Pure Barre Workouts

Hey everybody! Today I wanted to share a little about my all time favorite workout, Pure Barre. I started working out at Pure Barre in the Fall of 2017. I had been in a bit of a workout rut and just couldn’t find one that I could really enjoy. Matt came across a Groupon and told me to go and check it out. That was when we were still living in Elmhurst, IL and that is where I originally started going to the classes. I really didn’t know too much about the classes except that they used small, intense movements that utilized every part of your body and that you wore special grippy socks. 🙂

It had been a long time since I had gone to any sort of exercise class. We were doing all of our workouts at home, which was working for us, but, like I said, I needed a change and a little extra push. I have to say, I was more than a bit nervous heading in to my first class. I was afraid I wasn’t going to be able to do the moves and keep up with the rest of the clients. (In a usual Classic class there are about 20 people per class) One of the best parts about stepping into the studio was the very welcoming atmosphere! The owner was there with another instructor. The owner, Liz, made sure to introduce me to the instructor, Jessica and she then talked to me about some of the basic moves and words she’d be using in class. That made me feel much more comfortable, for sure!

The Classic class starts out with a nice warm-up that gets all of your muscles moving, but its not fast paced, which I truly enjoy. I’m done with those crazy fast warm-ups that get you bouncing right away! There is a 90 second plank incorporated in the warm-up as well as some pretty tough push-ups, but they give you modifications if you need them. You end the warm-up working on your upper body and arms and then you have a nice quick stretch before you move. This is another part of the workout that I enjoy, the stretching, not only at the end, but after the different sets as well.

After the warm-up you work on those thighs! This, to me is the toughest part because you are working some big muscles in those thighs and if you haven’t been working those muscles much, this is where you will feel it for sure! You’d be amazed at how many different exercises they can introduce to you that work your thighs, which means, you never get bored in class. They are constantly coming up with new moves to keep things interesting and challenging, yet no matter what the routine is that day, you know you are going to work them as hard as you can.

After thighs, you move on to your seat. I never knew you could actually change the shape of your booty until I started going to Pure Barre. The exercises you do make sure to work every inch of your seat! My clothes started fitting differently, and Matt said he definitely noticed too…sneaking pictures of me while I was cooking so I could see what he was talking about 😉

After seat, you move on to your abs. This is crazy difficult at first, but you see and feel results with these exercises for sure. The best part about this section of class for me was that it helped me with some lower back issues I was having. When you strengthen your core, it also helps your back muscles. It is definitely the most sustained and intense ab workout I have ever done, but I love it. You aren’t just doing crunches like so many other workout routines. And, once again, you work every part of that abdominal wall, including your obliques and lower abs.

After working your abs, you do one final push of your seat and backs of thighs while staying on your mat and then its time for the cool down and stretch. I forgot to mention that this is all set to music as well, which helps to motivate you with the movements. Today’s class was set to a 70’s dance mix which was so fun!

So, I had been doing Pure Barre for close to a year when I had a bulging disc in my neck that ended up having to be replaced with surgery. The thought of being laid up was devastating to me seeing as though I was on my way to my 250th class, but the pain I was enduring had to be fixed. And then life happened and we had house things that needed to be done and then we had to move, so I never really made it back to Pure Barre, until now! Matt gave me a six month membership for Christmas and I just took my 12th class. I am now taking classes at Pure Barre in Raleigh and once again, am absolutely loving it! I was also greeted there with such a welcoming atmosphere and the instructors have been great!

So, I guess what I’m saying is, if you are looking for something new for a workout, go check out a Pure Barre class! Hopefully you are lucky enough to have one near you. This workout is for all ages too! I know in Elmhurst we had clients in their 70’s still going strong at the Barre, as well as women who were 9 months pregnant. The instructors are very knowledgeable with modifications so you don’t have to worry about if you’ve had an injury or whatever. I told you about the Classic class, which is the one you should probably start with, and the one I know most about, but they also offer two other types of classes, Empower and Reform. Empower is a bit faster paced and uses a platform and Reform uses resistance bands and sliders. If you go check it out, let me know! I’d love to hear your thoughts.