Changes to barre3 streaming

[Nuggie's Auntie]

Originally Posted by lynnf

I was wondering exactly what they were saying, but I think the collection will have 4 new ones and then some old ones to make up the collection. It seems like the collections have about 7-9 videos in them so it will be made up of at least 4 new ones plus some old ones to come out at the 7-9 grouping.

That's the sense I got from it, too. Thanks, Lynn, for the 411.

I wonder why they're so collection-happy? I have no interest in the collections. I typically just pick one based on how much time I have and how I'm feeling that day. I suppose at a different season of my life, I might have liked the 'curation,' but it's just not that important to me now.

[prettyinpink]

I’m so glad to hear they will be back to about one per week, that’s good news.

I think one reason I am not interested in the collections is because the collections aren’t putting them into categories that mean anything to me. The reason a workout is my favorite isn’t because it is Sadie’s or someone else’s favorite, but for other reasons that matter to me, like the music or it has more of the exercises I happen to like best. The workouts are all total body and aren’t different enough to put them into general groups other than the ones they already have, like sorting by time, props or instructor.

But, I have found I can make my own collection, which is nice.

[lynnf]

I wonder if they aren't modeling it after Headspace, which if I remember correctly (since I cancelled) had certain meditation "courses"and maybe they want the collections to be "courses" of some sort. Just an idea.

[momofcha]

Did anyone join barre3 recently or since they made the changes? How is it going?

[Nuggie's Auntie]

Originally Posted by momofcha

Did anyone join barre3 recently or since they made the changes? How is it going?

I'm still with barre3. My subscription expires in May.

Nothing has really changed. They are usually issuing a new workout weekly. Mostly 30 minutes, but this week it was 45. Lots of negative comments about the 'unfortunate revamp' and their crappy response to the complaints.

They are offering a January 'challenge.' Subscribers were sent a link to download the guide early, but it's really nothing. I didn't bother to save it to my computer or print it out. They will be offering foam rolling videos starting in January, but other than that, there's nothing new.

I do still enjoy some of the workouts, and especially during the stressful holiday season, it's nice to have some of the 'mindful' b3 videos to do. I've also been doing a lot of the prenatal workouts. They are a little easier and that's working well for me right now.

[lynnf]

I've stuck with it as well. Since the revamp and the purging of a lot of the old videos they had a period of no new videos, then they began putting up odd weekly videos: some cardio ones, which were more intense, repetitive low impact cardio, which were not to my taste, and in my opinion, not their strong suit; some mindful videos, which were mostly stretching and relaxation videos, which were enjoyable, but more for recovery days; and one quite odd strength one, which was extremely easy for no clear reason. Finally after about 7 weeks, they put out a new, normal barre 3 45 minute workout, which was a relief.

Starting January, the plan as I understand it, is to put out a new collection each month, rather than new weekly workouts. Each collection will have at least 4 new workouts. It's unclear what those will look like.

Things were pretty hairy on the site for a while, especially over the 7 weeks when no "normal" barre 3 workout was being posted. But things seem to have settled down. They did move to a new set, which I don't like as much as the old one, but I will get used to it, I guess. It's a bit more sanitized, which seems to be the way they are going.

[lynnf]

one further update: now barre3 is promising a better balance of the "signature workouts," which is what they are now calling their traditional workouts, what their workouts were like before the revamp, and their "evolved workouts," the newer cardio and stretch/ relaxation ones (which they call mindful) that came up on the site after the revamp, which a lot of people complained about. And they are promising 4-7 new workouts in the new collections posted each month.

[Scorpio6]

These nitwits are killing their business. So glad I didn't sign up for B3 streaming, which I almost did, but thought the price was a little too high. Very glad I got the deal of all 6 of their DVDs for $6 each! I bet they'll be out of business in 10 years, maybe less, if they continue down this road.

[prettyinpink]

I don’t like the mindful workouts and was bummed that they have had several since the change. I’m looking forward to the new year to see what they put out. I actually do like the cardio ones and hope to see a few more.

I could care less about the mindfulness talk and finding your truth buzz words. I prefer more form cues and less talk about literally everything else. But maybe I’m not their target, and I have so much less patience for that stuff since I do my own workouts more and do less by video.

I have a year subscription from a sale a couple of years ago, and before that I hadn’t subscribed for the better part of a year. So even though they took away a lot of old favorites, there have still been enough workouts that are new-to-me that I have not been bored.

I don’t know how big a part of their business the online streaming actually is, so I don’t know how they will do long-term. Who knows what kind of stamina the market for streaming workouts will have over the next five or ten years. Things change.

[Nuggie's Auntie]

Originally Posted by prettyinpink

I could care less about the mindfulness talk and finding your truth buzz words. I prefer more form cues and less talk about literally everything else.

I'm inclined to agree. I think I mentioned this upthread, but I always felt like b3's strength lay in what they didn't say. Unfortunately, there is now far too much motivation chatter for my taste, particularly the new instructor they are featuring--Charo. She's led a couple of cardio workouts recently and they act like she's God's gift to barre instruction. I find her absolutely nauseating. They're just becoming too much.

I resubscribed to Physique 57 for only $15 a month, and while I still enjoy plenty of barre3 workouts, I won't miss it when my subscription expiring. I'm definitely not renewing.