‘A different mindset’: Workout facility with unique approach now open in Myrtle Beach

There’s a new barre coming to Myrtle Beach, and no, that’s not a typo.

Barre Co., a fitness franchise that incorporates a ballet barre into its workout program, has opened at 4377 N. Kings Hwy. in Myrtle Beach. The Myrtle Beach location - a franchise as part of a business started by Jennifer Travelsted and Danielle Smith in 2010 in Bowling Green, Kentucky - is the sixth nationwide.

Meagan Young, who relocated to the Myrtle Beach area late last year, previously worked out at a Barre Co. in her hometown of Paducah, Kentucky. When she got here, she realized the need for such a facility in the area.

“There just wasn’t a full-time barre studio anywhere, and I hated to give that up,” Young said. “With the support of my husband and family and friends back home, I just decided to bring it here with me. So here we are.”

Barre training incorporates isometric strengthening, immediately followed by static stretching so that clients isolate one muscle at a time to the level of exhaustion. This results in immediately stretching out the targeted muscle, which helps to build long, lean muscle rather than bulk.

“That’s kind of why this is so effective,” Young said. “It’s why this works, because it’s such a different mindset. It’s sort of a different approach to working out altogether.”

While barre training is a new concept to Myrtle Beach, it has been sweeping across the nation. Another barre franchise, Pure Barre, which features studios in Mount Pleasant, Murrells Inlet and Wilmington, North Carolina, boasts 500 studios across North America.

As the activity grows in popularity, there are always misconceptions, Young said.

“We don’t twirl around like ballerinas for an hour, and we don’t consume alcohol while we work out, which has been another clarification I’ve had to make,” Young said. “While that may be a great idea - somebody should probably jump on that idea - that’s not what we do here at Barre Co.”

The approach seems to be working, as Young has seen lots and lots of interest from Myrtle Beach residents.

The facility opened three weeks ago, and Young said it didn’t take long for business to pick up.

“The response has been overwhelming,” Young said. “I found a group a amazing instructors who reached out and took a chance on me, a girl from Kentucky bringing this new workout to the area that nobody really knew anything about, and I’ve really just been blown away with the support.”