Do you know what’s intimidating? Trying out a new gym / gym class / etc. Am I the only one who gets super intimidated and scared to try out a workout I’ve never done before?! Well, the other week I bit the bullet and tried something new: barre class.
Today was my second barre class at Pure Barre. Originally I wasn’t going to share much about my workout experiences, (because honestly, does anyone want to read about my sweat?!) but I got quite a few comments from women who want to try out a barre class, and I definitely want to share my thoughts and hopefully motivate some women to get their booties to a class!
Let me start out by saying that I was not fully convinced that a barre class would be for me. I mean, I’m not exactly known for my grace and balance and all of that dancer stuff. I did take ballet class when I was 5 years old, but somehow those skills didn’t stay with me. Actually, the other day I fell over while putting on a pair of shoes, but that’s an entirely different story.
I’m a person that loves competitive (but individual) sports. I grew up running and swimming on teams. I actually ran cross country throughout college. Then I ran marathons. Then I got worn out and decided to take up CrossFit instead. So then this whole pregnancy thing came about and I had to reevaluate my workout routine, which threw me for quite the loop. That’s when the barre class came into play. I knew it was ‘trendy’ and that people (one of them being the lovely Hannah) had great things to say about it and I figured it’d be fun, if nothing else. I also tried a prenatal yoga class, but yoga (while I love it) just doesn’t feel like a workout to me, especially prental yoga, which is a lot more stretching and less moving, overall. I’m sharing this ‘background’ because I’m a high intensity person who likes high intensity workouts, and I think a lot of my perceptions of barre class are molded by those facts.
After a few days weeks of putting it off, I went to my first barre class a week ago, without a clue of what to expect. I had on my running capris and dry fit shirt (which stood out because everyone else was wearing even tighter capris and fancy yoga tank tops). I brought a water bottle, and that was it! I introduced myself to the owner of the studio and also to the instructor. Both of these ladies were super nice and inviting. I also told them I’m pregnant and they immediately made me feel even more comfortable about the class by offering me various alternative exercises to some of the ‘normal’ exercises I probably wouldn’t want to do. After locking my things up, I wandered in the actual studio (is that what they call the exercise rooms?! I dont’ even know) which is a carpeted room lined with mirrors and barres. i grabbed a ball, some light weights (2 lbs) and a stretchy-rope-thing (that’s the technical name for it) and away we went! Right on time, the music began playing, the instructor was on the mic, and we were warming up!
Basically, the class consisted of a bijillion tiny movements that burned, burned, burned all of my muscles. Mainly we worked thighs, butt, triceps, and abs. At least, that’s what I was feeling the most the day after! I thought the 55 mintues went by really quickly, which surprised me! At first I was constantly looking around to see what the heck these other ladies were doing, because I felt so freakin’ awkward and didn’t know what I was supposed to look like with these tiny movements and positions, but then I got the hang of it!
After 55 mintues the class was over, and away I went! I wouldn’t say I was super sore the next day, but I was most definitely feeling my muscles (some of which I never knew existed) for days afterwards, which was awesome.
Yesterday I went back to the same studio for my second class, and I think I’ll be continuing to go to classes at least once a week for the next few weeks. I did buy an unlimited month (huge discount for new members) which I’m starting after the Husband and I get back from Europe, so hopefully I can go a lot more classes during that time! By the time my unlimited month begins, I’ll be 30 weeks pregnant and ready to move around a bit, I’m assuming!
The second class (yesterday) was much less intimidating than the first class. I knew where to go, I remembered some of the exercises, I didn’t need to look around (as much) to the other ladies for guidance, and the instructor never had to correct my form! I would consider it a major win. I can only imagine that I’ll improve a lot by simply going to more classes (novel concept, I know).
My ‘final’ first impressions on the barre class (specifically at Pure Barre):
- It’s not easy. I was barely able to finish any of the reps/movements without taking mini-breaks, so I know I have lots of room to improve, which is a good thing! I thought this class would be a piece-of-cake after doing CrossFit for over a year, but barre class is challenging in a different way. At one point we were doing a 90 second plank and I could not even get close to finishing it without allowing my knees to rest on the floor for a few seconds. This is my new goal – to complete the full plank!
- It’s girly. There were no men in either class I attended, and I’m fairly certain that there probably never will be! It’s definitely a girly class focused on exercising ‘girly’ muscles. Triceps, butt, thighs, abs… yep, all places I’d love to tone! I actually loved being in a class of all women – especially after doing CrossFit which can be filled with some VERY beastly men.
- The classes aren’t cheap. At the studio I went to, a drop-in class is $23. I think that’s a lot of money for a workout, but I’m willing to pay it because I definitely felt the burn and I had a good time doing it.
- I didn’t sweat much. I’m fairly neutral about this… I mean, generally I like sweating during a workout, but it was also nice not to need to reapply my makeup afterwards! I feel like I could do this workout during lunch and go back to the office afterwards. That being said, barre class definitely burns less calories than either running or CrossFit, so that’s an adjustment.
- The focus isn’t on cardio. I’m a cardio junkie, so if I want to keep my lungs in shape, I’ll need to continue running on the days when I’m not doing barre class or going to yoga.
This makes my butt muscles sore just looking at it! Feel the burn!
Advice for trying out a barre workout:
- Remember to sign-up ahead of time. The classes I looked into (at a few different studios) all required pre-payment and sign-up online before the class started.
- Wear cute socks. Or plain socks. Well, really, just wear socks that you don’t mind people seeing, because the workout will be done in socks (not barefoot or in shoes).
- Wear capris and a tanktop or short sleeve shirt. The barre studio I went to has a dress code, so check that ahead of time, but they basically said no shorts and no shirts that would reveal your belly (no sports bras without shirts over them).
- Bring a water bottle.
- Be open-minded and don’t be afraid to look a little foolish.
- Introduce yourself to the owner and instructor and ask as many questions as you’d like after class. Also, make sure you let them know of any restrictions you have so they can suggest alternatives/substitutions if necessary.
- If you get tired in a movement, take a break! There’s no harm in pausing during the workout. You’re going to get out of class what you put in it, but that doesn’t mean you need to strain yourself and have a miserable experience so you can ‘keep up’ with everyone else.
- But challenge yourself!
- Don’t expect to be an expert your first time (this should go without saying!).
Bottom line: I hope I’ve convinced you to try a barre class if you’re even thinking about it. It’s definitely worth the small money/time investment to see if it’s a class you could get into! I think people who like really intense workouts may need a supplement (such as cardio) to keep the endurance level up, but I think this is a great low-impact workout, especially for pregnant ladies, like myself!
Let me know if you have any questions… I’m sure I left out a bunch of would-be-useful-to-know info.
*Linking up with Nicole @ Treasure Tromp today!
Cheers to trying new things!
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