Barre workouts are one of my favorite ways to exercise my body, but there are so many different studios across the country to choose from. A lot of factors go into picking a barre studio, including location, price, instructors, etc., but today I want to just summarize the big differences between barre3 and neighborhood barre. These are the two different barre studios I’ve been to so far, and I’m excited to share my experience with each.
To note- I have been to barre3 more than 100 times and only twice to neighborhood barre. I know this makes the comparison skewed, but I am trying to be as objective as possible.
Barre3 Summary:
Every Barre3 class is a full-body workout. It includes cardio, muscle toning, yoga, meditation and more. I truly feel like I have exercised every part of me inside and out, including my brain. It is set to a motivational, electronic type music and features one instructor showing how the moves are done, correcting posture and helping make sure everyone has what they need.
Neighborhood Barre Summary:
Neighborhood Barre offers several different class types. The main class type consists of muscle toning activities with a few focused on slightly raising your heartbeat and feeling the burn. They also offer express classes set at a faster speed, core centered classes and more.
Music:
B3: The barre3 playlists give me life. I always sneak a peek at the playlist name on my way out of class so I can go find the songs on Spotify after class. Usually the songs are techno based, often either remixes on popular songs or not well-known songs at all with a good, alternative beat. I will say the music definitely varies by instructor because I had one class with much slower, instrumental songs, and it made me want to fall asleep. The Barre3 music is usually optimized to match the beat of the moves which makes me feel so confident and like I am doing a fun dance! There have definitely been times during arm work when I’ve felt like I was back in my cheerleading days.
NB: I am definitely biased because in my last NB class Taylor Swift came on during the cool down, and it honestly made my day. Otherwise, the music is typically techno instrumental with few words! I have to say that the music doesn’t seem as focused on matching the beat of the exercises, and I notice it less than I notice the music at Barre3.
Facilities: note- I go to barre3 in Knoxville and neighborhood barre in Knoxville at the Western Plaza/Bearden location- I cannot speak to every location!
B3: Barre3 is the first place I went to barre so this could make me biased, but I really enjoy the facilities. The bathroom is fully stocked with places to change, showers, makeup remover wipes, cotton balls, q-tips, you name it. I can come from work and change before class or shower if I have somewhere to go afterwards. The lobby is open and there are benches to sit on if you’re there early. There are two studios for classes to be held in, and everything is incredibly modern, open and bright. It truly feels like a luxurious experience.
NB: The facilities at my NB location are probably my least favorite part. There is nowhere to sit in the lobby so I usually end up sitting in my car until right before, which isn’t that big of a deal, but not exactly ideal! The bathroom/changing room are in the back which means you would have to walk through a class if you really needed to change or go to the restroom early.
Instructors:
B3: This definitely can’t be universally true, but the barre3 instructors are amazing and incredibly uplifting. They truly care about you as a person and connect with you throughout the workouts.
NB: Again, this can’t be universally true, but the neighborhood barre instructors I’ve had seemed much less connected with participants. It seemed more like the instructor was just getting her workout in and you happened to be there taking up space. They rarely came around to check on anyone or offer corrections, which some people may like better.
Workout:
B3: I leave barre3 drenched in sweat and exhausted from head to toe. The full cardio and muscle strength is exhausting. The breathing and meditation practice that marks the end of every class leaves me feeling relaxed and destressed. The feeling of being exhausted and relaxed at the same time is one that takes some getting used to.
NB: This workout is so centered on muscle strength. I am never drenched in sweat when I leave, but my muscles are very tired. I am always sore in just the right places that I wanted toned the next day, and that is a very good feeling. NB doesn’t feel as relaxing for me, and there is no meditation at the end.
Overall score:
Reminder- I am totally biased. My score for barre3 is a 9 out of 10 and my score for neighborhood barre is 6/10. The two classes are so different! Who knew the barre method could be applied in such different ways? I think what I might do is continue paying for the month unlimited of B3 and buy a 10 class pack of neighborhood barre to last me for the summer. I am moving to another part of Knoxville for the summer, and there is a neighborhood barre studio right by me! I think going to one NB class a week and three B3 classes would be perfect for me as I come upon more bridal events this year. Please let me know if you have any questions, and I hope you all stick around for my fitness journey this year!
Neighborhood barre and barre3 are so completely different, so I think if you take anything away from this post, just remember that every barre workout is different and you can take away different benefits from each. It’s a great workout program, and I hope you are able to try it out!
