10 Tangible Lessons From the First Weekend of the Virtual Barre Summit You Can Use Today

The 2020 Virtual Barre Summit officially got underway on Friday and after the first weekend, the event already has me swirling with ideas.

Although we miss the opportunity to gather in person, the 2020 virtual edition allowed for more people from around the world to participate. I was personally excited to attend for the first time from my home in Toronto, Canada.

There is still more to come! The second weekend of the conference is set to begin on Friday, October 23. There is still time to register, even if you missed the first weekend.

What have I learned so far? Here are just a few of the golden nuggets of wisdom that some of the presenters shared during the first weekend.

 

 

Don’t leave money on the table by offering free classes

You read that right. Incentivizing people with complimentary classes might get people through the doors but KK Hart Bailey explained in her session on Improving Your Barre Studio’s Pricing Structure that free classes don’t convert any better than paid classes. Determine how you can better communicate the value of your membership then sell your customers on it.

 

 

Think of your studio like a restaurant

To be fair KK Hart Bailey didn’t explicitly tell people to think of their studio as a restaurant, but she used the restaurant industry as a metaphor in a few different examples.

One tip that stood out was the art of the upsell. When you eat at a restaurant you are often asked if you would like sparkling instead of still water, a dessert or coffee and tea after your meal, something you might not have thought of having when you initially sat down to eat.  This is upselling the customer.

Now when it comes to your fitness studio, you have the opportunity to upsell clients through a variety of means. For example, retail at the front of the studio is a great way to upsell people on their way out after class. You can also expand your complimentary services. One example is to offer a nutrition course or similar offering that they may not have thought of purchasing when they stepped inside your studio.

The other nugget of gold that KK used to compare fitness studios to restaurants is when she referred to a menu of membership options. Think about a restaurant that has a 12-page menu with endless options, versus a restaurant that uses a one-page menu with far fewer options to choose from. Which one is going to be easier to digest?

K.I.S.Savvy or Keep It Simple Savvy is the acronym that KK likes to use. Don’t overwhelm your clients with too many options.

 

Tying to be inclusive and making mistakes along the way is better than not trying at all

“It’s no longer time to try and be inclusive; you must be inclusive,” said Tricia Murphy-Madden during her Barre for the Masses session with Alex McLean. Tricia said that as instructors are trying to be more inclusive, that mistakes will be made and that’s ok.

One suggestion she had was in relation to addressing clients. She referred to a drawing that suggested using language that is more inclusive. Use “hey y’all,” or “hello folks,” instead of addressing gender, such as “ladies and gentlemen” or “guys and gals.”

 

 

A barre-less workout helps you access your core muscles even more

During her bootybarre means BOOTY! session, Tracey Mallett explained that when performing core exercises during a barre-less workout in the center of the room, your core has to work even harder to balance, especially as we get older.

A barre-less workout doesn’t mean it has to be a prop-less workout though. Tracey is a huge fan of the latex/elastic resistance band, especially in her bbarreless workouts. Bands can be used as a barre, with the added challenge of needing to use your core to find stability. If you want to work on your mind/body connection, even more, try a barre-less workout.

 

 

The playground ball is a very versatile barre prop

The playground ball might just be my favourite prop for barre class. It’s compact and you can use it in a variety of ways. What I didn’t realize was just how versatile it is. During Tanya Becker’s Crunchless Core for Barre session, the Physique 57 co-founder demonstrated at least 26 different exercises where the ball can be incorporated.

Some exercises looked familiar to me like when the ball is placed under your feet during bridge work. Other exercises appeared unfamiliar, like when the ball is under your back leg during pretzel.

When placed under one hand during a plank series, for example, the ball provides an unstable surface which forces you to recruit more muscles. Using the ball for leverage but not depending on it is a great way to effectively workout.

 

 

Drink two glasses of water before a meal

Of all the great science and evidence-based tips that Mindy and Bruce Mylrea shared during their Tips and Tricks for Sustained Weight Loss session, one, in particular, stood out to me. Drink two glasses of water before eating especially when you wake up. Drinking water half-an-hour prior to eating can increase weight loss by up to 44% over a 3-month period.

Drinking water in general is hard for me. This tip was helpful to hear since it seemed like an easy way to incorporate it into your everyday routine.

 

 

Body language and your clients

Stacey Lei Krauss’ entire lunch and learn reminded me just how powerful our intentions can be and how often the biggest hurdles in the way of professional or personal success are our own limiting beliefs. That aside, I picked out a tip I think can help fitness instructors specifically.

When referencing Dr. Amy Cuddy’s research on power postures, she spoke about how body language determines how people view you. As an instructor standing at the front of the room, you can tell from body language who is ready to be pushed more and who is ready to give up. Is the student’s body hunched and appearing small or are they in a “superhero” pose with an expanded appearance?

 

 

Feet are an important part of your overall health

In the therapeutic and relaxing Sole Rejuvination session with Stacey Lei Krauss, she reminded us just how connected our feet are to the rest of the body. With a network of over 100 tendons, ligaments and muscles and over 1000 sensory receptors in each foot, the body is mapped anatomically onto our feet.

 

Your feet shouldn’t be an afterthought during a workout

Speaking of feet, FEET-NESS™ founder and CEO Ilaria Cavagna believes in posture from the ground up. It was no surprise then that she had us focusing on our feet during the FEET-NESS™ and the Pilates Mat workout. One thing she had us do was to point and flex our feet during 100s and Bicycle exercises and really think about engaging them as opposed to it being an afterthought. Thinking about feet as the foundation helps you get the most out of your workout.

“[Your feet] deserve to move as much as your biceps and your abs!” Cavagna once said in an interview. By doing a few simple exercises after a night in heels, we can increase circulation and improve the entire body’s function among other benefits.

 

 

Test your balance at the beginning and end of class

In one of the first sessions of the day, BeyondBarre founder Colleen Ketchum had us test our balance at the end of class as well as the beginning. She asked us to observe if we noticed a difference. I thought this was a nice way to begin and end a class. Even in a 45-minute workout, there are ways to track your progress.

 

Did you attend the first weekend of the event? Which sessions did you attend and did you pick up any new tips that you would like to share? Write a comment below!