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.
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.
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.
