3 NEED-TO-KNOWS TO UNDERSTAND BARRE WORKOUTS

Barre workouts are THE hottest trend for women right now, but if you haven’t taken a class yet, maybe you’re confused about what it actually is? Maybe you’ve taken a class or are a barre LOVER but can’t seem to explain the workout to your friends. Let’s simplify it for you!

Here are three need-to-knows to understanding barre

1. THE WORKOUT — Barre workouts are a fusion of Ballet, Pilates and Fitness. No worries if you are not a ballerina, you do not need ballet experience to be good or enjoy the class. It is a workout for women, made by women, and is designed to target our rouble spots — glutes, thighs, abdominals and backs of arms. All movements work in such a way that you are lifting and toning to create a nice long, lean and light body. The workout uses minimal equipment, of course there is the barre itself which can be free-standing or wall supported. Other typical equipment used are resistance bands, small 2–3 pound weights and or small pilates balls. In class you will find a considerable amount of stretching at the beginning, middle and end of class. It is a great workout for runners or anyone who lacks flexibility because of this amount of stretching. It is also a great low-impact workout so that anyone can enjoy its benefits including women who are in early to mid-stages of pregnancy or women who have just had a baby. Many of my Barre clients are also people who have or are recovering from injury and cannot due high impact classes, but still want something results-oriented.
2. THE CLASS — The class is low impact, but it’s still dynamic. You will sweat in this class. It is challenging but at the same time, safe for your joints. At the beginning of class you set up your space in the middle of the room with your mat, your small weights and other equipment the teacher may have you using that day. Class begins with a small warm up and dynamic stretching and then moves into what I call, ‘the heart’ of the workout. This is the piece that heats up the body, makes the heart work and sculpts and shapes the muscles. This piece is broken into segments which work through targeted muscle groups. For instance many classes include standing thigh work, standing seat work, mat work, upper body and core so that you are getting a total body workout. Within each segment may included 8–12 exercises before moving on to the next muscle group or series. Using only light weights and a high number of repetitions movements get deep into the muscle to tighten and pull everything in followed by stretching after each segment or series.
3. YOUR BODY — Barre is an elongation-based movement practice. Working with pilates and ballet movements are designed to lengthen and extend. In addition, Barre uses fitness theory to put it all together in something that is going to give you results. Your body will not only feel leaner and lighter but more toned and stronger. You will lose inches all over as everything in your body tightens and pulls IN. My clients tell me they see improved strength and more muscle definition. They tell me they feel strong graceful and feminine! They feel a difference immediately but see a difference after 4–5 workouts. Barre is a great workout because it works. Try it!

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

Don’t have a Barre Studio near you? Prefer to work out at home? Or maybe you want to try it at home first before you go to a studio? You can check out my online program here — www.sixweeksonpointe.com