Lauren Ziel, owner and operator of barre3 studio, loves what she does. Since her first interaction in 2012 with the 'barre' workout, which focuses on strength, cardio and mindfulness, she says she wanted to turn her love for the workout style into a business. Fast-forward to 2023, where she's celebrating 10 years of helping clients become the best version of themselves.
It started with Lauren seeking a new workout and a friend introduced her to the “barre” style, with the closest studio being in the city. "I was immediately hooked, but needed to find a way to reel it in closer to home. Browsing online, I discovered Barre3.com, a company that in the early days of the Internet was offering classes online," she recalls.
barre3, a fast-growing franchise of workout studios, has its headquarters and original studio positioned in Portland, Oregon, quite a distance from Newtown. Lauren coincidentally has family there, and while visiting was able to see barre3 live in person while taking an in-studio class. Seeing was believing, and Lauren, though having no experience as a fitness instructor, returned to Pennsylvania determined to bring barre3 to Bucks County.
“There's nothing like this back at home,” remembers Lauren, who quickly became the owner of a barre3 franchise, the first in the local area.
Business took off right out-of-the-gate with the offering of a unique workout that's both fun and goal-oriented. Within a year, Lauren invested in a second location in Doylestown. She operated both sites for four years until she sold the Doylestown location in 2018 to one of her instructors, allowing her to focus on her true love: teaching classes.
“I can sell something if I truly believe in my heart of hearts that I love it,” says Lauren, who is integral to the day-to-day operations of her studio. Once clients grasp the concept of barre3, which Lauren best describes as "a blend of strength, cardio and mindfulness," then the rest is easy.
Many of Lauren’s clients, which she refers to as “OGs,” have been around since the Newtown studio first opened in 2013.
barre3 is a well-thought-out workout program aimed at getting clients stronger and fitter. It’s a community where the clients and instructors have fun, and build relationships while working on creating “a better version of themselves,” says Lauren. The class offerings continue to evolve and push clients so stay motivated and challenged and they don’t plateau.
Along those lines, two new class formats recently were added to the barre3 curriculum. 'b3 Strength,' which is traditional weight training, but choreographed to music, helps clients build up muscle. 'b3 Cardio,' also set to music, is designed to build cardiovascular endurance. Each of these workouts can be custom-modified to fit any client's desirable level.
The Newtown studio, currently located at 43 Summit Square Center, has two rooms to accommodate simultaneous classes. This keeps the studio buzzing and can best described as “energetic” where a mix of new students, along with the OGs, improve themselves with an interesting dynamic. Lauren says clients find the classes “fun and not a chore, and they look forward to working out."
Lauren is proud many instructors have been around since the beginning and were able to celebrate the 10th anniversary. This includes the first instructor she hired, whose relationship with Lauren goes back to high school. Many people indicate that the fact that Lauren can maintain instructors and clients speaks volumes about the quality of workouts and culture offered at barre3.
There are different types of fitness payment plans, including new client packs for those not ready to commit but who want to see what the studio is all about. There's also an unlimited subscription which includes all classes, access to the online on-demand library, and use of the “play lounge,” a childcare perk that not many facilities offer. For those looking to give it a try, the first class is free.
215.860.1625
barre3.com/Studio-locations/Newtown
“The only thing that never changes at barre3 is that we’re always changing,” - Owner/operator Lauren Ziel.