It was Friday, June 3 and I was shooting a fantastic family. The mom, Catherine, is the co-owner of the Bar Method studios in Chicago. We were talking as we were walking and she asked if I’d ever been to Bar Method.

Catherine: “Laura, have you ever been to Bar Method?”
Me: “No.”
Catherine: “Why?”
Me (sheepishly): “Because I’m scared.”
Catherine: “Of what??”
Me: “Oh look! This is a great spot for a picture!”

After a little, we talked about Bar a bit more. I was still scared. My friend, Alison, had been asking me to join her in a Bar class but I was scared and therefore the timing never worked. But Catherine told me that I had to try it and she gave me a free class. So, I tried it.

And I learned a few things:

• My fear was warranted. It was HARD and confusing and it hurt.
• My fear was unwarranted. The people are wonderful and want you to succeed. The support was evident from the minute I checked in and everyone knew this was my first class.

Sarah was my teacher and she was incredibly helpful. Explaining things, setting mats up for me, talking me through all of the different exercises.

And after that first class, I was hooked. I could not move my arms. But I was hooked. It was hard but achievable. I could see the path and I could see how I could get to where I wanted to be.

And very quickly, I started to see results. I’m stronger and I feel good. And the best part is that I can touch my toes. I have never been able to touch my toes. Even when I was a toddler, I had to modify my “happy baby” pose because I could not reach my toes. They were simply out of reach. And now,

I CAN TOUCH MY TOES. That’s huge.

The bottom line is that Bar is an amazing workout with amazing community and support. Just as we do at Pollack Photography, they want you to be and look your best. So if you’re scared, like I was, try it. You may just like it.

As always, we at Pollack Photography are focused on you.