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Pure Barre Archives - Page 3 of 4 - The Barre Blog

Jan 04

7 Ways to Stay Motivated During Monthly Barre Challenges

By Barre Culture, Exercises No Comments

After a season of holiday indulgence, most people are eager to hit the reset button. Lots of studios host monthly barre challenges in the new year hoping to get their clients back on track. Some studios like Barre Fitness are incentivizing participants with prizes for their 20 classes in 30 days challenge. Barre3’s All In challenge is more self-directed and Barre Body’s five-week challenge allows participants to network with each other in a closed, invite-only Facebook group. No matter what your goals are, there are tricks to help you stay motivated. Follow these tips to ensure you see optimal results at the end of your challenge.

 

1. Do it with friends.

Who says you have to do it alone? One of the best ways to keep yourself motivated is to do the challenge with a buddy.

2. Book all your workouts ahead of time.

Sign up for your classes as far in advance as you are allowed to, so you can visualize your schedule.

3. Write down positive words of encouragement and recite them to yourself daily.

You’ll find lots of great quotes if you search for them on Pinterest or Instagram. #MondayMotivation anyone?

4. Tell your friends and family that you’re doing the challenge.

If family and friends know about your goals, they’re more likely to check in with you and ask you how it’s going. This is a great way to keep yourself accountable. Take it a step further and blog about it. Putting it out there for the world to follow along with will certainly push you out of your comfort zone. Don’t have a blog? Tweet, Instagram or post your progress to Facebook.

Bingo cards from a Pure Barre challenge at Pure Barre Chandler

Source: Pure Barre Chandler

5. Put your clothes out the night before.

I mentioned this in an article on how to make early morning workouts a regular thing. If you get organized the day before, it won’t seem so daunting to get out the door the next day. This is especially true if you register for a class before 7:00am.

6. Give yourself a gold star every time you complete a class.

As silly as it may seem, give yourself a gold star after completing each class. It doesn’t literally have to be a sticker. Perhaps you check off a box or put a mark on your calendar. Whatever it is that you use to signify the completion of your classes, it will help you to visualize your progress.

7. Reward yourself when it’s all done.

If the studio doesn’t provide some type of contest or incentive, then treat yourself instead. Did you have your eye on a new pair of leggings? Perhaps wait until you complete the challenge before purchasing them so you have something to look forward to.

 

 

Dec 06

Barre City: Portland, Oregon

By Barre City Spotlight, Barre3, Pure Barre No Comments

Portland, Oregon, a city of just 640,000 seems like it has more barre studios per capita than larger cities like Manhattan, LA or London. When I visited last summer, I couldn’t get over the number of barre businesses in town. You have all of the major players like Pure Barre, Barre3, The Bar Method and at the time Xtend Barre. As well as some local favourites like Industrial Barre. Side note: I wrote a whole article about how I was convinced that Portland, Oregon is the barre capital of the world. If you’re interested in some related reading, check this out.

Portland Pearl District

 

So what makes this city standout as a barre-friendly town? First of all Barre3 was founded here in 2008 and also has their headquarters in Portland. They are by far the biggest player in town, with 5 of their 123 locations in the city and surrounding area.

Their flagship location is a beautiful space outfitted with two studios. Upon walking up to the entrance I was instantly drawn to their floor-to-ceiling windows that wrap around the studio. Their reception area has the latest in athletic wear along with a large play lounge where parents can drop off their children while they workout.

Not only can you find Barre3’s flagship in the Pearl District but they have a handful of other locations in the surrounding area, which include: SE 22nd Avenue and Division Street, Kruse Village, Cedar Mill and North Williams Avenue near the corner of North Shaver. This also happens to be the company headquarters.

An image of the Barre3 flagship studio in Portland, Oregon.

The Barre3 flagship studio in Portland, Oregon.

Barre 3 in the Park

With an average 280 classes taught per week, Barre3 definitely has the largest presence in the city in terms of brand awareness. When I was there, they were hosting a Barre3 in the Park event. It literally took over the entire Fields Park, a nearby green space a few blocks from their Pearl District location. Hundreds of people came out to watch Barre3 founder Sadie Lincoln teach a class.

Trailing behind Barre3 in terms of popularity is Portland’s Industrial Barre, which has all three of their locations in the city. It has one of the more beautifully appointed interiors, with its exposed beams, branded wallpaper and recycled construction materials. You can read more about that in my post about the most stylish barre studios in the world.

An exterior shot of Industrial Barre in Portland, Oregon

The lobby at Industrial Barre in Portland, Oregon

The entrance at Industrial Barre in Portland, Oregon

Industrial Barre studio interior at the NE Broadway location in Portland, Oregon.

Source: Industrial Barre

Just down the road from Industrial Barre on NE Broadway Street is Pure Barre, a staple of most American cities, so no surprise they have two studios in this mid-size city. Their other location is in the popular Pearl District, along with The Bar Method which has a presence along NW Hoyt Street.

Pure Barre exterior Portland

Other notable local studios include: The Pilates Barre and Mod Physique.

Sep 28
Pure Empower Facebook Image

A Review of Pure Barre’s Pure Empower Class

By Barre franchise information, Most requested, Pure Barre 5 Comments

I had heard really good things about Pure Empower from the instructors at my local Pure Barre studio, so I was excited to give it a try when it launched in mid-August, especially since I had never had a chance to try the Platform class that Pure Barre used to offer. Pure Empower is 45 minutes of heart-pumping intervals that has you working at a quick pace but still targeting all the same muscle groups and giving you the same Pure Barre burn you’ve come to know and love.

According to the class description, Pure Empower is a high-intensity, low impact, full body workout that combines strength training with cardio-centric circuits.

When I arrived, the instructor went over the framework of the class and pointed out the differences from a classic barre class. The most obvious difference is the use of a 6-inch plyometric step-up platform and ankle weights. Those ankle weights are no joke. They add next level intensity to the workout.

 

 

Pure Empower Promo Image

The Format

The class comes with the same high-intensity, low-impact goodness you can expect in a classic PB class and follows a similar format minus the ab work against the wall.

The warmup started off easy enough with some nice gentle stretching but before I knew it we were already ankle weight deep into cardio circuits. A few mountain climbers later, I was already breaking a sweat and wishing I had brought a towel.

Even though it’s a cardio-centric class you won’t be able to avoid all those gruelling floor exercises like planks and v-sits. You can also expect lots of lunging activity. There were curtsy lunges and lunges of the old fashioned variety but to make it more interesting they throw in the platform to lunge from to test your balance. Speaking of the platform, it acts as a nice accessory for push-ups, mountain climbers and other fun floor exercises.

 

Pure Empower platforms

 

Conclusion

If you have never been to Pure Barre before I would recommend trying a classic Pure Barre class, before you try Pure Empower. The reason being is because the class is only 45 minutes and you move through the sequences quickly. Though this gives you more opportunities to sweat, it might be easier to learn the fundamentals at a less intense pace.

Overall I found the class to be a nice compliment to the classic Pure Barre class. It’s a class I could see myself enjoying every third or fourth PB class.

Have you tried Pure Empower? What did you think? Leave a comment below.

Aug 06
Pure Empower Facebook Image

Cardio-centric Pure Empower is Coming to Pure Barre

By Barre franchise information, Pure Barre No Comments

Pure Empower is coming to a Pure Barre studio near you and it promises to turn up the sweat factor. Launching on August 14, Pure Empower is a high-intensity, low impact, full body workout that combines strength training with cardio-centric circuits, according to the class description. Using your own body weight, a 6-inch step-up platform and ankle weights, the hour-long class can be modified for all levels and is a great compliment to regular Pure Barre classes.

Instructors from Pure Barre Edmond promoting the Pure Empower class.

Source: facebook.com/purebarreedmond

According to instructors who have gone through the training and clients who have taken a preview class, Pure Empower is a challenging, heart-pounding experience. The class is going to eventually replace the popular Platform class, that is gradually being phased out.

Jamie, a Pure Barre Birmingham, AL client had this to say about Pure Empower on Instagram:

“Super intense, but controlled. I’ve been sore for days.”

Barre so hard #practice #pureempower #redandblackeverything

A post shared by Jamie SW (@jamieswalden) on

 

Feeling so EMPOWERed on this Friday! Only 10 more days… #pureempower #practicepractice

A post shared by Pure Barre Holly Springs (@purebarrehollysprings) on

Look out for a review of the Pure Empower class, coming soon.

Have you tried a Pure Empower class yet? If so, what do you think?

Jun 13

Stars Who Barre and the Studios They Love

By Barre Culture, Barre3, Just for Fun, Pure Barre, The Bar Method No Comments

Your favorite celebs might love barre as much as you do. Some in fact swear by their regular treks to the barre. Kelly Osbourne credits The Bar Method with her slim down, while Mindy Kaling would chose Pop Physique over other workouts any day of the week. Here’s the rundown on who goes where!

An image for the Stars who barre blog post.


Pure Barre

Who loves it: Anna Kendrick, Zooey Deschanel, Nikki and Brie Bella, Tika Sumpter.

Great barre sesh @pure_barre in Homewood, AL ???? #purebarrelife

A post shared by Brie Bella (@thebriebella) on

Pop Physique

Who loves it: Brie Larson, Mindy Kaling, Diane Kruger, HAIM, Trina Turk, Lykke Li and Kelis.

Actress Diane Kruger attends a Pop Physique class in Los Angeles.

Source: celebmafia.com

Mindy Kaling on Pop Physique:

“If I could do one workout for the rest of my life, it would be a two to three mile run followed by a Pop Physique class…Pop makes me feel flexible and strong. It is super hard and uses many ballet moves,” Kaling told The Chalkboard Mag in 2014. “I always pretend I’m Natalie Portman in Black Swan while doing it.” So do we Mindy, so do we!

Actress Mindy Kaling showing off her Pop Physique barre socks.

Source: http://popphysique.tumblr.com/

Cardio Barre

Who loves it: Dakota Fanning

Actress Dakota Fanning leaving a Cardio Barre class in Studio City, California.

Source: JustJared.com

The Bar Method

Who loves it: Ellie Kemper, Zooey Deschanel, Ginnifer Goodwin, Kirsten Dunst, Anna Paquin, Jennifer Aniston, Eliza Dushku, Cobie Smulders, Kate Mara, Kyra Sedgwick, Ricki Lake, Kelly Osbourne, Denise Richards.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/500955158526049731/

Barre3

Who loves it: Molly Simms, Madonna

You might not see either of these ladies in a Barre3 class but they are big fans of the workout. Molly Sims loves Barre3’s online classes and Madonna hired founder Sadie Lincoln for private sessions in New York.

Physique57

Who loves it: Kelly Ripa, Hilaria and Alec Baldwin, Selena Gomez

Kelly Ripa on her experience with Physique57:

I am totally hooked on this sculpting class I discovered at [New York City gym] Physique 57. It’s transformed my body in ways I never thought possible. I’m a short person, but I’m becoming longer and leaner. The class works your glutes, your abs, and your obliques. It’s all about building muscle, then stretching it out.

 

May 07

At-Home Barre Workouts for Every Part of Your Body

By Exercises No Comments

Can’t make it to class? No problem! There are lots of at-home workout tutorial videos to follow along with that will work your muscles just as much as they would get worked in a class. The only difference being there is no one to hold you accountable, so as long as you have the discipline to work as hard as you would in class, you can do these exercises from the comfort of your living room, doorway or bedroom.

Arms

Using small weights or no weights at all, you can tone your arms with this 10-minute workout from YouTuber Action Jacquelyn.

Cardio

Want to burn calories? Use this Xtend Barre cardio sequence to get your heartrate up, while simultaneously sculpting your body. You might want to grab a chair or your kitchen counter for this exercise.

Thighs

Want to work those tricky inner thighs? Use this video tutorial from Pure Barre and the POPSUGAR Training Club. No barre necessary, just use a doorway, kitchen counter, the back of a couch, or a sturdy chair for support.

Butt/Seat

Ready to work your seat? This tutorial from The Ballet Physique is a real side seat burner. Get ready to work your outer seat and hip area. You can do the exercise on a yoga mat for extra comfort.

Recovery

Are  your muscles tight after a tough workout? Stretching and recovery is just as important as the actual exercise. Relieve some tension with this foam rolling routine from Barre Fitness. In this guide, they’ll walk you through some rolling basics which can relieve tension in your lower body. If you don’t have a foam roller, try using a tennis ball, rubber ball or swimming pool foam tube if you have one. Otherwise foam rollers are fairly inexpensive, so it might be worth the investment to get one.

 

Do you have the discipline to do at-home workouts, or do you prefer going to a class to challenge yourself? Leave a comment to let us know your preference.

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