Breathing gets heavier and thighs begin to shake, as students of The Bar Method do exercises designed to sculpt their bodies into that of a dancer’s.

Located in San Francisco’s Marina district, the exercise studio intends to give people the maximum benefits by targeting groups of muscles and utilizing interval training, a form of strengthening which fully exhausts the muscle with short bursts of intense exercise.

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“The rudiments of The Bar Method come from London,” said Burr Leonard, the co-owner of The Bar Method. “A woman named Letty Burke, who was a former dancer, injured her back in the late 50s, and during her healing process came up with the idea of combining dance bar work with rehab exercises.”

Elizabeth Ames, an instructor at the Marina studio, said she began as a reluctant student. As a tri-athlete, Ames resisted the idea because she already knew how to keep herself fit. After one class, she changed her mind.

“Running is not about whether or not there is this little indentation in your arm, which I really like seeing,” Ames said. “I have tone in my arms that I’ve never had before. It really is incredibly effective in sculpting your body. As a student, that’s what I loved about it. It’s something that’s really gratifying as a teacher because you see people and they’re so excited about their changes that they’re having in their body.”

Matt Lee, Ph. D, associate professor of the department of Kinesiology at SF State, believes a professional dancer would be more likely to benefit from an exercise like The Bar Method than the average adult.

“For the average person, I think they would be much better off doing traditional type exercises (walking, jogging, swimming) to expend calories,” he said. “I’m sure it takes a fair amount of coordination to do some of the exercises involved with these techniques.”

Leonard said that an integral part of the exercise system is focused on physical therapy and body alignment, which engages the mind.

“It’s different from other exercises in that student’s minds are engaged and they’re really re-circuiting their neurons to become better, more coordinated, and to understand their body mechanics more deeply,” Leonard said.

Ultimately, exercise is about complete wellness and esteem.

“It’s definitely sort of aesthetic, but I think in a lot of ways, that’s why a lot of people exercise,” Ames said. “They want to look in the mirror and feel like they look good.”

For more information on classes at The Bar Method, visit their website: http://www.barmethod.com/sf.htm.