Class: Cardio Barre Fusion

Location: Chestnut Hill, MA

Work-out: Dance cardio and barre

Difficulty: 3.5

Next day soreness: 3

Duration: 60 min

Sweat Level:  Sweaty

Parking: Street parking, small lot behind studio

Amenities: Mats provided, grippy socks and water for purchase

Requirements for class: Socks (preferably grippy)

I can’t seem to get enough of this class! I tried Modern Barre when I was in MA for Thanksgiving, and I first did their Signature Modern Barre class, which was a solid barre class. However, I then discovered their Cardio Barre Fusion class and now I’m hooked. The studio is owned by dancer and former Patriots cheerleader Julia Robinson, and the dance and cheer influence really comes through in this class (and I love it!). Half of the instructors are also currently Pats cheerleaders, so cool!

The first half of class is a dance cardio portion – it’s simple choreography that doesn’t require a dance background to pick up, but still a lot of fun and definitely gets your heart rate up. For someone who hates running like myself, this was exactly the type of cardio I like to do. In addition, most barre classes I go to in LA are low impact, and since I don’t do enough cardio, I found this to be a great way to get in both the toning and cardio I need in my workout routine. The remainder of class consisted of thigh and glute work at the barre, followed by arms and abs in the center of the room. One of my other favorite things about this studio is that each class ends with a signature lavender cool down, and the instructor comes around to gently give everyone a shoulder rub. Super relaxing! They also have an Ultimate Modern Barre class that is supposed to be more like a bootcamp, so I can’t wait to try that one! I just wish there was a class like this in LA (let me know if you know of one).