Are you thinking of attending your first Pure Barre class? If you have never been before, here are some tips that might come in handy (or that I wish I had known before going into my first class).
1) Your first class might feel overwhelming. No one ever claimed Pure Barre was easy but it is effective if you want that long, lean strong physique, without bulking. Pure Barre classes are designed to work each muscle group to the point of fatigue. Even though that sounds scary, the good news is that when your muscles are screaming at you, you know it’s working.
After you’ve taken about 10 classes, you’ll really get the hang of it.
2) Arrive at the studio 10-15 minutes early. This gives you enough time to get checked in, have someone give you a tour of the facility and get familiar with the layout of the room. Make sure to grab a ball, a tube and a set of weights.
3) Bring socks, and make sure you wear capris or full-length pants, not shorts. You want to keep your body covered so it stays warm, making your muscles more pliable and less prone to injury. If you forgot socks, you can purchase some Pure Barre-branded sticky socks in the studio. Though it’s not a typically sweaty workout, you might also want to bring some water, so you don’t become dehydrated.
4) Start out with the lighter set of weights. Avoid the temptation to pick up those 5 lbs weights, they’ll feel like bricks after a few minutes. You can always start with a lighter smaller set of weights and work your way up to the heavier set. Remember it’s better to have good form than to use heavy weights.
5) The first 10 minutes may seem overwhelming. Every class starts with a warm-up in the center of the room that consists of a lot of ab work and push-ups that can leave you feeling pretty tired. Don’t worry though, the warmup is usually the most intense part of the 55 minutes, so once it’s done you know that the hardest part is out of the way.
6) You will feel sore the next day. The intense workout might leave you feeling sore 24 hours after your first class, especially if you haven’t worked out in awhile. Eventually, when you start taking more classes, you’ll build muscle memory and won’t have the same sore feeling.
7) There is Pure Barre-specific lingo. You’ll hear your teacher say “tuck” or “down an inch, up an inch,” or “pulse.”
The instructor will go over what a tuck is before the start of class with you, but just in case, a tuck is a contracting of the abdominal muscles while dropping and rolling forward your tailbone, tightening your seat and thighs. It’s kind of like a small pelvic thrust.
8) An inch is really an inch. When you hear your instructor say “pulse,” they’re talking about moving literally just an inch so you can make big changes in your muscles with those small isometric movements.
9) Don’t compare yourself to others. Watching people slide into their split stretch can be intimidating. Keep in mind that everyone has to start somewhere, so don’t get discouraged by the experience of others.
Anyone is capable of taking Pure Barre, no matter your age, fitness level or body type.
10) Keep at it! I almost never returned to Pure Barre after my first class, since I felt so overwhelmed but trust me, if you stick with it, you’ll start to love it! Remember, Pure Barre is not about being perfect, it’s about constantly improving.
