“Tuck up, up, hold…up, up, tighter freeze…”

I recently bought a holiday pass to Pure Barre, $50 for 2 weeks of unlimited classes.  I hadn’t tried the format before but have heard good things about it, so decided to give it the “GRIT by Brit” review.  Today I finished my 5th class and now I have a decent handle on what this “barre workout” stuff is all about…

The first class was alright…I left feeling like I got a decent workout but nothing spectacular.  However, the second time I went to class, my booty was on fire!  Good technique is key to feeling the burn. To get the most out of this workout,  you must have proper form and do the exercises correctly.  The barre method is based on isometric training, which basically means that you contract your muscles and make sharp tiny movements to strengthen and tighten them.  Isometric training is an effective form of resistance exercise but still requires you to do cardiovascular workouts. This means that doing barre method workouts alone, will NOT suffice for your recommended amount of exercise.

Workout Summary

• Duration: 55 minutes
• Vibe: The workout is set to music (mostly top 40) and all of the exercises go with the beat of the track.  I like that I can get “lost” in the music when the burn is really gettin’ going.
• Instructors: Really nice and inviting.  They walk around the room to adjust your form and ensure you’re getting the most out of your workout.
• Format:  You start by doing a total body warm up routine, then move on to working each of the target muscle groups: arms, thighs, seat, abs, lower back.  You spend about 10 minutes on each muscle group.
• Equipment: You use a variety of “toys” like light dumbbells for arm work, resistance tubes for thigh work and a small bouncy ball to hold between your thighs and SQUEEZE

Pure Barre IS for you if:

• You are already pretty lean and just want to tone up
• You work out consistently and are looking for a new form of resistance training to challenge your muscles
• You’re already a fan of barre workouts but are looking for a class with hip music and a young vibe
• You like dance and ballet

Pure Barre IS NOT for you if:

• You are trying to lose a lot of weight.  Assuming that you do not plan to workout for 2 hours per day, you’d be better off spending your 55 minutes doing a workout that makes you sweat and gets your heart rate elevated. (Also everyone in the class was pretty lean..just keepin’ it 100%)
• You only like athletic workouts.  Pure Barre has more of a finesse to it which may seem prissy.  However, I consider myself an “athletic” type and I really liked it, so the jury is still out…

P.S.  The “Pure Barre Ledge” is the little crease that connects the top of your thigh and the bottom of your seat 😉

Are you a Pure Barre fan?  Let me know!