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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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Barre is “My Happy Place” :: Why Exercise Makes Us Happier
In recent conversation with a friend (after barre – OBVIously), we were talking about upcoming weekend events, which led us to lament those days when life gets in the way of “barre time.” Now in this case, she was looking forward to some special occasions and fun things which of course she was more excited about than if it were extra hours at the office, but nonetheless we both agreed that missing a chance to shake at the barre was never something we dealt with well. Although we realized with a laugh that this is probably not something everyone would understand, we completely agreed – life is better at the…
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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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Cultivate Poise and Perfect Your Posture with Barre
I am yet to become a member of the Mom Club (and in no rush to get there) but I am interested to see what the induction process looks like. Judging by how universal and ubiquitous many of the methods and admonishments are of mom’s everywhere, I suspect there must be a whole carefully guarded secret oath, rulebook of tenets, or doctrine to which one must pledge. My mom, true to these unwritten rules of motherhood, used to always (much to my annoyance) reprimand me to stand up straight or to fix my slouching posture. And even more annoying is when years later, I learn and understand the million and…
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Celebrating Four Years at the Barre :: The 4 Most Important Lessons that Barre has Taught Me
Tomorrow marks two very significant events in my life. The first, is my mother’s birthday. I cannot begin to put into words just how much my mom has taught me, supported me, and shaped who I am and am striving to become everyday. If you have met my mom, I am willing to bet that you may have been a bit stunned. She is good at just about everything and she is someone who can and does take on multiple superhuman tasks all at once, executing each one to an unprecedented level of exceptional. Long story short, she is pretty amazing. And I remember clearly calling to wish her a…
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Priorities, Rocks, Pebbles, and Sand
One thing I need to remind myself of often is the unpleasant reality that “working” can be one of the most insidious forms of procrastination. Many times I can distract myself or delay working on my highest priorities or the most important things because I convince myself that I am busy being otherwise productive. I love my daily To Do List. It makes me feel organized and productive just writing everything down in one place so that I can map out the day strategically. I always check my calendar for any classes, meetings, or appointments which occur at particular times and add them as well as deliverables, assignments, and errands…
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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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Building Grit and Mental Strength One Barre Class at a Time
Nature vs. nurture – one of the oldest and most longstanding of all psychological debates. Although this was a formerly hotly debated and central issue in the field, most researchers and people in general now accept that each of us are indeed powerfully influenced by not one or the other, but both biology and genetics as well as society and culture in almost every facet of our personality, preferences, tendencies, talents, and inclinations. A lot of evidence supports a variant of set point theory, which argues that we all have a genetically determined range for our weight, our aptitudes, our intelligence and even our happiness. But it is important to…
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The What, the Why, and the How of That “Barre Shake”
I am definitely biased, buuuuuuut barre is just the best! Aside from the sense of camaraderie and community, the upbeat music, and the indescribable “barre high,” your body is challenged in a totally unique way. It’s low impact, but definitely not low intensity! No matter who you are or how fit you are, it is a shockingly challenging workout. Barre is full of tiny, isometric movements and contractions which generate a big burn and epic shake in your muscles regardless of how strong you are. Seriously – even professional athletes and Olympians (recently witnessed at Flex in the City firsthand – with our special guest Derval O’Rourke!) experience that tremble…
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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…
