I woke up 24 hours after taking my first barre class, and my legs were sorer then they’ve ever been... and I played college soccer. Why try barre you may ask? I had the privilege of trying out a Barre3 class before it opened to the public for BeautySweetSpot (no, Jeannine didn't make me) at their new Manhattan flagship studio in the West Village, taught by the Founder, Sadie Lincoln. Wouldn't you?
As I walked in to the pristine second floor village studio, I was pretty intimidated, but my anxious feelings were quickly put at ease thanks to the incredibly friendly (and fit!) staff. Unlike other barre classes I've heard about, Barre3 consists of a three-step formula. Step one is based on position holds that work your muscles and adjust your alignment. Step two involves controlled, one-inch movements which helps increase core strength and warm up the body and step three is a cardio blast with large dynamic movements. You repeat this method throughout the hour-long workout.
We started in the middle of the floor with some simple standing positions, than moved to the bar for standing planks and squats, and eventually moved onto the floor for extra core and glute workouts. And a great workout it was. Each circuit easily allowed for multiple different modifications based on your body’s ability. You know how there are those times in a workout class you don’t modify to prove that you’re in just as great of shape as everyone else? It wasn’t like that here. You felt comfortable enough to achieve the best workout according to what you're able to do. And Sadie continuously stressed that, making you more relaxed and focused on what you should be strengthening.
For instance, I have a bad ankle, so for some of the toe rises, I stayed flat-footed and focused on how to strengthen my thighs in my modified position. And I can promise you my thighs did not miss out. Another thing I loved about it was that during certain circuits, it didn’t even feel like you were working out. It seemed like you were just holding a pose, maybe even stretching. However, my body today says otherwise.
Barre3 is a great way to get in shape with an encouraging atmosphere that seemingly delivers results quickly. Your body may hate you the week after, but you will love your body in just a few more.
Barre3 opened just this week and is located at 63 W. 8th St. NYC. Don't live in NYC? No worries. They have online workouts that are just as good if you're determined.
