The chances are you are probably reading this because you’ve heard about people taking “barre” classes, but have no idea what it is. Ladies, LET ME TELL YOU! I am so glad that I decided to take my first Pure Barre class a little over a year ago today.
For some background, I was never one who enjoyed going to the gym. Maybe it’s because I didn’t know what the hell to do with free weights and the machines just got boring. I don’t mind running, cycling, or doing the stairclimber, however, if I am consistently doing these things then my knees start hurting (I wasn’t lying when I said I’m secretly a grandma!).
I had pretty good self discipline when it came to my gym schedule and I was eating clean, but I was just not seeing the results I wanted. After a year of killing myself at the gym, I decided that it was time to make an annual commitment to a boutique style gym.
I was first introduced to barre at Merritt Athletic Club years ago. I remembered how much I enjoyed it and tried to attend every class whenever it was put on the schedule. I immediately knew this was the workout for me.
Lucky enough, Pure Barre opened up a location not even 10 minutes away from me. The day I signed up was the day that my real fitness journey began.
For me, it wasn’t only about the workout, but also the studio culture and the students. People have this condescending notion that all women who take these classes are all tall, skinny and snobby. This is absolutely NOT the case AT ALL! Every one at Pure Barre is so sweet and encouraging and they eventually become your little “workout fam”. After all, we have to embrace the shake together, ha.
So you’re still probably thinking, “Ok, well what is barre and what makes it so great?”
Pure Barre is essentially a series of low impact, isometric movements derived from ballet; which means there is a ballet barre involved. Hence, the “barre” in barre class.
It’s full body workout and makes it great for people who have bad knees (ME) or joints in general. These movements achieve that lean, long muscle tone without the bulk.. which is exactly what I was striving for!
I will warn you, it’s a little awk when you first start “tucking” as it feels like you’re humping the floor/air (lol). But after a few classes, you’ll think nothing of it.
After a few weeks of going about 4x/week, I noticed my glutes (or as barre would call it, “seat”) were definitely more defined AND LIFTED! Like major lift and perky. The moment I stop going consistently, I notice my seat “perky-ness” starts to decline. So stay consistent! Firm + lifted = closer to getting that JLO booty!
The remainder of this post will describe what to wear / bring and what to expect at each class. There are actually four classes; Pure Barre Classic, Pure Empower, Pure Reform and Foundations, but I am only going to cover the first three.
So let’s get to it!
What do I wear?
- Pants / leggings. No shorts
- Grip socks
What do I bring?
- Water bottle
- Sweat towel (if needed)
Pure Barre Classic
Description: Pure Barre Classic is the fastest, most effective full-body workout that involves a series low-impact, high intensity movements. They claim that “the increased flexibility, core strength and low impact nature of Pure Barre helps to prevent injury and improve endurance in those who are cross training for a sport or race.” If you are new to Barre, I recommend taking the Foundations class because it covers the basic movements and techniques.
Equipment: Hand weights, ball, and tube
Class Structure: 50 Minutes
Pure Reform
Description: Pure Reform is a resistance-style training. It is a total body workout that targets, shapes, and defines all major muscle groups through resistance‐based strength training. Reform is definitely my favorite class because you can really feel your muscles sculpting as you push against the bands.
Equipment: Resistance bands, sliders, and the barre. Ball is optional for back support during abs
Class Structure: 50 Minutes
Pure Empower
Description: Pure Empower is a cardio-intense class. It’s a fusion of Barre and interval training that is meant to raise your heart rate / speed metabolism. If your fitness goal is to lose weight, definitely take a few of these classes each week.
Equipment: Ankle weights, hand weights, and plyometric platform. Ball is optional for back support during abs
Class Structure: 45 Minutes
Pure Barre Lingo
Cross Training Schedule
Overall Thoughts
I love barre and I don’t see myself stopping anytime soon! I hope this post was helpful for those who are thinking about taking a class.
I want to thank Sheri, the owner of the the Pikesville location, for helping me with most of the content for this post. If you live in the Baltimore area, definitely check out her location! I believe your first class is free so you have nothing to lose :).
Have you guys tried barre? What do you think?
Great post.
Thank you :)!
Callie and the team at Tuck are so amazing. I normally don’t enjoy barre and I LOVED the class! I am also a yoga teacher as well and Callie’s yoga class was one of the best classes I’ve ever been to. The UCity location is in a great spot, conveniently located right smack dab on Drexel’s Campus. Best barre experience to date! Very friendly staff and super accommodating to all levels locations are clean, new, and give off a great vibe!
Yes, I absolutely love it! Such a great workout and like you said, everyone is SO nice!!