Cardio Barre – Studio City

Time to update my review !!! It’s been 2 years and I’m still enjoying every second of the workout !! And YES there has been some changes, however, it’s still an amazing workout !!! It sculpts and tones your body super sexy !!! The studio is nice and clean, the girls working in the front are super sweet and welcome and the instructors are Amazing !!! Throughout class they make sure everyone is us ring proper form for maximized results !!!

Man I love cardio barre. Been coming here for over ten years. But lately things are different. They got rid of great teachers like Kevin. But also they got rid of mid day classes. I tried to email them about if they could bring it back but they didn’t even respond. It’s like they don’t care about their customers anymore to even reply. Things have changed a lot and I feel like maybe they don’t care if you have been there forever and have bragged about it for years. Vibe is very different. Also I never had a problem with Parking for ten years but now I have to walk over two blocks. It’s crazy! I love cardio barre. Don’t get me wrong. But lately things have been different. It’s as if the owner doesn’t care anymore or is too busy doing other stuff I don’t know. I know a lot of people complain that it’s the same old moves but what those people don’t understand is if you stick to those moves they work better than anything else!!! I swear. But if cardio barre doesn’t have enough class times then I can’t get there enough to make it work. I don’t want cardio barre to go away. I have loved it for over a decade but something is clearly wrong. Things are very different and not in a good way.

First cardio barre class last week! Redeemed a Groupon that was about to expire and I’m so happy I did! As someone who was a former gymnast/​martial artist and who continues to train as a surfer and at the gym, my first class was pretty tough! Half of it was learning the routine/​movements while keeping up with the rigorous pace of the class. I took a Sunday morning beginners class and I’m glad I did, because the advance may have been out of my skill right now. But I know after a couple classes I’ll be ready to move to the advance if I choose to, so it’s definitely something to train for! Classroom was clean and there was only a slight smell of feet, but could have been my own stinking up the place!

I’ve been a customer of Cardio Barre since 2011 and they just raised their prices including their unlimited from $ 169 to $ 229. They briefly tried to raise it to $ 299 making it a 75% mark up (who does that) and its just money gouging. I get raising your prices but to then add extreme restrictions on having to be locked into a year contract to take advantage of their unlimited deal. I, like many folks have a life that doesn’t cater to that kind of strict contract. I work and live out of country often. I tried to email the owner and reason with them but they clearly don’t care about their customers. Money is more important to them then being loyal to their clientele. I will be looking for a different establishment to put my money into, that cares about their members. Please bring back the monthly option of unlimited. Their current business model DOES NOT WORK.

I LOVE cardio barre. It is the only thing that completely distresses me after a busy work day or at the end of a long work week! The instructors are incredible– from Kevin, Francesco, Laura, Marita, Leslie, and Adair. They are all so motivating to take classes from.
My only thoughts are these 1) It would be really really nice if some new CD’s were created. 2) The unlimited month is no longer available. So, I am paying per class every time I go and it’s really expensive. Because of my career, it doesn’t make sense for me to purchase unlimited all year long. I am not always available to go multiple times each week. My request is to please bring back the unlimited month purchase. :)
That’s why I give cardio barre a 4. The instructors deserve a 10+ each.

Totally overpriced and over rated. Back in 2008 when I tried cardio barre for the first time I was hooked on it.
Now, 8 years later nothing has changed. Same routine, same sequence, same music. And the prices keep going up. For what?
They have 2 – 3 people max. Working at a time, and there is no need for equipment, besides a room, barre and a few weights. So again, what am I paying for exactly?
Doesn’t seem like they are ever developing anything new, so what am I paying for?
Not to mention their old outdated mediocre location, with bad parking. They do not provide you with towels, and there is not even a changing room or showers, Just poorly taken care of bathrooms that you can try to change in. What am I paying for?
For some reason they charge more per class than my cycling class. I cycle on Ventura Blvd in a fantastic location in a brand new building. State of the art facilities including private bathrooms showers, free towel and water service and free shoe rental, lots of parking. They have a much larger staff of about 6+people working at a time and they also have a much larger space and much more equipment (43 bikes) to maintain, and I still pay less at this state of the art facility than I do for your lame barre and carpet room.
Something is not right Here.
There is terrible parking, very hot room, and they like to over crowd the classes and accept too many people in a class. This makes it hard for you to work out to your fullest potential, and did I mention, they charge a very high price for it.
Nothing about their business model works.
Better go check out the woodland hills location! Friendlier staff, friendlier people, cleaner studio, better parking, lower prices and overall better experience! The woodland hills studio is slightly smaller and less crowded which really allows for better instruction and a better workout!

LOVE the classes and most of the instructors but PARKING SUCKS at this location. Parking is always full in the lot and cardio barre doesn’t have any designated spots for students like every other business in the strip does. Now that there’s construction (and will be for awhile) on Whitsett there’s almost no street parking. I have now missed a few classes due to not finding parking. Frustrating to drive there and then waste my time. If you can’t get there 20 min early for a class you will probably not find parking at this time.

Parking sucks. They don’t turn on the AC even when it’s 90 outside. The room smells and it’s way to warm to work out in. The members are not friendly.

Cardio Barre is absolutely amazing! The workouts are intense and I see my body improving every time. Kevin and Francesco are fun, engaging, and helpful. If you want an intense and fun workout, this is the place :)

Classes are fun and an awesome workout. However, do not expect to feel like your business is valued. They have terrible customer service. After 10 plus years in customer service management, I am always astonished by businesses that don’t care if you become a returning customer or student in this case.

Beware when buying a groupon for this place. Groupon as many know has a rule that it’s still good for the value after it expires but this place refused to honor that which is just bad business. The only reason I still gave 2 stars instead of 1 is because the manager Hailee was nice but suggested I just spend another $ 50 and buy another groupon which is ridiculous when there is so much competition. I was a new client and just asked they honor two classes or even one so I feel I didn’t waste my money. I see her side that they don’t make money on groupon classes but they do get free advertising and I would have paid full price to renew later if I liked it. Plus they shouldn’t get the benefit of using groupon then if they refuse to follow the rules and don’t feel it’s a benefit. I also contacted groupon and they said they contacted this business and they would work something out with me but of course no one ever followed through. I live on the west side and work in studio city so I was on an unexpected hiatus which is why I let it expire and would have never done so if I knew I couldn’t redeem it for the value.

Good work out to fun music!!!

The first part of my experience with Cardio Barre was great. Holly helped me via email and was great and whoever answered the phone when I first called (wish I got a name) was so fantastic and helpful. What a great start!
Because of an achilles tendon injury (unrelated to this class), I was only able to use half of the Groupon package I got. All of the four classes I attended were led by great instructors and were never too full. There was always at least half a bar for me.
The class is carpeted and everyone is barefoot. Then you do floorwork on a towel that you bring. The studio is clean and does not smell bad or anything like that. So the carpet really didn’t bother me at all — as it has in other studios where it seems sweaty and germy.
The music is always good and it is a good work out but also one that anyone can participate in.
I would highly recommend these classes for any former dancers that want to get back to a barre or working out. The classes were full of women of various sizes and ages and was a great environment.
Staff is very friendly and helpful — check this place out!

What happened to this place? I used to really love working out here, but recently the vibes have changed. I’m not sure if they are broke or what, yet it’s clear the owner is going through something personal. He’s fired all of their best employees.
Please cardio barre, find your mojo. You’ve gone from fun and inviting to negative and crazy.
Bring back the fun.

I bought the 10 class group on and have already gotten my money’s worth in 3 classes. It’s a great workout. It’s low impact, but you sweat a ton and get your heart rate up rather quickly. You also get to work out the entire body. I used to dance, and a lot came back naturally, but it certainly was challenging. It’s high paced so it’s over before you know it (and right when you’re ready to stop). I’ve had 3 different teachers in the 3 classes I’ve taken and I liked all of them. They keep you motivated and check on everyone throughout. I also am recently pregnant and was worried I wouldn’t be able to go back but it turns out they have modifications you can do and they encourage you to go at your own pace. (They also say this for your first class.) The people seem friendly enough, but it’s not cultish. There are women of all ages and races and body types, which I really like.
They do have parking (not a ton, but seemingly enough), but it’s also accessible by bus (which I have done two of the 3 times). I’ll definitely be back.

Love this place. Friendly staff and great teachers. Kevin is awesome. Very sweet and is always helping with corrections if needed. You will seriously feel the burn then lol. Thanks for such a great experience:)

Been coming for years. If you really want to get into shape this is the place to go. If you go about three times a week you will totally see the difference and it’s zero impact so you can go for a long time. I love this place because it’s easy you don’t have to pre-​sign up and it’s really laid-​back. The workout is hard though and it’s no joke. I love it.

So I purchased a Groupon for here for 10 classes, and let me just say that it is in my top 3 work out classes to go to. The energy is great, and you really get a kick out of this. I highly recommend you purchase the Groupon, classes/​monthly passes are a bit pricey.
You will be sore, but you will feel amazing, got a few more classes left So I will be coming here more!

I wanted to give Cardio barre a few months before writing a review, so here it is, 5 months later… I highly recommend purchasing the Groupon to give it a try to determine whether this workout is for you. Anyone that tells you this is an easy workout must be doing it wrong. And I consider myself to be in excellent shape, coming from a crossfit background (plus everything else, Boot Camps, Kickboxing, Cycling, Pilates, Yoga…). The studio has been there a while, but hey take excellent care of it as it’s always clean and well kept. Parking is pretty easy; not much in back 9the spots right in front are WAYYY too tight), but plenty along Riverside Drive. The members aren’t very friendly, which I don’t mind, because I prefer to go in, get my workout in and leave. However, the front desk staff are super friendly and always call me by name and remind me when my monthly membership is coming to an end a few days in advance.
The classes: My first class was with Jess and let me tell you, I saw stars. She will definitely give you a good workout, but she is so energetic and motivating. Kevin is also one of my favorites — he has to be the sweetest guy ever! And he will help you out and correct you as needed, which doesn’t always happen at Cardio Barre because the class moves so quickly. Laura is also great because she’s also very hands on and has such a positive energy to her. Marita’s Saturday classes tend to get pretty full and she’s such a doll — so funny and bubbly. I take the Intro classes on Saturdays because I need a slower pace after Friday nights and it also gives me chance to work on my technique and form instead of worrying about trying to keep up.
The key is consistency — I was able to get through class without stopping (that s the goal!) after a week into it, but trust me, it still takes every ounce of strength not to! I was traveling for a couple of weeks and came back and it felt like my very first day all over again! They use very light weights (1 – 3 lbs), but when you’re doing 100 reps, they feel like a ton! You will do ab work which will burn so good! Bring a towel (but don’t worry if you don’t, they sell towels and gear there) and don’t forget the water!
Overall, this is a good place to workout, plus it’s so close to home and I do enjoy coming here for an hour of ME time every day. If you do not like repetition, this probably isn’t for you as it’s essentially the same workout every time (but for some reason never gets easier!). Definitely give the Groupon a try if you’re interested. It’s a great deal, considering the cost to purchase classes.

This place is so amazing!!! I bought a Groupon for 10 classes, and already felt my money’s worth after my second class! This place was my first time taking barre ever and I’m so glad I chose this place! It actually took me a week to decide which place to try because there were also Groupon deals for other barre studios, but I chose this place based off of Unilocal reviews.
Such a wonderful studio! I love the set up and it’s a big enough place with room for plenty of students a class. Richard Giorla, the owner of CardioBarre is amazing! He usually teaches at least once or twice a week at this location and he is THE BEST! of course right? He really puts you to work and really watched and checks on every single student, making sure we have the correct form. I love it! He really enjoys what he does and shows it. He is an amazing instructor and if you ever get the chance, take his class! So worth it, whether it’s your first time or you’ve been doing it for a while. He will always teach you something new. He is also very motivational! He always says something that either pushes you to work harder or makes you feel good about coming to class today. I also enjoy Sadie’s class. I was only able to take her class once but she also put me to work and I had a lotttt of fun with her.
Really worth trying for anyone who is new to barre. You start off stretching and doing exercises at the barre. Then you also work with small weights (1lb-​3lbs) and then you do some work off the barre (mostly targeting abs and glutes) and then some nice stretches at the end. I’ve only done beginner classes so far and they’re all the same, just every instructor teaches a little differently so it doesn’t get boring. Music is fun and upbeat too. You move very fast in this class with little breaks. Fun fun fun and great workout! I’m thinking of getting a membership after I finish my Groupon classes :)

Loved my first class. But boy did it leave me sore. And I go to the gym regularly.
Let me start off by telling you what you need to bring. Yoga pants cuz you will be bending a lot and no one wants to see crack. A towel because you will sweat and be on the floor. And you can either go bare foot but I prefer to wear socks. I did see 2 women in shoes but that’s not the norm.
So I bought the groupon deal and wanted to take a beginners class since I’ve never taken one before. But the beginners class schedule just didn’t fit with mine that week so I went ahead and took an advance class. I’ve taken ballet for years in the past and do cardio classes at my gym so I thought hey, it can’t be that different. Ummmmm yea it was. First of all its like ballet movements on crack! I mean at one point the music was Eminem’s The real slim shady, and if you know the rapper you know how fast he raps, well this song was sped up like 3 times and it just made you thing about at what BPM your moving too. It was sooooo fast!!! I had trouble keeping up not to the exercises
Because I could do all the reps the teacher wanted but I had trouble keeping up with the speed.
I think I was concentrating on my form just because I wanted to make sure I was doing the exercises right. Also because I remember how my ballet instructor when I was a little girl would glare at me and yell «stick your butt in! And press your shoulders out! Your not the little tea pot!!!» She was very concerned with gait and posture as she should be. Well at one point the girl next to me at the barre pointed out that my toes were pointed the wrong way (and I was grateful for her help), so I’m sure I wasn’t getting all the movements down in time. The instructor even had to tell me to turn around once since every one had rotated and I just couldn’t hear the instructor. I couldn’t hear one word the instructor said. I think his name was Richard. Seriously maybe I was hypnotized at how fast shady was rapping but I could only pick up words like «third position» or him counting but that’s about all I could hear over the music. I stayed around a little for the next class and did notice that the other instructor had the music down a little more and it was easier to hear her. To bad I couldn’t take that class. Even though I didn’t get any individual attention, he was walking around and did look at me, so maybe I should assume I was doing alright.
Cons:
No individual attention
The class was really full and I was told that was just half occupancy. What?!
The music was really loud and I had trouble hearing the instructor.
Pros:
The instructor was very good. With the amount of movements to repetitions I really felt a burn.
I got all sweaty and felt like I had a great work out:)
The location and parking was easy and perfect for me.
The exercises really focused on my thighs and glutes which is exactly what I’m looking for.
The space was big and bright and clean and the staff was very helpful and friendly.
Floor was vacuumed when we arrived for the first class. But I can see it getting dirty if they don’t clean I between classes.
For the price you can’t get a better workout.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — –
I should have taken the beginners class and really figured out the movements. Maybe I will next class but I don’t know I thought I did pretty well. I think if you have self confidence and don’t mind looking like a dork while you figure it out and if your somewhat fit, you can skip the beginner class like I did. Sure it comes with some frustrations but you get past it and enjoy a great workout.
Final thought. This was an amazing class for 5 $ I mean groupon really introduced me to something amazing this time. However. If I was paying 19 $ a class, I don’t think I would like how crowded it got and how much little attention I was given. But that’s just on my budget. Maybe 19 $ for a one hour class isn’t much for people. But I have a 60 $/​month membership to a gym that is never crowded and offers cardio classes all week long included in the membership. That would buy me only 3 classes at Cardio barre in a month. I really hope that I can find similar deals like groupon to this place in the future once my classes run out. It was really a great work out.
Update: I hurt my back really bad because I was over confident :(I guess I’ll take the beginner classes from now on and not have to spend my money at the chiropractors fixing what I messed up here.

I’m such a fan of this studio! Totally getting an unlimited membership after my Groupon deal is finished!!! My body looks super sleek.
GREAT WORKOUT!!! …
Cons– It get super crowded on weekends. The carpet could be cleaner… They should probably make socks mandatory like Pure Barre does.
Other than that… I’m all about it!

Love love loooove this place!!! I’ve been to the one in Brentwood before and this is SO much better!
Plenty of street parking (Don’t be lazy you can walk that 100 feet from your car to the place… you’re coming to exercise, remember?)
I’ve only been here twice but its awesome. Super spacious and plenty of room so you’re not kicking each other’s feet. Happens a lot to me, I’m 5’10.
Laura Perry is by far, the best instructor I’ve had. This is in comparison to the couple people I’ve tried in Brentwood. She actually cares about her students and their technique. It’s not just about moving fast with her it’s about moving right. Love her!
Bought 10 classes on groupon. Can’t wait to use them all! So sore after though!

I have really enjoyed coming to the beginner classes here. I especially love Jessica’s classes, she gets your super motivated and takes time to correct anything you may be doing wrong. Here are my pros and cons:
Pros:
— Parking is easy. I think they have a parking lot, but I have always just snagged a spot on either side of the street for free.
— Receptionists are welcoming and polite.
— I’ve really liked almost every teacher I’ve tried here! (I’m looking at you Jessica, Kevin and Laura!)
— Cons:
— It is just TOO. DAMN. EXPENSIVE. $ 19 for a single hour class? Because of the price, I won’t be able to return after I’ve used up my Groupon, which makes me really sad. I take ballet classes at Millennium ($ 12 for an hour and a half) and I guess that’ll be where I continue my work out!
If you can afford it, go for it! Oh, and be sure to take a large towel and water.

I love to sweat. The more drenched my shirt is the better I feel… that was before I had a kid. After taking a few years off due to just being so damn exhausted, I needed a challenge that was a doable challenge. This place is fantastic. I’ve only been to Kevin’s class, he is wonderful (Kevin helps me in such a fun way that it motivates and gives me confidence to continue to improve) and the beginner classes kick my ass but in that hurt so good way.
I started going because of a killer Groupon deal… the reasons why I’ll go back are great workout and to work on my coordination (it’s so bad, it’s ridonkulous but I’m having fun and I’m sweating).
Tips: Park on street if the lot is full and bring a beach towel and plenty of water.

Due to unforeseen circumstances: unemployment, depression, torn ligament from my teens coming back to haunt me, I’ve not worked out for 2 years and boy does it show. Due to my ankle walking and hiking are out of the question as is the treadmill and I hate the gym. The podiatrist said surgery or PT. I was doing PT for my ankle but it wasn’t doing much for me and those $ 20 co-​pays add up to roughly $ 240 a month and during work hours.
So my ankle and I go in for our first class. At this point my ankle is a separate entity from me. So I go in, totally intimidated by all the barres and the 20 somethings who look like I did when I was their age but here’s the kicker, these are 20 somethings like I was a 20 something not the wanna be actresses just young women who are gorgeous by virtue of being young women who show up to classes 3 – 4 times a week.
It got started, the allegedly easy warm up part really gave the ankle a work out — revele, plié… which is exactly why I chose a barre class. After that it sped up. I’m sure I got half the moves wrong but I was able to keep up a lot more than I expected and it was fun. The music was great the only thing I don’t like is that its hard to see the instructor, depending on which way you are facing but I thankfully stood next to a woman who looks like she has been doing this forever. The instructor does walk around correcting form and posture (and believe me I have horrible posture). All in all, I enjoyed it, I may join up.
I do wish someone had warned me about the full size towel. :)

Fun, zero impact cardio. The pace is super fast and the sets can feel long in a good way (Advanced class). Ballet terminology is used so if you’re a dancer you will have an easier time.
PROS:
Fun
Low impact
Lifts the hiney
Strengthens legs
CONS:
Dicey parking
NO Showers
Limited classes available (especially Sat/​Sun)
The frantic pace makes it difficult to focus on good form
First timers should definitely do a beginner class first. Bring a full size towel for floor work.
Try it, it’s fun!