Bag+Barre kickboxing/fitness studio opens in Sewickley

A Sewickley couple has launched a new business in the borough designed to help people reach their fitness goals and kick butt doing it.

The kickboxing studio Bag+Barre, owned by Mackenzie and Spencer Te’o, recently opened at 551 Beaver St. near the Verizon store.

The couple have lived in town for about a decade and were looking for a way to bring their love of exercise and martial arts to the borough.

“We really wanted to serve the community well,” said Mackenzie Te’o. “Sewickley is an incredibly active and fit town. We wanted to highlight the things that they love and knew, and add something different and a bit more fun than the traditional (fitness options) that you find here in Sewickley.”

Mackenzie Te’o is the instructor/personal trainer. Her husband, who also owns nearby production studio Strangely Dim, handles marketing and shop design.

They are also assisted by their 16-month-old daughter, Keala, who loves to put on the gloves and play at the studio.

“She loves it here,” Mackenzie Te’o said.

Training the trainer

Mackenzie Te’o studied at Top Tier Gym in Ben Avon for years under the tutelage of undefeated fighter and Ohio Muay Thai champion Jaime Chesney.

“I took an all-female kickboxing class years ago, and there’s fewer things more empowering than hitting something,” Mackenzie Te’o said. “After I fell in love with it, I asked one of the female fighters there if she would train me. She taught me all I know, and then I started teaching classes there.

“I really wanted to grow in my physical health and personal fitness. I wanted something that was a bit more fun than a traditional gym, and I wanted to be surrounded by women as well. … The power that came from that was irreplaceable.”

She said Chesney’s teachings went beyond the mats.

“One of the greatest lessons that Jaime taught me was to stay cool under pressure,” Mackenzie Te’o said. “She used to do these drills where she would cause high intensity situations for me, and I’d have to learn how to make quick wise decisions under pressure. That has served me for years to come.

“Whether that’s parenting or opening a gym, getting hit in the face — being cool under pressure is the greatest gift she has given me.”

Special studio

Bag+Barre is open to all genders. It mixes kickboxing on six-foot bags with the toning and body-weight lifting barre style workouts.

Barre was described as a mix of ballet and Pilates with small movements, high reps and small weights.

Participants can track their journey electronically as they workout. Each barre station has an adjustable cell phone holder.

“When you have evidence of your growth, it motivates you to keep training,” Spencer Te’o said. “We knew when we wanted to open up a gym, it was going to be extremely important to give people the opportunity for them to document their progress.”

Resident Alyssa Highsmith is a friend of the Te’os and was among the first to sign up for classes.

“Everything they do they do with excellence,” Highsmith said. “I love boxing, and thought that boxing and barre combined was an awesome concept. There’s nothing else like it that I’ve heard of.”

She said Mackenzie is an excellent instructor who wants everyone to succeed.

“She is extremely motivating,” Highsmith said. “I feel like every time we’re doing something she’s always there encouraging you, cheering you on every step of the way. The biggest thing I can say is it’s so worth stepping out of your comfort zone to try something new. This is definitely a workout class that is going to empower you not only as a person, but also help you toward your exercise goals.”

Classes are 45 minutes and are scheduled for 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday and 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. Saturday.

Thursday’s 5 p.m. class is geared toward youths. Patrons can also book personal training sessions and private classes at the studio.

More information and class registration is available at bagandbarre.com.