Barre: A relatively new form of exercise based on ballet that uses subtle movements and targets small muscles. Also known as…pain.
My friend has been taking barre fitness classes at Pure Barre in Shadyside for about a month, and asked if I wanted to tag along for a free class. I had no idea what to expect; the only thing I knew was that it’s become a popular form of muscle toning. So I put on my workout clothes, hopped in the car, and made my way over to Pure Barre for my first ever barre class!
Pure Barre is an upper-middle class fitness studio located near Target and Trader Joe’s. They offer a student discount of $99/month for unlimited barre classes, but they offer your first class free before emptying your wallet. I walked in, grabbed a medicine ball, three-pound weights and a resistance band, and took a place on the mat.
We started with leg exercises using the medicine ball. Many of these involved lying on our backs with the ball in between our legs, and then making some kind of small leg movement (like a slight leg lift, or circling our feet) while squeezing the ball with our thighs. “Easy!” I thought… until 30 seconds later, when I swore my legs were going to fall off.
Next, we worked on our arm muscles with the three-pound weights. For these exercises, we held our arms in a certain position—high in the air, parallel to the floor, wrists facing forwards, wrists facing backwards, etc., and then pulsed from our shoulders to move the weights upwards. Again, this seemed easy at first. As a former gymnast, I’ve put my entire body weight on my arms before! However, barely a minute later, my arms were as sore as if I had just done 1,000 push-ups. At this point I started feeling pretty pathetic, and barre was becoming the enemy.
It wouldn’t be a barre class without the ballet barre! We made our way over for our final set of exercises, using the resistance band this time. We were instructed to place one foot through the resistance band, holding on to the other end with our hand. We leaned forward on the barre while extending one leg backwards and moved the leg in the following sequence: first, pulse the leg from your hip so that it moves upwards slightly. Second, make a small circle with your foot. Third, pulse again. So the pattern was: pulse, circle, pulse. This was when my strength (and any confidence I once had in my physical ability) took a downward spiral, as my entire body literally started shaking. I accepted defeat. Barre, you win.
I’ve never left a workout feeling sore instantaneously. Usually the pain doesn’t set in until the morning. However, barre was sure to exceed my expectations. Upon arrival back to campus, my muscles most definitely felt the work they’d been through, and in the morning the soreness multiplied by infinity. Getting out of bed was a serious struggle as my abs, arms, and legs refused to move.
Despite my defeat to Pure Barre, I can’t wait to go back! There’s something addicting about getting a good workout, improving yourself, and strengthening your body. Barre eliminates the worries that some women have about looking too “manly” from using machines and weightlifting. As it tones small muscles, barre is a great way to build overall strength while allowing a woman’s body to maintain its delicate femininity. So maybe barre isn’t really the enemy, but you won’t know for yourself until you try it!