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Dec 07
A woman demonstrates chair pose at the barre

The Complete Guide to Barre-related Lingo

By Exercises, The Dailey Method No Comments

Barre terminology may, at times, seem like a foreign language, especially when you’re a barre beginner. 

Each barre class is not the same at every studio; neither are the barre terms. Universally, I’ve noticed one word remains the same in just about every barre studio: tuck. A tuck is a movement in which you tilt your pelvic bone under while your pubic bone makes an upward tilt towards the bottom of your ribs. A tuck engages your glutes, lower abdominals, and depending on what position you are in, it can engage your quadriceps and hamstrings.

Below is a list of barre terms and definitions you may hear at one or more studios. 

 

Barre Positions

 

Plié / Wide turned out

A movement in which you bend the knees and straighten them again. The feet are in a turned-out position while you are in a wide stance. 

First position / Narrow V / Athletic V

You are standing on the floor with your heels touching and your toes apart. If you gaze down, your feet should make a ‘V’ shape. 

Second position / Turned out squat

Stand with your feet a little wider than shoulder distance and turn your toes out slightly on a diagonal.

Parallel

A stance where the feet look like the number 11. Usually, the feet are placed together or hip-width apart. 

Parallel squat

Place your feet directly under your hips with your feet and knees facing forward.

Pretzel (sitting position)

This may be done at the barre or on the ground. This is a more complicated barre move. On the ground, start with one leg in front and one leg back. Place your front shin in line with the mat or baseboard and keep your back leg slightly behind the hip. 

 

A woman showcases the seated pretzel and standing pretzel positions in a barre studio

Demonstrating the seated and standing pretzel position. Photo: Ashley M. Location: The Dailey Method Indianapolis

 

Back Dancing

This is when you lay on the floor with your feet pressing into the ground. As you press your feet into the floor, lift your hips up towards the ceiling while squeezing your glutes.

 

Woman demonstrates back dancing at the barre

Ashley demonstrates back dancing. Photo: Ashley M. Location: The Dailey Method Indianapolis

 

Chair pose (generic version)

A position in which a person pulls off the barre as they sit in a chair as if it were really there. Your knees should track over your ankles while your hips stay in line with your knees. Your hips stay underneath your shoulders. Your shins face forward.

 

A woman demonstrates the chair position at the barre

Chair position. Photo: Ashley M. Location: The Dailey Method Indianapolis

 

High C-curve

This is a movement in which you create a ‘c’ shape with your spine. Sit on the floor with your knees bent and your hands gripping your hamstrings; press your feet into the ground as you start to round down one vertebra at a time. Tip your hips and try to touch your tailbone to the ground. 

 

A woman demonstrates the high c-curve position at the barre

Ashley demonstrates the high c-curve position. Photo: Ashley M. Location: The Dailey Method Indianapolis

 

Prone

A position in which you are lying face down. Typically, you will work on strengthening the back body in this position.

Extension / Foldover / Flat back foldover

This is a position where you pull off the barre (fold over the barre) and lift one leg. Keep the leg in line or under the hip. You will maintain a neutral spine but square off your shoulders and hips.

 

A woman demonstrates foldover with extension at the barre

Ashley demonstrates a foldover with an extension. Photo: Ashley M. Location: The Dailey Method Indianapolis

 

Barre Categories

 

Seat work

This is when you will perform exercises designed to focus on the hamstrings and glutes area.

Thigh work

This is when you will perform exercises designed to focus on the quadriceps.

 

A woman demonstrates thigh dancing at the barre

Ashley demonstrates thigh dancing which is an exercise that works the top of the thighs. Photo: Ashley M. Location: The Dailey Method Indianapolis

 

Flat back on the floor or wall

Abdominal work either performed with a neutral spine on the ground or at the wall.

 

A woman demonstrates flat back at the wall, a position commonly referred to in barre class.

Ashley demonstrates flat back at the wall. Photo: Ashley M. Location: The Dailey Method Indianapolis

 

Neutral spine

A position held with the back perfectly in line from the tailbone to the spine to the neck and head.

Round back

A position in which the spine is curved, a flexion position.

 

Barre Terms / Phrases

 

Burn

When the muscles are about to fatigue and you begin shaking. Instructors may say something similar to “find that burn” or “find that shake”.

Pulse

A movement typically done to the beat of the music with a very small range of motion. It’s similar to when an instructor says “down-an-inch then up-an-inch”.

Relevé

The word is used to instruct you to lift your heel off the ground.

Point / flex

A point is when you extend your toes away from your shin. The idea is to lengthen your muscles and reach with your toes. A flex position is when you pull your toes up towards your shin giving you a calf and hamstring stretch.

Bend stretch

A tiny quiver in the joint followed immediately by an extension and contraction of the muscle being worked.

Down-an-inch-up-an-inch

A one-inch range of movement in a slow, controlled motion. Slightly larger than a pulse, smaller than a full range of motion.

Heavy tailbone

A position that is held by engaging the core and bringing the spine to neutral, creating a straight line from the head to the tailbone.

Hold / Isometric movement

A movement held in its deepest, tightest, lowest position to achieve isometric contraction. May be used with down hold, lift hold, squeeze hold, circle hold, etc.

Low impact

A low impact exercise that keeps at least one foot on the ground at all times.

Pelvic floor

The pelvic floor consists of the deepest muscles of the pelvis located between the two sitz bones from side to side and between the bases of the sacrum posteriorly and the pubic bone anteriorly.

Pressback

Typically refers to a movement of the knees backward while keeping a heavy tailbone position. The two motions create the opposing forces at work to lean and tone the muscles.

Shake

A movement in which your muscles start to quiver because of the difficulty of the position.

Stall barre

A piece of equipment used for corrective and strengthening exercises. It is secured to a wall and people typically hold at the very top of it and hang down.

While there are a variety of barre terms not mentioned, I feel these are the most confusing when trying a barre class your first time. Additionally, the exercises and phrases may be used interchangeably. 

 

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.

Nov 19
A woman doing a reverse forearm plank

How to Avoid Burnout at the Barre: 3 Ways to Help You Avoid Injury in Class

By Exercises No Comments

One thing that brings people back to the barre is the BURN! But what happens when the burn turns to burnout or even worse, injury? As a barre-tender myself, I want people to enjoy the benefits of this amazing workout without fear of getting hurt or feeling left behind. Here are 3 ways to help keep the burn going without compromising the benefits.

 

Neutral Pelvis

When it comes to lower back pain or strain, tucking can further aggravate or worsen any issues that may be occurring. Taking out the “tuck” and maintaining a neutral pelvic position will alleviate compression in the lower spine. An alternative move would be to go into an anterior tilt instead when doing “back dancing.” 

 

Back Dancing Neutral Pelvis


Forearms > Flat Back

Having issues with the hip flexors? Instead of doing Flat Back on the wall, prop up on forearms on the floor (like a reverse forearm plank). This will allow for an increase in abdominal support when lifting the legs. Being in an upright position creates a shortened angle between the legs and hips, making it difficult for any leg flexion. The hip flexors have to work much harder and overworking this muscle group can cause fatigue, strain and even pain. Swap for forearms and you won’t miss a beat!

 

Flat Back Modification


Have a ball!

High C Curve can put an unwanted load on the lower back if experiencing pain in that area. A way to take off some of the stress, and make this position more comfortable, try placing a ball behind the lower spine. Leaning back into the ball will offer support for the back while allowing the abdominals to work harder. The goal is not to be in pain, but to work the core, so using this prop will ensure for a burn without burnout.

 

Ball Behind Back

 

It is important for longevity in barre classes to not push through the pain. Modifying, adjusting a set-up, or replacing an exercise is not a sign of weakness but intelligence. Not every group class is designed with our bodies in mind, so having options in your back pocket are important to make the right choices for yourself. Enjoy these tips so you can keep feeling the burn without burning out!


About the Author

Michelle DuVall is the creator of Barre Variations, a compressive method and manual with an expanded syllabus of choreography and technique. She is also a passionate motivator who creates inclusive experiences for her community through movement sessions, wellness events and retreats.

Nov 05
Barre Intensity | Instructor Training and Certification

A Complete Guide to Helping You Master the Barre Tuck

By Exercises No Comments

What the Tuck?!

Ah, the tuck. There is no other word or action in the English language that correlates with barre fitness more than tuck. If you’ve even been to a barre class, chances are high you’ve experienced this action of tucking your butt away. To prove how synonymous the word tuck is to barre, do a web search for “barre tanks”. A few favorite tank phrases that came up in my search include: Tuck Now Tacos Later, Feeling Like A Million Tucks, and Zero Tucks Given.

Although the word tuck makes for a great marketing pun, fitness professionals have mixed reviews on the exercise. While some barre instructors appreciate the tucking action to engage specific muscles, others see it as a compromising position of the spine. My opinion? Everything in moderation. I like to tuck, but I also like to work in neutral and even incorporate back arching. To help you draw a well-informed opinion on the tuck and become a master of this exercise, I’m sharing my anatomical tucked, and untucked, CliffsNotes.

 

Tuck exercise performed in a barre class.

Watch a Tuck in Action:

 

 

Barre Intensity | Instructor Training and Certification

 

 

Defining Terms

Knowing the meaning behind a word is the first step in understanding it. It’s important I define the tuck along with two other positions of the pelvis.

Posterior Pelvic Tilt

The action of tucking is more accurately called a posterior pelvic tilt.  When the pelvis posteriorly tilts, the front of the pelvis rises and the back of the pelvis drops. The pelvis is moving posterior, or back, in relation to the thigh bones. In this position, the hip flexors (front of the hips) are lengthened, the hip extensors (back of the hips) are shortened and the lumbar spine (low back) is flexed (straightened or rounded shape).

Anterior Pelvic Tilt

Fitness instructors will often cue “don’t arch your back” which is true most of the time. However, if your pelvis can posteriorly tilt it certainly can, and should, anteriorly tilt. An anterior pelvic tilt is when the front of the pelvis drops and the back of the pelvis rises. The pelvis is moving anterior, or front, in relation to the thigh bones. In this position, the hip flexors (front of the hips) are shortened, the hip extensors (back of the hips) are lengthened and the lumbar spine (low back) is extended (arched).

Neutral Pelvis

Between a posterior and anterior tilt lies a neutral pelvis. When the pelvis is neutral, the bones at the top of the back of the pelvis (Posterior Superior Iliac Spine (PSIS)) and top of the front of the pelvis (Anterior Superior Iliac Spine (ASIS)) are level. The pelvis is evenly distributed over the thigh bones and the lumbar spine is neutral.

Barre Intensity | Instructor Training and Certification

 

Muscles Working

Now that we understand some of the anatomical terms for the pelvis, we can dive into the roles our muscles play to get us into those positions.

Posterior Pelvic Tilt

When we tuck, the pelvis is tilted backward and it’s the lower section of the abdominals that are active. If the movement is performed with force, the gluteal muscles assist in the motion. Now we can understand why tucking is such a sought-after barre exercise… who doesn’t want more defined abs and glutes?

Anterior Pelvic Tilt

The extensor muscles of the low back along with some help from the hip flexors are mostly responsible for the forward tilting of the pelvis. Strong and healthy back extensors won’t provide you with the muscle definition like rock hard abs and a toned booty will, but they are incredibly important if you want a chance at moving through life without back pain.

Neutral Pelvis

The wonderful thing about maintaining a neutral pelvis is that we get to equally work all muscles responsible for posterior and anterior pelvic tilting. Truly the best of both worlds which is why most fitness professionals, me included, choose a neutral pelvic position when teaching the majority of their exercises.

Barre Intensity | Instructor Training and Certification

 

Cues to Use

If you’re a barre instructor, saying the word “tuck” repeatedly with no other description of the action taking place isn’t enough, and now that you know the importance of adding in anterior pelvic tilting and working in neutral, you’ll need some cues to fill your vocabulary. If you’re not a barre instructor, I still challenge you to say these cues to yourself next time in barre class.

Posterior Pelvic Tilt

  • Tilt the front of the hip bones up to the front bottom ribs
  • Lengthen the low back
  • Scoop the low belly in and up and gently contract the glutes

Anterior Pelvic Tilt

  • Press the hips back
  • Shorten/contract the low back muscles
  • Lengthen the low belly and widen the sit bones

Neutral Pelvis

  • Equal activation in your low back and low deep belly
  • Tailbone down towards the floor (assuming a standing position)
  • Place your fingers at the front of your hips (ASIS) and the back of your hips (PSIS) and feel for an even height front to back

The next time you go “barre hoppin’” to “tuck it out” with your “resting barre face,” or whatever other creative saying the barre tanks say, do so with the knowledge and know-how behind the movement.

About the Author

Stephanie fell in love with barre in 2007. What started out as a fun and challenging workout turned into a lifelong career. As the President of Barre Intensity, a barre instructor education company, Stephanie oversees all content creation, educational program development and business growth opportunities. To keep up with her fitness education, Stephanie is a regular participant at fitness conferences, workshops and certification courses across the country.

Oct 26
Pure Reform Featured Image

A Review of Pure Barre’s Pure Reform Class

By Exercises, Most requested, Pure Barre No Comments

There’s a new addition to the schedule of classes at Pure Barre locations across North America. If it’s not already at your local Pure Barre, then it will most likely be making its debut soon, as more instructors are trained to teach the new class format.

Pure Reform joins a roster of classes that also include the classic Pure Barre class and the cardio-driven Pure Empower.

The rollout of the new class offering coincided with a brand new marketing campaign called Pure Effect, that included a website redesign, and an upgrade to the iconic red logo.

 

What is Pure Reform in a Nutshell?

Touted as a total body workout that targets, shapes, and defines all major muscle groups though resistance-based strength training, this 50-minute class is intended to merge the elements you know and love from the classic Pure Barre technique with moves that challenge your strength, coordination and balance.

Props for this class include two sliders, which are small round disks to help you (you guessed it) slide easily across the floor, plus two sets of resistance bands or bungees.

Resistance bands hang from the barre at Pure Barre before a Pure Reform class.

Workout Breakdown

Similar to the other Pure Barre class formats, Pure Reform follows a familiar series of exercises. You begin with a warmup in the middle of the room, then it’s back to the barre for arm work, thighs, seat, core/abs, and finally a cool down/stretch.

During the warmup, standing exercises are replaced with full body exercises on the floor. Instead of balls, tubes and weights, we used sliders. For instance, while holding a plank, the sliders under our feet helped to glide our legs apart and back together or toward our hands. This actually made the plank sequence a little more enjoyable, because you had a greater range of motion.

Maybe it’s because I’m used to more vigorous warmups that I really enjoyed the pace of the first few minutes of class. It was much less intense than a classic Pure Barre warmup, in my opinion.

After the warmup, we made our way to the barre to work on a series of arm exercises. This was the first section that required a lot of concentration and coordination. While doing bicep curls, our legs were pulsing.

 

Pure Reform from Connie Popwell on Vimeo.

 

The middle section was a bit of a blur, but I do recall making our way back to the floor again for another plank section. This time the difficulty was turned up a notch. Picture your feet are on the sliders. You then need to lift your hips, while maintaining straight legs in one swift motion toward your hands, then back down again.

During the ab section, we were laying on our backs about one foot away from the wall with the resistance bands around each thigh while in a tabletop position doing crunches. This move on its own is tough enough, but with the extra resistance from the bands, it adds another layer of difficulty.

The class concluded with thigh dancing just like at the end of a classic Pure Barre class, but we had a resistance band handle in each hand, and were pulsing with our arms as we tucked left to right.

 

Resistance bands hang from the barre at Pure Barre before a Pure Reform class.

My Impressions

Three words come to mind when I think about how I would describe Pure Reform. Resistance, balance and control.

Resistance, for obvious reasons, because the workout is inspired by resistance training, and for the use of resistance bands so that your muscles work against a weight or force, which increases muscle strength. Balance, because during certain wobbly exercises our balance was put to the test, like during side plank. Finally, control because there is a lot of focus on core and leg strength.

I’d recommend this class if you are looking to mix up your Pure Barre classes, or if you are cross-training for a sport or race.

May 01

Why More Barre Studios Are Adding Bounce Classes to Their Schedule

By Barre Culture, Barre News, Exercises No Comments

Of all the props that have been incorporated into barre classes, a mini trampoline or rebounder as it’s sometimes called, just might be the most fun. Studios everywhere are adding “bounce” classes to their schedule as demand rises for high-intensity workouts.

Bounce classes make use of individual mini trampolines. They are designed to tone your body, increase circulation, balance and endurance. The class format usually alternates between time on the trampoline for cardio bursts, then to the mat or barre for exercises that strengthen and lengthen.

My Experience with Barre Bounce

Eager to try a class myself, I took a day trip to Buffalo, New York to try out Barre Bounce at Barre Centric. Though I didn’t anticipate the class to be a cake walk, I did envision myself experiencing the same endorphin rush I would have had from a session on a trampoline as a 12-year-old. How wrong I was! Those trampolines are serious business. Even after the first minute I was pretty exhausted. Despite my serious lack of coordination, I enjoyed the 45 minutes I spent working up a sweat.

The instructions were to push down into the mat as opposed to bouncing up, which may seem counterintuitive but this adds to the resistance and increases the challenge.

We started off with some high-knees, followed by a series of bounces that alternated between jumping jacks and side-to-side twists. Next, we picked up our wrist weights to add another layer of difficulty. A few more bounce sequences and we were down on the ground, using the rebounder to do push-ups and tricep dips with. A similar series was repeated again but then we added some exercises at the barre for thigh work. Finally, it was time for core work on the trampoline and before I knew it we were already in the last few minutes of class, stretching out our muscles.

 

 


 

Why the sudden interest in bounce classes?

I wouldn’t say that bounce is a trend that has appeared out of nowhere. Incorporating the mini trampoline into workouts has been around for a long as there has been a mini trampoline to bounce on.

Trampoline-based workouts have been part of the fitness industry since at least the late 1970s. I’ve noticed within the last year, however, that they have been gaining popularity in the barre community. I think it was just a matter of time before the barre world took notice of the benefits of bouncing and started offering barre/bounce fusion classes.

In my opinion, I believe owners are always looking for ways to evolve their offerings. Pair that with students requesting more cardio-based workouts, and I think we’ll keep seeing new equipment being introduced into a traditional barre workout. Pure Barre’s Pure Empower class is a perfect example of this.

BarreWell Fitness Studio out of Mission Viejo, California recently added a BOUNCE class to their weekly schedule. Owner and instructor Traci Schlotterbeck said that the technique they used is dance-based and has more cardio than a typical barre class, so she had a very good feeling that a bounce class would be well-received.

She was right. Every class has had a waitlist since they introduced BOUNCE classes during the middle of April. “I have never seen such an awesome response to a new class format. Once you take a class, it’s easy to see why.”

“I call my clients Cardio Queens because they are always looking to push themselves further. We are having so much fun putting together series and skills that compliment what we already love about barre and also using the trampolines to take things up a notch and get a little more gritty with it… I’ve never seen so much sweat in my studio and it’s AWESOME.”

A member of the BarreWell team poses for a photo, advertising their new bounce class.

A member of the BarreWell team poses for a photo, advertising their new bounce class. Source: Instagram.com/barrewell

BarreWell’s bounce class format alternates between bouncing and sculpting as it would be very difficult to sustain a full hour on the trampoline at the intensity that students bounce with.

She wasn’t joking about the intensity. Before trying a class, I never imagined I could get so tired from just a few exercises on the trampoline. The pace was very quick and my coordination with the music was off, so it took some getting used to.

The adrenaline rush is addicting and there is no better way to shed fat and sculpt!

Colorado-based Barre Forte also recently rolled out a Bar(re)bound class at their Highlands Ranch location and a BARRE TRAMP class at their Westminster location. Co-owner Nadia Walker said that “we decided to introduce bounce because it’s such an amazing high-calorie burn with the low-impact benefits that barre provides. The adrenaline rush is addicting and there is no better way to shed fat and sculpt!”

 

Members of the Barre Forte team relax after a Bar(re)bound class.

Members of the Barre Forte team pose for a photo, advertising their new Bar(re)bound class. Source: Instagram.com/barrefortesm_hr

If you need an excuse to release some stress, there is nothing more fun than bouncing on a trampoline. Not only does the trampoline provide you with a fun way to get your cardio in but you’re still strengthening and lengthening with more traditional barre exercises. If you’re looking for a high-intensity total body workout, then you’ll like bounce classes.

Have you tried a bounce class before? Was it love at first bounce? What did you think? Let us know in the comments section.

Apr 28

Big Girl at the Barre: My Journey to the First 100 Classes

By Barre Culture, Exercises, Pure Barre 3 Comments

For a long time I never understood people who loved working out. For me, it was another way I stressed myself out. I was inundated with a million methods that were touted as the “right way” to lose weight.

All the focus was on aesthetics, so for a big girl, all I did was get frustrated. Adolescence sprinkled disordered eating habits like confetti all over my experiences and I watched almost helplessly as the pounds kept piling on. Forever on a diet (or breaking my diet), I had no concept of proper nutrition was always preoccupied with losing weight.

I found myself driving everywhere and could barely hit 5,000 steps for the day.

I always saw very pretty, thin girls with their perfect ponytails whipping around as they looked to be the face of fitness. Even now, it can be difficult to find true balance after the starvation habits I learned from social media. I resented the women who, in my mind, represented all that I was not–graceful, athletic and in control.

 

 

I moved to Texas from New Jersey for a fresh start. It was supposed to be an easy transition. Get a job, get an apartment, make friends, etc. We all know that is rarely how things work out and in hindsight I was woefully unprepared to deal with the emotional toll of leaving my close-knit family, finding a job as a recent graduate with “no experience” and getting acclimated to a totally different lifestyle.

I used to walk all the time, living and working in the northeast. I would consistently be in the 8,000-12,000 steps range. I found myself driving everywhere and could barely hit 5,000 steps for the day. I joined a big gym chain and went once a week for my favorite class, Pop Pilates, which got cancelled. I stopped going to the gym and ballooned from a size 16 to 22. I needed to make a change.

I learned about Pure Barre from WWE Superstar Nikki Bella. After months of hearing her talk about it, I decided I was going to give it a shot. I found a studio 7 minutes from my apartment and thought I had nothing to lose. 

My first time walking into a studio was met with a myriad of emotions. Most of them were smothered by nerves. Almost every girl had a flat tummy, fantastic legs and looked so confident that I felt insecure. I gained so much weight that it felt like I was rolling into the studio. 

“How can I help you?” I was greeted with such a cheery smile that it immediately disarmed me and focused me on why I was there. “I needed to lose weight and my current big gym chain was not cutting it,” I told her. I asked a couple of questions and peeked at a class and signed up to take a free session the next day. I had taken Pilates for about 10 years (on and off) so I was familiar with the movements to a degree. I just had to give it a shot.

Ill-fitting, old leggings from college stuck out like a sore thumb among the Lululemon and Fabletics. I wore an oversized wrestling shirt and tried to feel graceful among the pretty backless tops with fabulous straps that surrounded me.

Class started and my teacher, Brandi, was relentless. I felt like an uncoordinated creature who was pretending to be human. I lunged and shook, I gasped for breath at the intensity. After a moment I started to find my rhythm. I listened to the on-the-fly corrections my teacher dished out and tried my best to adjust.

I became so focused on my movements that when I looked around I noticed that all of the girls had their brows furrowed, lips in a thin line, focused on making it through the set. It clicked. We were all the same! Yes, some of the girls are clearly advanced and athletic, but this hurts the same. No one was judging me or even noticing me. We were all working hard.

When we were finally released from the intense set, collective eyes brightened as we earned our stretch. Small smiles accompanied sips of water. We all struggled, we all sweat, we all survived.

At my other gym, I would feel so defeated after an hour long cardio class I barely got through, that it would take me weeks to feel motivated to go back.

After class was done a few girls asked me how my first class was. We chatted amicably, and I relished in the community. The energy was so genuine that despite my soreness I was excited to come back. At my other gym, I would feel so defeated after an hour long cardio class I barely got through, that it would take me weeks to feel motivated to go back. This time I was eager. When the barretender asked me if I wanted to purchase my intro month I told her to sign me up for the year. I knew this was the place for me.

While I wish I could tell you a massive weight loss story as well, I will say that this part of my journey really isn’t about that. I haven’t mastered my diet in a realistic way and I have years of damaging habits to unlearn to truly get to the next level. However, in the 9 months that I have taken barre, I have lost 14 pounds, dropped from a 22 to a size 20, seen my stamina increase, can twerk with sophistication (thanks to the seat exercises) and am no longer winded to run up the stairs. Also, I am almost to a full split.

 

 

My 100th class was my favorite class. It came a day after taking a Breaking Down the Barre instructional. I was sweating so much, and it was a bigger challenge because I was doing everything way closer to correct. A few of my favorite teachers happened to be in my class, as well as some of my favorite barretenders and classmates. I smiled and laughed when it was over. I had achieved something that I often doubted my capabilities on. I have signed in, warmed up, kicked butt, cooled down and repeated—100 times. Now, working out is a huge part of my life. I plan my schedule around barre. From a goal of going to the gym once a week to feeling weird if I only hit my barre studio three times per week. I am a part of the barre community and I am better because of it.

 

About the author

Daniella LeCointe is a writer and fashion enthusiast. She spends her days as an assistant and her nights on her dreams. You can follow her self love/fitness journey @_missclaudine on Instagram.

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