If you’re reading this right now and thinking to yourself, “What the heck is ‘barre’?”, you’re probably not the only one. About a month ago, I had no idea what it was myself. I was in the car with my mom, fully aware that she does Pilates several times a week, when I asked her if she knew what barre was. She told me she had been taking barre classes for a few months now and begged me to try it. As much as I wanted to, I refused. I was afraid to participate in something I had heard was so difficult. However, when I arrived back at Pitt a couple weeks ago, my friend and I signed up for a class. I just needed to know what it was all about.
What is barre?
So, if you’re unfamiliar with barre, it’s a 55-minute Pilates- and ballet-inspired workout that strengthens, lengthens, and tones your arms, abs, thighs, and glutes through small isometric movements. Warning: it is extremely difficult. Although it may not look like much from pictures or videos, you’ll be surprised by how strenuous it is on your muscles. It is the only workout I’ve ever experienced where I can actually feel pain while the exercises and movements are occurring. Not to mention how sore it makes you feel the next day, and the day after that, and probably even the day after that. Despite all that, I encourage you to give it a try! It is a great workout set to upbeat music, which makes the time go by very quickly.
Where can I find classes?
There are a few barre studios in Pittsburgh very close to campus. The first one is Pure Barre located in East Liberty. This was where I took my first barre class. They offer your first class free, so why not?! The second class I took was at The Barre Code, located in Shadyside. It has a little bit more of a laidback atmosphere.
All barre classes start with an intense warm-up consisting of a little cardio. From there, you move into the arm section, working with two, three, or five-pound weights. Next is abs. All of the work in this section will take place on the floor. After that is glutes. This work will most likely be done on the floor as well, however some exercises will take place at the barre. Finally, you will move into the leg section, which in my opinion is the most painful. All of the exercises will take place holding on to the barre. Some classes may use different props and apparatuses such as a ball, a stick, weights, bands, mats, etc. These items are key in order to chisel and sculpt the body.
What do I wear?
It is important to wearing some type of leggings and not shorts because you’re going to be moving around a lot and want to be comfortable. You don’t wear shoes inside the studio. You must wear socks – particularly sticky socks, so you don’t slide all over the floor.
I haven’t been doing barre for long, but I already love it! It is a well-known, highly effective (and fun) mix of cardio and strengthening movements to condition your body. It may be winter, but you’ll definitely keep warm with this workout. Summer is right around the corner, so get toned by spending your nights at the barre!