Barre Workouts: Ultimate Beginner’s Guide

Are you new to barre workouts? Here’s an ultimate beginner’s guide to help you get an idea of what to expect in a barre class.

Barre workouts have exploded in popularity over the last few decades as an effective workout style with a plethora of benefits. Typically designed to tone and strengthen, a barre class is typically a mixture of ballet-inspired exercises combined with Pilates, cardio, strength training, stretching, and yoga.

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What are barre workouts?

Barre is a type of workout that combines elements of ballet, Pilates, yoga, strength training, and cardio into a single, intense exercise. Regular practice of barre workouts challenges muscle endurance and strength by focusing on isometric motions and leading to great calorie burn.

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History of barre

Barre was first created by German ballerina Lotte Berk in the 50s. Berk came up with a barre workout after suffering a severe back injury, which gave birth to the idea of combining dance with her rehab therapy to create a unique fitness class.

Initially, it was called the Lotte Berk Method, but with its popularity in New York and Los Angeles, the name was changed to barre. Since then, it has been adopted by fitness professionals around the world.

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Benefits of barre workouts

Barre workouts reduce stress (Photo via Pexels/Kat Smith)

There're plenty of benefits to doing barre exercises. Some major ones include:

• Increases body flexibility
• Improves balance and posture
• Increases bone strength and density
• Develops full-body endurance and strength
• Enhances focus
• Reduces stress and anxiety
• Improves muscle definition
• Improves core strength
• Elevate heart rate and promotes cardiovascular strength
• Low impact and easy on joints
• Requires little or no equipment

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What to expect in a barre class?

While every barre class is different and depends on your goals and focus, a basic barre class may include the following:

A typical barre class starts with a warm-up. You may use a stool or chair to start a glute or leg-focused workout. For core work, you may use a mat and incorporate blocks, weights, or other exercise props into the session for additional toning and strengthening. Barre workouts usually end with yoga-inspired or stretch cool-down exercises.

Some barre classes also use resistance bands, small balls, hand weights, and other tools for floor work. However, all that depends on the class and your trainer. You don’t really need a ballet-style dress for class, instead, you may simply dress in workout clothes that are comfortable and loose enough to help you breathe easier.

A barre class offers a full-body workout. (Photo via Instagram/annavansambeck)

Typically, there're three major foot positions in a barre class, namely parallel, ballet 1st position, and ballet 2nd position.

Parallel - In the parallel foot position, you need to line up your feet with your hips and keep your toes pointing straight. The toes, knees, hips, and ankles all require you to be in a straight line.

Ballet 1st position: In this position, the heels should be together with your toes turned out to the sides. This position activates the external rotators of the hips.

Ballet 2nd position: In this position, the feet need to be stepped out wide with your toes turned out and the heels turned in.

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Who should avoid barre workouts?

Generally, barre workouts are safe and suitable for every age and can be modified to suit different fitness levels. However, as with any type of exercise, it's best to consult a doctor before starting the workout. That's especially important if you have injuries or any kind of chronic pain, or if you're pregnant.

Always remember that every barre class is different and varies from one instructor to another. So, it's best to seek advice from the trainer to determine if the class suits your fitness level and goals.