The Bar Method is a California-based premier fitness studio that operates in the bare-based fitness niche.

Founded in 2001, it offers group bare workout classes, distinguished for their refined technique that combines ballet, Pilates and physical therapy. ^[3]

In the 1940s, Lotte Berk, a German dancer who fled in the 1930s and came to London, injured her back while dancing when she got the idea to combine her ballet bar dance routine with her rehabilitative therapy. This lead to her opening her first Lotte Berk workout studio in West End of London. In 1971, Lydia Bach

bought the rights to Lotte Berk's name and opened the first US studio in New York, New York. Here is where Burr Leonard, the founder of The Bar Method, was first introduced to the Lotte Berk Method and became an avid student. In 1991 Burr and her, at the time husband, Carl Diehl, traveled to London to meet with Lotte Berk and were inspired to buy a 10-year license to own and operate a Lotte Berk Bar Method studio. They opened their doors to their first Lotte Berk studio in Greenwich CT in 1992. Leonard and Diehl continued to open several more studios in Connecticut and during this time Leonard began to realize that her clients' knees, backs and shoulders were not responding well to the exercise so she sought the help of a physical therapist. Leonard continued to fine-tune the exercise technique.

At the end of their 10-year license, Leonard and Diehl felt that their method had evolved away from the original Lotte Berk Method.

In 2001 they decided split from Lotte Berk, sell their Connecticut studios and open their first Bar Method Studio in San Francisco, California.

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The company launched its Franchising operations in 2008.

In 2009 Leonard and Diehl incorporated The Bar Method Media Company and produced the ‘Change Your Body’ and ‘Accelerated Workout’ DVD’s which can now available on the online store and Amazon. ^[2]

In 2011, The Bar Method headquarters opened its corporate offices in San Francisco. ^[2]

Co-Founder Diehl retired in 2011 and investment firm Mainsail Partners, purchased 40% of The Bar Method and Leonard became the CEO and President.

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On February 16, 2015, The Bar Method announced that a group of investors led by Jay DeCoons, former President of YogaWorks, and The Builders Fund have become majority owners of The Bar Method. Jay will assume the role of CEO with The Bar Method founder Burr Leonard transitioning to President while retaining a significant stake in the company. ^[4]

Today Leonard continued to dedicate her time to ensuring consistency and quality in the exercise technique, guide the franchise and produce media products.

She is currently working on a library to stream workouts and writing a book on the Bar Method.

Leonard lives with her husband Michael Doud, COO of the Bar Method companies and their Pomeranian Pi. ^[3]

Burr Leonard is the daughter of George Leonard who was an editor at Look Magazine.

He later wrote books on human potential, one of which was “Mastery”which later became the guide for The Bar Method.

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The firm operates on a pay-by-class and membership model.

They also offer online branded apparel and customer exercise accessories and in 2014 launched Bar Online, a membership-based online class series.

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The exercise technique is designed to give students beautiful, lean, toned and healthy bodies.

Beginning with The Lotte Berk Method, Leonard altered the workout by drawing on the knowledge of physical therapists.

The workout aims to target large muscle groups that play the greatest role in body change and then works them intensely and safely long enough for them to change.

It then stretches each muscle worked to make it look and feel longer.

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