One thing I love about barre is that you can never plateau. You can always challenge yourself, regardless of your level of expertise. Whether you’re a pro or just starting out, there are things to keep in mind. To guide us through the do’s and don’ts of how to approach barre, for the beginner to the experienced professional, I spoke with fitness instructor and entrepreneur Alexis Sweeney of Silhouette by Alexis.
Advice for the Beginners
Do keep these things in mind as a beginner:
“Be open to potentially feeling uncomfortable or awkward,” Alexis says of anyone who is just starting out. “These positions are new to your physical make-up and take time and practice to get used to.” I can personally relate to this advice. I remember setting foot inside a barre class for the first time and feeling very nervous as I hadn’t worked out regularly in years.
When you’re new to barre, modifications are key. “Keep an ear out for modifications” Alexis suggests. There are many variations to each exercise, so you don’t have to always follow the instructions down to a tee. If you haven’t done a plank series in a while, there is no harm in coming down to your knees, if that makes you more comfortable.
Feel free to ditch the props, Alexis recommends. “They are only adding intensity.” You can always work them into your routine further down the road with time and practice.
Another thing she suggests is to take your time. “Don’t let the music or the instructor rush you.” One thing I keep telling myself even to this day is that everyone has a day one. Everyone in the room had to start somewhere, so don’t get discouraged if you can’t keep up with the instructor or your peers. It’s about you, not anyone else.
Don’t:
When it comes to physical changes, Alexis says, “don’t be too hard on yourself, changes won’t happen overnight.”
“Don’t stay in any position that causes any pain. Be mindful of past injuries, and if the class is in person, tell the instructor,” suggests Alexis. Definitely tell the instructor if something isn’t feeling right, that’s what they’re there for. From my experience, I’ve found most are more than happy to stick around after class to go over questions you might have. Alexis echoes those sentiments by suggesting that “any good instructor would be happy to offer advice and corrections.”
To take that one step further, “don’t be afraid to ask for help,” Alexis recommends. That’s most certainly true! In my opinion, a studio who is mindful of new clients should ask if you have any injuries before your first class, make you feel comfortable by getting to know you and show you around the studio so you can get acquainted with your surroundings. If they don’t, maybe think about finding a new studio. I remember leaving my first barre class and thinking that I never wanted to return again. Can you imagine? Thankfully I gave it another shot and the rest is history.
Overall the big takeaway here is to not give up! Alexis says, “just as with anything else, the more you do it, the more you will get out of it.”
Advice for the Professionals
Do keep these things in mind if you’re more experienced:
If you have a lot of experience with the exercises, Alexis recommends adapting the positions to be the healthiest/smartest choice for your body/injuries. “You have been practicing for a while, you know how to isolate the muscle groups if you need to adapt safely to intensify the burn, do it!”
Want to take your prop game up a notch? Alexis recommends adding props even when they aren’t necessarily shown in the class to intensify your workout. Some ideas: a Pilates ball, a circular resistance band, a yoga block and ankle weights.
“Take your class a step further by consistently scanning the body with the mind, refining your positioning, and matching your breathe to the movement to maximize your results,” says Alexis.
The more the merrier! “Keep inviting friends to try barre,” she told me. “This community is ever-fierce, ever-evolving.”
Don’t:
“Don’t feel like you need to make every move BIGGER to make it effective. Sometimes the hardest part of a barre class are the tiniest, most concise movements,” says Alexis.
“Don’t push through any kind of sharp pain, consult a professional ASAP,” recommends Alexis. This is great advice at any level, but sometimes we tend to forget this if we’ve been practicing for a while.
Most importantly, don’t ever stop practicing! “Barre can be SO humbling when you take some time off, and that’s the beauty of it. There are always ways to be more creative, make exercises more challenging, and to have more fun!”
Thanks to Alexis Sweeney for these great tips. Alexis is a fitness instructor and entrepreneur who turned her passion for fitness into a business by creating Silhouette by Alexis. It’s an online subscription service that houses 50+ hours (and counting) of video workouts that sculpt and tone every part of the body. If you’re interested in taking a test drive, a 7-day trial is available for newbies.
As much as we love pulsing it out at our neighborhood barre boutique, sometimes poor weather conditions, a sick family member or accidentally hitting the snooze button one too many times prevents us from joining our favorite in-studio class. Fortunately, many barre studios now offer a variety of streaming online classes that enable you to barre anytime and anywhere. And, with very little equipment, you can get in a quality workout right from the comforts of home, the balcony of your resort suite while on vacation (as did this barre enthusiast while overlooking Haystack Rock on the Oregon coast) or from the confines of your hotel room when traveling for business.
With barre’s versatility and portable props, many of which can be found right in your kitchen or suitcase, an internet connection and a bit of empty space and ingenuity, you can effortlessly plié and relevé your way to a studio-quality sweat session. And, don’t worry — you don’t need to own the traditional gear found at your local studio in order to raise the barre. The following bare essentials work just as well as the more expensive equipment:
Space
It doesn’t take a lot of space to do an at-home barre workout. As long as you have enough room to roll out a yoga mat (or one of the yoga mat alternatives found below) and the ability to fully extend your arms and legs, you will be able to execute all of those feel-good barre movements and positions. Barre workouts can be done on carpeted or non-carpeted floors; just be sure that you’re wearing grippy socks if you’re practicing on a slippery surface.
Barre
It’s not necessary to have a mounted or free-standing barre in order to properly perform your leg series or fold over. A sturdy piece of furniture like the back of a couch, chair or bar stool can serve as a sound substitute for a ballet barre. Countertops, windowsills or high top tables will also provide enough stability for that lower body burn.
Light Hand Weights
If you don’t have access to light hand weights (anywhere from one- to five-pounds), check your pantry for a pair of reusable water bottles, wine bottles or soup cans. Alternatively, books, a stack of cutlery tied with a rubber band and resistance bands with handles can be used in place of small dumbbells.
Resistance Loops
Resistance loops are portable and easy-to-store, but if you don’t have any lying around, you can use a pair of leggings tied with a knot, a sports bra, a bathrobe tie or pantyhose. As long as the item can be securely fashioned into a circle and provides you with some resistance, it will up the burn factor.
Sliders
Although they are lightweight and travel well, not many people own a pair of sliders. However, the ab-burning benefits of these deceptively effective little discs can be easily achieved with paper towels, dish towels, socks, furniture gliders or plastic covers from large containers or canisters.
Yoga Ball
Yoga balls are often used in barre classes to target the lower body and core. But, they are not easily transportable. Instead of trying to wedge a 9-inch ball into your suitcase, a small pillow or rolled up bath towel can be used in its place once you get to your final destination. At home, a child’s playground ball is also a fitting fallback.
Yoga Mat
In the absence of a yoga mat, you can use a towel (the thicker, the better), woven blankets, a comforter or even a bath mat. A carpet – be it wall-to-wall or a throw rug – will also work. Whatever you decide to use, be sure that it will provide adequate cushioning for your joints and won’t slip out from beneath you, which could potentially lead to an injury.
Whether time, travel or any other unexpected circumstance presents you with the unique opportunity to barre from wherever life may take you (inside or outside of your home), a thorough and energizing workout is just a quick household scavenger hunt, or shopping spree at the local pharmacy, away. And as this barre fanatic can confirm, you really can barre strong from your oceanside hotel room with just two 16-ounce water bottles, a sparkly pink playground ball and a woven straw beach mat.
See you at the barre (or barstool)!
About the Author
Jennifer is a barre instructor, personal trainer, clinical aromatherapist and author who discovered barre — her soul-mate workout — while training for the 2016 Boston Marathon. As a long-time runner, former bodybuilder and melanoma skin cancer survivor, Jennifer’s recent battle with autoimmune disease has changed her fitness focus to one that incorporates more mindful, purposeful and low-impact movements.
A former communication professor and mother of two daughters, Jennifer is excited to share her thoughts and experiences on ways to create and maintain a strong connection between the mind and body through barre.
Shake. Burn. Quiver. These are the terms that give barre its edge – terms that make us (literally) feel like those two-pound weights, colorful resistance loops and 9-inch exercise balls are more likely found in a boot camp than on a playground. However, as much as we like to “barre so hard” and “shake in our grippy socks,” many barre enthusiasts are also attracted to the softer side of barre – the side that helps keep our muscles pliable, our minds centered, and most importantly, our immune systems uplifted.
Recent studies have drawn a link between moderate exercise – the type of exercise that you’ll find in your classic barre class – and a healthy immune system. According to David Nieman, Ph.D., of Appalachian State University, when a person engages in moderate training on a regular basis, her or his long-term immune response actually improves.
Nieman’s recent work showed that people who walked for 40-minutes a day at a moderate pace (i.e. walking two miles in 30 minutes), experienced half as many sick days caused by sore throats or colds than those individuals who didn’t exercise at all. And since barre workouts are safe to do every day, those regular trips to the barre are not only strengthening your muscles, but also improving your body’s defenses over time.
Unlike exercise that taxes your immune system (think heavy weight lifting, strenuous running and boot camp classes), moderate exercise encourages our bodies to produce and circulate more bacteria-fighting cells during those 60-minute bouts at the barre and for several hours after class.
Elise Joan, creator of Barre Blend, Beachbody’s new barre program, states that, “Barre Blend is designed to support and enhance your body’s immunity, rather than overworking or depleting your system. In addition to fire results, this program is designed to elevate lymphatic health, respiratory health, pulmonary health, cardiac health and digestion.”
Source: teambeachbody.com
Furthermore, the mind-muscle connection found in most barre classes helps to alleviate stress levels, which can encourage even greater immune system response gains. Instead of focusing on what you need to do after you leave your barre class, try to consciously connect to the work taking place in your glutes and hamstrings during your Pretzel. You’ll not only see the results, but will also feel more grounded both inside and outside of class.
As demonstrated by Elise, programs, like Barre Blend, “promote hopefulness, self-confidence and a focus on the many things we can control about our health — internally, externally, emotionally and mentally.”
So, the next time you step up to the barre, adjust your grippy socks and ready yourself for another epic workout, remember that those relevés and pliés will lead to more than just leaner legs and a stronger core. Your immune system will also embrace each and every tuck, pulse and hold.
About the Author
Jennifer is a barre instructor, personal trainer, clinical aromatherapist and author who discovered barre — her soul-mate workout — while training for the 2016 Boston Marathon. As a long-time runner, former bodybuilder and melanoma skin cancer survivor, Jennifer’s recent battle with autoimmune disease has changed her fitness focus to one that incorporates more mindful, purposeful and low-impact movements.
A former communication professor and mother of two daughters, Jennifer is excited to share her thoughts and experiences on ways to create and maintain a strong connection between the mind and body through barre.
The workout DVD, compared to live streaming workouts seems like an ancient artifact that is collecting more dust than dollars for studios these days. Like every industry that has been impacted by the digital revolution, the fitness industry is indeed not immune to disruption. Though the DVD is undoubtedly still being promoted in studios and online, it is slowly being pushed aside to make way for the more popular monthly subscription-based model and streaming workouts.
On-demand workouts are a dime a dozen these days, as many barre studios are wising up to the idea that their clients for many reasons can’t always make it to a live workout.
Why online barre?
Whether you are travelling for business, on vacation, a new mom, or just would prefer to workout in the comfort of your living room, there a many advantages to remote classes.
For one, all you need is an internet connection, a reasonable amount of floor space and some comfortable clothes to workout in. You decide when your workout begins, so you are not at the mercy of the studio schedule.
On the flip side, it takes a lot of discipline to commit to at-home fitness classes. For me, I find I don’t push myself as much when I don’t have an instructor in front of me to go through the workout together with.
Use the list below to find an online-based workout that is right for you.
Also, a heads up that there are one or two affiliate links on the page, so if you do happen to make a purchase after clicking on them, I will make a small commission from the sale. It helps pay for the cost to run the site and is not necessarily an endorsement for the product(s).
What: Über popular franchise Pure Barre has recently updated and rebranded their online portal from Pure Barre On Demand to Pure Barre GO. They have online workouts for diehards who can’t make it to any of their over 500 locations across North America. The videos are packaged in several different increments, from 10 minutes to a full hour with live classes streaming throughout the month. They also have pre/postnatal workouts.
You can sign up through your local Pure Barre, or through the corporate site, just search Pure Barre GO in the locations section. If you’re a Pure Lifestyle member, Pure Barre GO will replace your Pure Barre On Demand access and remain as a grandfathered perk of your membership.
Price: Contact your local studio for membership options.
What:The Bar Method offers an alternative to their popular in-studio workouts with a vast collection of videos to choose from. A number of their top instructors lead various workouts, so you can stick to your favourite class or mix things up with creative and challenging sequences. Class lengths vary from 20 to 60 minutes. Take advantage of their 14-day trial before committing to a monthly subscription plan.
What: The Dailey Method‘s subscription service offers clients an ever-expanding library in a variety of lengths and Dailey class formats with new content being added weekly. From Dailey Barre to interval workouts and restorative classes, there’s something for every speed. For more on The Dailey Method, you can read my interview with Jill Dailey. Price: $20.00 month allows you to select from pre-recorded or live classes, depending on your preference. There’s a free 14-day trial if you would like to sample the workouts before you commit.
What: Entrepreneur Michelle DuVall’s impressive library of at-home workout videos appeals to both students and barre instructors. You can purchase a monthly subscription or rent the workouts of your choice à la carte. New videos are added monthly, plus workshops to further your knowledge and training are scheduled regularly.
What: No equipment is necessary for Physique 57‘s 80+ videos and programs that come in various intervals of 10, 15, 30, 45 and 57 minutes. Browse workouts in their library based on your goals and create playlists for different exercises.
Price: $29.95/month but the price comes down to $19.95/month if you commit to a multi-month plan.
Physique 57’s On Demand service surveys people when they sign up so they can be matched with videos that meet their workout goals.
What: Yoga-inspired barre brand, Barre3 has a vast collection of classes as part of their on-demand service. New videos are uploaded every week, so the content remains current and fresh. Their video library may be large, but it comes with a steeper price tag. Barre3’s on-demand service is also one of the most expensive on the list. Take advantage of their 15-day trial before committing to a subscription.
What: Mind/body company Exhale Spa has Exhale On Demand, which features new barre, yoga and cardio workouts each week. They have a generous 30-day free trial, so you can test out their service. Price: $26.45/month or $264.64/year
What:Xtend Barre has successfully franchised their business from London, England to Sydney, Australia and has been part of the at-home workout game for many years now. Their videos are more compact, with videos ranging from 10 to 20 minutes, so if you feel like you just need smaller cardio bursts, this might be the right subscription for you.
What: East Coast barre brand Forme Barre Fitness just launched its own virtual studio featuring a mixture of on-demand and live-streaming classes after having teamed up with NEOU in the past. Now you can take a variety of their alignment-focused classes including their full-length, 60-minute Forme Method classes, their Forme Focus classes, which are shorter in length and focus on specific body parts, and their Forme Blend classes which feature a combination of ballet and cardio. New content is added multiple times per week. Price: $49.99 per month, with a free 7-day trial.
What: Online-based video streaming service Barre Where You Are will make you feel like your instructor is right there with you! A subscription includes access to signature (full-length) and express classes, plus modification options, a breakdown of barre form and terminology and a mixture of different yoga classes. New classes are added monthly. Price: A monthly subscription is $14.99 and a yearly subscription goes for $164.99. BWYA has a free 7-day trial so you can test out the workouts before committing to a subscription.
What: If you’re craving a full-body barre workout that has more of a cardio lean, then Silhouette by Alexis gives members access to over 50 hours of workouts with new content posted weekly. The Silhouette Slick Library includes videos organized by arms, legs, abs, planks, dance cardio, and back strengthening workouts. The Silhouette Signature Library consists of full 40-minute classes. Your subscription allows you to also receive access to meditations, and soon-to-be-released pre and postnatal classes and information. Members can access video content anytime and on multiple devices, as the workouts are optimized for any laptop or phone.
Need a little guidance? Alexis releases her personal schedule each week, so if you need some inspiration, take a page out of her playbook and follow her suggested routine, which usually consists of a combination of low impact and high-intensity workouts.
Price: The monthly price is $9.99 or if you opt for the yearly subscription of $95.00, you’ll shave off a bit of money. A 7-day free trial at both the monthly and yearly level is available if you would like to try before you buy.
What: London-based Barrecore has lots of video content via their on-demand service. Options available include: BarreSIGNATURE, BarreASANA, BarreFORM, BarreEXPRESS and BarreSWEAT among others. You’ll find workouts in various lengths from 5 minutes to a full hour.
Price: £25/month. There’s a 2-week free trial available.
What: The ladies of theLONDONmethod are champions of Lotte Berk and her method, which was really the catalyst for many Americanized barre methods you know and love today. Having been taught by Lotte’s daughter Esther Fairfax directly, they are on a mission to pass on all they know and love about this original technique.
They have two online options. The first is TLM TV. This is an online subscription service where you can get access to pre-recorded videos. It’s also a great way to get a history lesson on the original method.
Price: Prices will range, depending on whether you want to pay for TLM TV or their live-streaming classes. TLM TV goes for $29.99/month or $330.00 for the year. If you’d like to get access to their live classes, membership options range from a $50 2-week unlimited “tourist” option to an unlimited autopay option for $175/month, with other options at varying levels of commitment in between.
What: Y2B Fit has a number of online options available for purchase. Most are time-based, so you can decide how long you would like access to the content. Options available include yoga and barre, postnatal barre and core, a live streaming option and an online fitness coaching option among other products.
Price: Prices range from $2.99 for one day of access to a 90-day option at $119.99.
What: NYC and LA-based adult ballet fitness studio, The Ballet Spot is now completely online with a mix of live-streaming and on-demand options. They offer 30 weekly interactive live stream classes over Zoom ranging from Cardio Ballet to Total Body Barre, Ballet Stretch, Ballet Sculpt, and more, all taught by knowledgeable and experienced professional dancers. No prior dance or barre experience is needed for any of their classes.
Price: New clients can try two live stream classes for the price of one – $5/class, $10 total, or three days of unlimited live streams for only $21. On-demand rentals of class recordings are also available for $5/class or $25/week for unlimited access to over 40 classes.
What: California-based Studio Barre just launched its on-demand service. Workouts vary in length from 25-minute “quickie” workouts to 60-minute full-length workouts. Memberships come with access to their private Facebook group.
Price: $29 for the month, with a pay-as-you-go membership or pay $299 for the year outright and save the equivalent of 2 months worth of fees. For anyone who wants to try it out first, there’s a 7-day free trial.
What: Touted as “your virtual barre studio” barreALLEY is always updating its online library. Notably, they delete their older content after a few days to ensure the content is always fresh. There are 7 programs to choose from, depending on your level of commitment. Access to the private Facebook group is complimentary with all packages.
Price: Prices will range, depending on whether you want to pay a one-time fee, or sign up for a monthly subscription. The basic product is a one-time fee of $20.00 for one month of access, all the way to a yearly subscription which costs $40/month or an annual fee of $480. For anyone who wants to try it out first, there’s a 7-day free trial.
What: Situated in Canmore, Alberta in the beautiful Rocky Mountains, WildHeart Canmore is a yoga and barre studio that offers over 100 on-demand classes, with new content being added each week. Clients receive access to a variety of yoga and barre classes that vary in length from 5 – 60 minutes, with options ranging from upper and lower body workouts to cardio-based classes and stretch and restore, among others.
Price: $24.99 per month. There is a 7-day free trial available.
What: Fast-growing fitness brand The Barre Code is extending its offering by taking its popular classes online, including their Barre, HIIT, Strength and Restorative workouts.
Classes are available via SweatWorking, a third-party app that will house their workouts that vary in length from 5 to 55 minutes. Price: $9.99 to $19.99/month + tax (depending on location) for non-members to access 80+ digital workouts with new content being added each month.
What: The Southern Ontario fitness studio offers clients 24/7 access to a variety of workouts including Barre Fusion, Mat Pilates, Classic Barre and Sculpt & Barre. There’s no trial, but there’s a 22-minute preview that you can watch to get a feel for the type of workouts they offer. Price: $29.99 CAD/month
What: Mesa, Arizona’s Vibe Barre hadn’t even had a chance to open before the state shut down again, but that hasn’t stopped Victoria and the team from offering live stream options to her new clientele. Class options include Barre Burn, Barre Control and High Fitness, a cardio-infused, high-intensity workout.
Price: Any packages purchased during the shutdown can be used for in-studio classes once they open up. Prices range from a single drop-in at $18 to $139/month for unlimited classes ($119 autopay). Check out their newbie 3 classes for $20 special. Your first class is also complimentary.
The Vibe Barre crew pose for a photo during a pre-opening celebration. Source: instagram.com/vibe_barre
What: A combination of on-demand and live streaming options are now available from Naples, Florida-based TriTone Triple Barre, who are best known for their Triple Barre Toning System and aquamarine and silver colour scheme. On-demand options include full 60-minute classes and 20-minute sculpts. Alternatively, if you are into live-streaming workouts, you can join their in-studio classes virtually, 6 days a week.
Price: Access to the virtual on-demand platform goes for $39 per month or $339 annually. Live-streaming classes can be purchased separately. Single classes go for $25 each. Other class package options are available. There’s a 7-day free trial for anyone who wants to test before they buy.
What: Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, Leah Sarag has over 300 workouts in Ballet Body® and Iron Barre® available to stream. Subscribers also receive access to new workouts and training plans, designed for all levels.
What: Touted as the only studio-quality barre workout for the home, this on-demand service is part of the larger Fluidity program that was launched by Michelle Austin. The online workouts are intended to be used alongside their Fluidity Barre product, which is comprised of a barre made of wood and a cushioned mat that is upheld by double beams. The on-demand service can be purchased as part of their full suite product offering (barre + mat, ball, pump, DVDs, bands, and healthy eating guide), or on its own.
What:The Ballet Physique may just have a one-room barre studio in Littleton, Colorado but they have quite a comprehensive library of content through their online streaming service. Subscribe to their on-demand service and you’ll receive unlimited access to over 100 workouts, with new content added each Monday.
You can choose from a variety of lengths depending on whether you want to fit in a quickie workout or a full-length studio class. Their content can be streamed from your platform of choice, computer, tablet, smartphone, or tv streaming device.
Price: $19.99 – $24.99 per month, depending on your level of commitment. There is a free 14-day trial for newcomers.
What: The West Virginia-based studio has ramped up their online video efforts, and are providing clients with various subscription-based options.
Price: Online memberships are available to view their virtual classes at several price points. $70 for one month, or $60/month for 6 months, or $50/month for one year of access.
What: Don’t be intimidated by the name, Killed By Kiki is a warm and inviting online option hosted by Kyra (Kiki) Christopher, a New York City-based fitness instructor whose CV includes time spent teaching at Exhale and Pop Physique among other places.
A self-professed purveyor of bad jokes, Kiki will have you smiling during class which may or may not help you forget just how hard she is working you.
Price: Rates vary depending on your commitment, from $15 for a drop-in class to $135 for a 10-class pack. Both group and private classes are available.
What: Calgary, Alberta’s Barre Body Studio offers on-demand classes through their online site. Classes range from low-impact to high-intensity and are available at varying lengths from quick 10-minute workouts to full 60-minute classes. Membership comes with access to their Facebook group for additional support and motivation. A sample 15-minute workout is available on their site.
Price: 19.99 per month or $199.99 per year. A 7-day free trial is available.
What: This fun, energetic workout was created to break down barriers, and make ballet fitness accessible to everyone. Their online subscription service offers unlimited access to video content that consists of 30-40 minute Ballet Beats® videos, 20-25 minute cardio videos, and “in-studio” workouts which are refreshed monthly. Specialty classes and ongoing technique videos are occasionally added.
Price: Online memberships are $24.99 per month or $250.00 per year. You can try out their service for free, for 7 days. They are also currently offering 50% off your first month with the code: FEELGOODATHOME
What: Designed for instructors but open to everybody, the online portal houses pre-recorded and live-streaming options. New choreography and Spotify playlists are released each week and are intended to help inspire moves and format options for your own workouts. In addition to the video content, notes, tips, modifications, and online support are available if you need assistance with designing classes.
Price: For $12.95/month or $119.95 for an annual subscription, you’ll receive unlimited access to their entire library. They also currently have a great founders rate of $9.95/month, or $99.95/year.
What: California’s CarmelBarre has a subscription-based video service that allows users to workout along with live and pre-recorded videos. Multiple classes are added weekly.
Price: Access to their online library is $20/month. There is a complimentary 7-day trial, and you can cancel anytime.
What: If you’re looking for a workout with more of a traditional ballet focus, then Toronto’s Barre Beautiful‘s newly-launched online service might be right for you.
Price: Their video subscription is currently priced at $40/month, and the drop-in rate is only $5/class.
What: German-based fitness brand Youpila has YOUPILA® WORKOUTS ON DEMAND that includes barre, Pilates, yoga, stretching and pre and post-natal classes to choose from. Classes are taught in German, FYI, however if you’re not fluent in the language, it’s still easy to follow along with their fun classes.
Price: Rates are based on the length of subscription you commit to. One month is €59, 3 months is €49 per month, and 6 months is €39 per month.
What: The popular Canadian brand Barre Belle that has taken Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto by storm, has an equally sweat-friendly version of their workouts online through their on-demand service. Expect a bit of dance-infused barre and interval training-based workouts to get your heart rate up and your body toned.
Price: Access to their online library starts at $20.00/month with a free 7-day trial.
Fitness trainer Michelle Carrillo has an assortment of workouts in varying lengths on her YouTube channel.
Additional Resources
Not necessarily paid and not necessarily free, this is where I’m listing additional resources and content that has become available to consume as part of the response to COVID-19.
Based out of Arvada, Colorado, the independent studio has been producing online classes for anyone to participate in. Book through Mindbody via their website. There’s also complimentary live-streaming workouts on their Instagram profile.
If you’ve ever stepped foot inside a barre studio, you’ve no doubt heard phrases like “tuck” and “keep a heavy tailbone” or have done an exercise called the “pretzel.” Did you know many popular barre exercises today can be traced back to the original Lotte Berk Technique?
Who is Lotte Berk? Lotte was more than just a German-born dancer who came up with a method of exercise, she was a trailblazer. If you want to know more about why she is considered the founder of barre, read this.
With the help of our friends atTheLONDONmethod, who are experts in all things Lotte Berk, and Esther Fairfax (Lotte Berk’s daughter) we break down 5 exercises that have roots in the original technique.
What you probably know as: Pretzel
What it was originally called by Lotte Berk: Hello Sailor
What you probably know as: Thigh Dancing
What it was originally called by Lotte Berk: Burnt Thighs
What you probably know as: Round Back
What it was originally called by Lotte Berk: Escapes
What you probably know as: Flat Back
What it was originally called by Lotte Berk: No Escapes
What you probably know as: Curl
What it was originally called by Lotte Berk: Sardines
Thanks to our friends Kelly Wackerman and Pamela Kennedy at TheLONDONmethod and Esther Fairfax (Lotte’s daughter) for helping us with this piece. If you want to really dive deeper into the history of the method, check out their newly-launched online video series.
About TheLONDONmethod
TheLONDONmethod was created as a place to house the ORIGINAL class by Lotte Berk. Lotte’s daughter, Esther Fairfax has been teaching this class in the countryside of England for 50 + Years. When tLM ladies found her in 2015 & learned how different the exercises were from what had been brought to America in the 70’s they knew they had to share them with the world. The tLM online program is a way you can access these exercises that have been helping, healing, streamlining, & toning the women in Esther’s classes for decades. Go to www.theLONDONmethod.tv to start practicing them today!
*New Videos are added each month to the program from the Ladies of TheLONDONmethod as well as from Esther Fairfax herself!
A barre workout may be confusing to some people. While other types of workouts seem like a no brainer to whether or not it’s cardio, strength training, weight training or stretching, a barre workout doesn’t instantly tell you what type of workout it is. So in order to better understand barre, I’ll explain the different types of barre workouts and what type of workout they are considered to be.
Students getting ready to take a cardio-based barre class at Barre Centric in Buffalo.
What are barre classes like?
There are a variety of barre classes from basic to fusion to interval; however, not all studios offer the classes below so be sure to do your research before trying a class.
Basic barre class: This type of class is a full-body strength-training class that combines elements of Pilates, dance, and yoga. This class structure is slower as is the range of motion for most movements. Your instructor may cue something similar to this: “Make it smaller!” “Contract the engaged muscles!” “’Decrease your range of motion!” and “Less down; more up”.
Fusion/cardio barre class: This type of class is a cardio- and strength-training workout combining elements from a basic barre class but adds in opportunities where you can speed up the movements to get a heart pumping workout. This is done at the ballet barre or in the center of the room and is a much faster pace than a typical basic barre class.
Interval barre class: This is a blend of a barre workout and interval training. This is as fast paced and upbeat a barre class can get. In my opinion, this is the definition of a HIIT workout besides that it’s much longer than a normal HIIT workout. Scroll down below to learn more about HIIT workouts. This class is bound to leave you sweating and shaking as the high repetition movement is designed to create lean muscle definition. The speed of this class can help improve your endurance and condition your cardiovascular system. So yes barre can be considered a HIIT workout.
Beginner/Intermediate/Expert barre class: Lastly, your barre studio may offer classes that are named based off of the level types. I recommend to take a beginner barre class for your first 15 to 20 classes. This way you can learn the terminology and form of barre. After 15 to 20 classes, I would move to intermediate then after 40 or so, move to expert barre classes. However, if you’re super sore from a class and are looking to take it easy, then attend a beginner or intermediate barre class. Listen to your body!
What is HIIT and how does it work?
Earlier I mentioned HIIT workouts (High-Intensity Interval training or Sprint Interval Training), this is a cardiovascular exercise technique alternating short periods of intense anaerobic exercises with less intense recovery periods.
These workouts can be anywhere between five minutes to 45 minutes. Personally, I think longer than 45 minutes, and sometimes even 45 minutes, is too much for the body to handle since the objective is to go as hard and as fast as you can during work intervals.
I think it’s important to note that in an interval barre class, which are 45 minutes long, you are also doing a light warm up, abdominal work in between intervals and a cool down so you are not doing intervals for 45 minutes straight. Again, listen to your body and take your time—the first time I tried an interval barre class I could barely get past the first 15 minutes!!
For your first HIIT workout, I recommend staying with a 15-to-30 second range. This means resting for 15 seconds and working for 20 seconds (jumping jacks, burpees, etc) or vice versa if that is too much for you.
Are barre classes worth it?
Yes yes yes! Barre training can do wonderful things for your body; I always recommend adding some type of strength training into your weekly workout routine. I do barre, weight training, running, cycling, SolidCore and much more! These workouts check all my bullet points off for what I’m trying to achieve with my fitness journey—don’t ever feel like you have to stick to one workout!
In order to get the most bang (or burn) for your buck, shop around and see which classes make you shake, sweat and challenge you. Additionally, I recommend shopping around to see which instructor checks off all your bullet points for what you are trying to achieve. Some instructors may be harder or more enthusiastic—some people like this while others don’t and that’s okay! For example, see below:
Is the instructor challenging me?
Is the instructor motivating me?
Is the instructor positive?
Is the instructor correcting my form?
Oftentimes, I have heard people say they felt like they didn’t get a work out in after trying a basic barre class. While you are not always drenched in sweat because the movements in a basic barre class are minimal, I try to tell people to wait a day or two and see if they feel sore and usually they do! Give it time as with anything!
About the Author
Ashley fell in love with barre while in college. After taking classes for a year, the owner asked Ashley if she would like to be a barre instructor and the rest is history! After Ashley graduated, she decided to continue her love for instructing barre at a variety of studios around Indiana. Ashley is a current barre instructor at The Dailey Method Indianapolis. Ashley has a passion for helping others find or continue their fitness journey, and she enjoys the friendships she makes along the way.
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
