Hi Everyone! I know the blog was a little light last week, but I have been gearing up for by Booty Barre certification that took place this weekend. Most of you know I love working out at home utilizing Nike Training Club and I’m Fit and Happy, my online personal trainer. Not working everyday has its ups and downs. The upside is I can run errands, clean the house or lay out by the pool if there is really nothing I need to do. I love changing up my fitness routine and started looking into Barre classes. By the end of my research I was overwhelmed at the different types of classes, but above all the price. Man alive! Classes are not CHEAP, but if you find the right studio and buy package I know there is something out there for everyone.
There are many franchised studios including: Pure Barre, The Barre Method, Physique 57 and the list goes on and on. I found a Pilates Studio near me called Inner Balance Mind and Body. They offered a great special, $49.00 unlimited classes for your first month. I gave it a try because they offered a variety of classes. Yoga, Pilates, Barre and this one class called Booty Barre. By my first Barre class I was hooked. If you haven’t taken Barre it is a workout that works your Abs, Arms, Butt and Core to exhaustion then allows for time to lengthen, thus giving women those long lean muscles most of us desire.
Let me give you a run through of my first class. You start your class with a range of motion warm up where you are marching and swinging your arms, moving to demi and grand plies and squats while you pulse and then pulse some more. Your heart rate starts rising right away and you are ready to get your workout started. From there you usually start a series of Arm and Ab work including: Planks to twenty push ups, into plank cross overs and side planks. The beautiful part is that right after you crush your body you are allowed to relax into a yummy Child’s Pose ad stretch it out. From there you roll on up and grab your weights. In Barre they use a low weight high rep approach using 2, 3 or 4 lb weights. I change it up between 3 and 4 pounders, depending on my mood that day. The workout targets all of the major muscle groups in the arms bicep, tricep, deltoids with some flies to reach those lats. Talk about a burn? I had no idea that such low weight could have such a major impact. They utilize usually 8-16 reps with 8-16 pulses right after with no rest in between. Usually you do about six exercises in a circuit before receiving a break. After arms you move to the barre doing what feels like an endless amount of plies, arabesques, chair sits and squats. You relax into a crossover stretch before moving to the floor work. At the end of class you either work more on inner/outer thighs and/or abs. At the end of class you feel completely worked over. Not one area of your body is missed! What a beautiful feeling that is.
This brings me specifically to The Booty Barre. The Booty Barre is a Barre class designed by former dancer and Pilates trainer Tracey Mallett. The Booty Barre is a mix of Dance, Pilates and Yoga that truly focuses on safety and biomechanics. There are two parts including Booty Barre Plus and Flex and Flow. Flex and Flow utilizes resistance bands for both the arms and abs. Adding the resistance bands is a great way to increase strength and help with stretching. What I love most about The booty Barre is how the class flows. Yes! It kicks your butt, but before you know it the class is coming to a close. The movement almost feels like you are doing choreography with added cardio intervals to keep your heart rate up.
Click here to find a Booty Barre class by you! Tracey has a great Youtube channel. Give her videos a try. All you need is a chair and 2-4 pound weights. If you are in the Miami area check out Inner Balance in North Miami Beach. Barre classes are a huge fitness trend right now, but I see this workout having some serious longevity. I am so excited to start teaching and will have some videos coming your way soon!
Love and Plies,
Taylor