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10 Minute Barre Arms Workout
Before barre, I honestly never thought too much about arms. Mine or anyone else's. Although I did the typical (but unhealthy) "Mean Girls" dissection of my body and its flaws, my arms were towards the end of the list of concerns, but not necessarily a point of pride either. I just didn't pay much attention. But when I started barre, I did notice that many of my classmates had incredibly sculpted and toned limbs and I remember after only about a month of consistent classes receiving many compliments on my recent acquisition of said arms. The transformation in my body in such a short amount of time AND the fact…
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Home Cardio Barre Workout
If you've been in any of my barre classes lately, you've probably noticed - they're getting a bit sweatier! That's not only due to the nearly suspiciously nice weather we've had in Cork lately, but also because I've been trying to incorporate a bit more HIIT-type, cardio bursts either on the mat or at the barre as of late. For some reason, it just seems seasonally appropriate - and it's a lot of fun! You get your heart rate up, releasing an extra little rush of endorphins on top of the already euphoric experience of barre, and well, it's addictive! And so I've been doing my own home cardio barre…
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Lifted Seat Barre-Less Barre Home Workout
Within our lifetime, the “lifted seat” has definitely gained popularity in terms of aesthetics en vouge, however there are actually a lot of real benefits to strengthening our posterior (glutes and hamstrings) and barre is an extremely effective way to do so. The isometric contractions which underlie so many of our exercises in barre help you to deeply connect, getting those glutes to fire and yielding unprecedented results when it comes to building your backside. Aside from appearances, what are the benefits of a strong and lifted seat? Our glutes are one of the biggest and most important muscle groups in our bodies, comprised of the minimus, medius, and maximus…
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Hotel Power Half Hour Round Two :: Travel Barre Workout
Earlier this week I was traveling for business to Amsterdam for our company 2018 kickoff meeting. Thankfully it was a short trip, everything went smoothly, AND I had time for some quick hotel room barre! Exercise is vitally important to me and my sanity so I try to make it happen even when I am away. Although a travel barre session it is rarely the best workout of my week, I am a firm believer in the fact that the habit of keeping a habit is more important than even the habit itself and even a quick workout helps to set me up for a successful day! This is the…
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Tucking Around the Christmas Tree :: Barre-less Barre Workout
Merry Christmas! I am looking forward to a relaxing day spent with loved ones and lots and lots of good food. While in the U.S. I am still getting my barre-fix ala Pure Barre Grandville, but since they are closed today and tomorrow, it’ll be a holiday home workout for me. And because I am a big sister excited to be reunited with my little sister, I am doing one of the things that I do best – being bossy and getting her to join in the tucking with me! The best part is that we don’t need any equipment at all for this a full body barre-less barre workout…
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7 Minute Barre Arms Workout
As those who barre know, one of the first and most dramatic changes your body will undergo after only a few sessions is in the arms. Perhaps even more amazing than the sculpted barre arms themselves, is that you can achieve such impressive results with only very light (2-5 lb) weights or literally no weights at all. It’s all about the contraction deep into the muscles and it is INTENSE. Just ask my husband who can benchpress or deadlift 2 times as much as I weigh, but still struggles through a barre arms series every time. The small and sharp movements, the way we target the muscles from all angles, and the deep…
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Park Bench Barre Workout – Lower Body Focused Outdoor Exercise
I never realized how much the weather truly impacts my mood and daily experience until I lived in Ireland. I had only lived in places with dramatically different four seasons up until this point, but had often wondered what it would be like to be somewhere with a relatively consistent climate. Now I know. Thankfully, there have been many days of fabulous fall weather lately, and I have been busy trying to take advantage of it before the rainy winter season sets in. Lots of walks with Coco (who absolutely refuses to walk in the rain or bitter cold) and lots of time in the park admiring the vibrant leaves.…
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Barre a la Hilton Hotel Room :: Travel Workout
Although I have bemoaned the potential drawbacks of traveling for work here and outlined some the reasons that even fun vacations can throw your healthy habits off kilter here, I do actually love travel and believe it is possible to keep up the most important and foundational aspects of your routine on-the-go. In cases like these, it is vital that we remind ourselves (and I am mostly talking to myself here) of Voltaire’s wise words – “do not let the perfect be the enemy of the good.” Although you may not have the best workout of your life, simply moving your body in some way will make a world of…
