What is Barre?

Barre training is a popular form of exercise that combines elements of ballet, Pilates, yoga, and traditional strength training to give you a great all round work out. It's also one of our most popular forms of training at Empower Wellness!

It typically takes place in a studio setting and involves the use of a ballet barre (a horizontal handrail attached to the wall or a freestanding barre) for support and balance. Contrary to popular belief, barre is not for dancers or dance based in a sense of choreography or confusing moves - so never fear you don't need any dance background or ability to join the classes!

The primary goal of barre training is to strengthen and tone the muscles of the body, with a focus on the legs, buttocks, core, and upper body. It is traditionally great for people recovering from injury or people post-partum, as offers a high intensity but low impact workout. This means it's easy on the joints as well as having a huge array of advancements or modifications to suit a huge range of fitness levels and abilities.

Here are some key characteristics and components of barre training:

1. Isometric Exercises: Barre workouts often incorporate isometric exercises, this where you hold a specific position or contraction without moving the joint. These exercises target specific muscle groups and can lead to increased muscle endurance and definition.

2. Small Range of Motion: Many barre exercises involve small, controlled movements and pulses. This approach is designed to target and fatigue the muscle fibers more effectively. If you've seen or joined a barre class before, I'm sure you'll be familiar with the infamous pulse that really gets you burning!

3. Ballet Inspired: Barre workouts draw inspiration from ballet, so you may perform movements like pliés (bending the knees), relevés (rising up on the toes), and arabesques (lifting the legs). While these have ballet names, it is not dance based in terms of difficulty and are simple movements that allow you to really work into the legs.

4. Props: In addition to the barre itself, barre classes may incorporate props like small Pilates hand weights, resistance bands, stability balls, and yoga straps to intensify and vary the exercises. Some of these are to challenge or intensify further, or add modifications to help align and execute an exercise better.

5. Core Emphasis: Core strength and stability are important in barre training. Many exercises involve engaging the abdominal muscles to support the movements and maintain balance. A lot like Pilates, stabiliser muscles and the core are so important and a large focus. This is because we need these things to help us move and groove in every day life, helping to prevent injuries and stay strong in the peripheral areas of the body (like the arms and legs).

6. Low-Impact: Barre workouts are generally low-impact, making them accessible to a wide range of individuals, including those with joint issues or injuries. However, they can still provide an effective workout and help improve flexibility, not to mention still being high intensity and allowing you to get a good sweat on!

7. Variety: There are different styles of barre classes, and each instructor may have their own approach. Some classes focus more on traditional ballet moves, while others incorporate more elements from Pilates or yoga. Our classes offer a less dance based focus and more of a high intensity version of Pilates, we feel this accompanies our Yoga and Pilates classes for an epic all round training. If you've tried our classes already you'll also notice quite the difference between our teachers, each bringing there own spice and style to how they train!

Barre training has gained popularity for its ability to help participants achieve a long, lean, and toned physique. It's suitable for people of various fitness levels, and modifications can be made to cater to different abilities. Like any exercise program, consistency is key to seeing results from barre training. If you're interested in trying barre, get in touch with us and come along to move and groove with one of our amazing and experienced instructors! Let's get moving!