Barre: Bar, Bear, or Bare...Let Me Know

One word...barre. Many questions. Is it pronounced "bear or bar?" What does it mean? One thought before taking this class was "bare," meaning without exercise equipment and seemingly organic exercise. Another option was "bar," that would include lifting a bar without any weights on it and using it throughout the workout. Neither seemed like my cup of tea, but both seemed better than a "bear" of a workout.

Courtesy of PicMonkey

This is one of the exercises we did. Credit

Well peeps, I'll let you know here and now that I was completely wrong. I am owning up to false preconceived notions. We walk in and there are individual black ballet bars. Each person lines up at a bar, after picking out weights. The haunting indecisiveness of choosing the weights returned to me this week. Everyone was picking up three pound weights, which told me two things. Number one, that whatever we are doing with these weights must be hard if people are only picking up three pounds. Or, number two, everyone must be as weak as me. The first option was definitely the more correct inclination. (I chose three pounds btw, definitely a mistake lol)

Plie...credit

So class starts with one hand on the bar and the other out like a ballerina. We probably did like 1000 plies. (Pronounced pleee-aa) If you don't know what a plie is, see gif on right. First ten minutes flew by, the burn was real, and I was living my childhood fantasy.

When distance runners show off their muscles.
Credit 

After this we switched to arms, picking up the weights. To all my runners out there you understand the pain of arm workouts. This turned into a pattern throughout the class: leg workouts were my safe haven and arm workouts were the bane of my existence.

It was after this first arm workout portion that I discovered a surprise in the room across from us. Male ballerinas. Real ballerinas, not wannabes like me. I though I was in the Nutcracker or something. They were twirling and jumping. You had to be there.

Peep the small ball I was talking about...Credit

After legs, arms, and watching male ballerinas, we moved on to pilates. A small ball was used that added a new and interesting element to annoying abs. Honestly, I enjoyed the ab workout, which isn't something I say often.

Seriously friends, this is my favorite class so far! It is difficult, meaning I will be sore tomorrow,  but it is not so hard that it makes you want to die and never come back. (Flashback to Bootcamp Tabata) I feel like it is a toning workout that will make you bikini (or speedo lol trying to be inclusive) ready! Summer here we come! Let me know if you have ever been to Barre or if you would ever consider going. 'Til next week!