Crosstraining with Barre3

After getting out of my comfort zone to try Flywheel, I was excited to use my month of Class Pass to try out Barre3.  So, here's my rundown on the experience.

First off, I thought going on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving might be a bit quiet.  I was wrong.  This place is BUZZING with activity and every. single. spot. in the class was being utilized!  There were a handful of other newbies, so I'm thinking that people might have brought family or friends along who were on vacation for the holiday.  At the location nearest to me, they also offer childcare in the lobby area that has a few toys and a play kitchen.  So there was also the craziness of kids and moms getting situated.  It's great that they offer it, but my kids are a bit too old, I think.

Once I checked in and signed the waiver, they instructed me to grab a ball, small hand weights, a strap and to choose a space between two brackets along the barre.  And like I said, after I chose my spot, the class filled up quickly.  

from the Barre3 website

We got started right on time with some dynamic stretching and into an arm workout at the barre.  We moved on to a series squats, planks, a long series of 'donkey-kick' exercises, some more arm work, finishing up with ab work.  Everything was easy to follow as none of the instruction is in any weird terminology like an all Sanskrit yoga class.  Also, there were a couple of other instructors taking the class along with us to refer to during the workout.  Additionally, Barre3 has a Youtube channel where you can check out the workouts, and even do them on your own. Per the website, here's how they move through each of these exercises:

Our signature 3-step sequence delivers a balanced, total-body workout that you can do anytime, anywhere. All movements are low-impact and designed to burn fat, build muscle and break through plateaus.

1. Isometric holds work your muscles to their deepest point and increase strength and endurance. Holding still strengthens your muscles continuously; it also gives you time to make sure your alignment and posture are perfect before you move.

2. Next, we add controlled 1-inch movements. These create just enough relief in the muscles to maintain the integrity of the hold for maximum benefit. By layering on one inch, you heat the body, increase your core strength, and rev your metabolism.

3. After completely taxing the muscles, we flush out the body with functional, large, dynamic moves. This cardio blast lifts the heart rate, improves circulation, and energizes the body.

My body was definitely shaking during some of these moves, and I'm already feeling that donkey-kick series on my glutes.  Tomorrow's DOMS should be interesting...


All in all, it was a good workout, but there are a lot of things that we do in my bootcamp class that are similar.  And, well, bootcamp includes way more cardio and is included in my monthly Y membership.  Additionally, the Y offers a ballet barre class, as well as a yoga pilates class.  HOWEVER, if I didn't already have a gym I love, I'd definitely recommend it for a way to get some strength training in and switch up your routine!