water for your bottle, gum, hair ties, plenty of hand sanitizer. Such an amazing friendly community. No Judgement. CLEAN. NO horrible smells.
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO