Salt Fitness lives up to its name with a heart-pumping, calorie-burning, full-body workout that will leave you, well, salty.

I've taken over a hundred barre-style classes over the years without breaking much of a sweat, so I was curious how Salt Fitness's Barre Fight class would compare. One of the gym's four signature classes, Barre Fight, is a 55-minute hybrid of isometric strength movements and high intensity interval kickboxing drills. Think Bar Method meets Tae Bo along with the studio's own unique twist.

“Our objective is to use music, sequencing, and a little distraction to make sure you work your butt off (or on!) and have a ton of fun doing it,” Salt Fitness owner Melissa Boyd explains. 

As promised, I didn't look at the clock once, and within the first fifteen minutes had a significant sweat mark forming on my tank top. During class we transitioned twice from kickboxing sequences to barre moves, with some mat glut work in between. It was a welcome relief to lie on the mat for abs and “back-dancing” at the conclusion of class.

Best of all, I couldn’t decide if I wanted to take another class or move into the recently-opened Nopa studio. The space is more hipster studio than luxury spa, with a lot of local love behind the design and products. 

“I've always loved the mind-body connection and insane strength gains associated with barre work but found my clients and I all needed to supplement our workouts with cardio to actually see results,” Melissa admits. “Let's face it, feeling stronger is great but most of us are looking to peel away a few layers as well.”

Salt Fitness is located at 327 Divisadero and offers drop in classes for $20, discounted series packages and an unlimited monthly membership for $150.

Gear:

• Tight fitted clothing is best and anything you don’t mind getting very sweaty!
• Shoes are optional but recommended if you need additional ankle and knee support.
• Water filter and towels are provided