By Allison Moore, Studio M staff //
The outside of Garage Barre in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. (Photo by Lacey Garrett)
Pink from the inside out, Garage Barre is a Pinterest-worthy, chic studio filled with smiles, compliments and empowering workouts.
Kirby Dudley and Lacey Garrett started Garage Barre almost three years ago in Garrett’s garage (hence the name) that could only fit five people. Within a year after opening, they had to move locations twice, which led them to their current location at 106 S. Maple Street, on the Square in downtown Murfreesboro.
After many years of fitness experience, Dudley and Garrett noticed that the fitness world was gradually becoming more vicious. So, they decided to start their own barre studio that had everything their dream workout would consist of: a dainty studio filled with ’90s pop music, women of every shape, size and color empowering each other and a workout that leaves clients feeling and looking good.
“We are just two coffee-loving moms that enjoy fitness. We can be loud and a little crazy, and we just kept noticing we had more negative things to say than positive when it came to a lot of workout classes,” said Dudley. “Creating an environment for women to be comfortable and confident in has been one of our main goals.”
Both women wanted to come up with a series of workouts that can help women feel strong and sexy.
Barre is considered a low-impact, full-body workout that focuses on strength while combining ballet, yoga, pilates and functional fitness. Garage Barre also adds sliders, resistance bands, pilates balls and 1- and 2-pound weights.
One of the main messages Garage Barre tries to convey is to work out because you love your body, not because you hate it.
Garrett, when asked what one of the most important things she wants people to get out of Garage Barre, said, “Becoming stronger, mentally and physically, is what we want women to focus on. It’s not about the numbers on the scale but more about the reps and how you feel after the workout.”
Ashley Henley, a 27-year-old physical therapist, has been going to Garage Barre for a little over a month.
“I have taken barre classes for about three years now off and on, and Garage Barre is by far one of my favorites,” says Henley. After being convinced to attend an early morning class with one of her friends, she became hooked and is currently taking four or five classes a week before she goes to work.
“Garage Barre makes me confident in myself, my strength and my ability,” says Henley. “The instructors are so encouraging and are always interested in you and empowering your life. Because of Garage Barre, I have realized I am more than a size or a number.”
Based on Garage Barre’s Facebook and Instagram page, it’s no doubt that Garage Barre has become a judge-free zone for women to get an intense workout out, no matter how in-shape they are.
“We just want everyone to know that they are welcome here. That’s why we have a neon sign that says ‘There’s room for everyone at the barre,’ said Garrett. “Anyone that has ever felt out of place in a workout class needs to know they have a spot waiting on them here.”
Allison Moore is a senior majoring in Public Relations and minoring in Psychology at Middle Tennessee State University.
Studio M, a project of the College of Media and Entertainment at MTSU, allows student journalists to be published statewide and nationwide. It’s made possible through grants and donations from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, The Tennessean and BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.