Barre classes are all the rage these days and filled with pliés, relevés, and frappés galore! The ballet-inspired exercises found in a barre workout were created to not only help you achieve a lean and toned physique but improve your posture and balance to that of a prima ballerina. What’s not to love?
As exciting as barre classes sounds, they’re typically expensive compared to your run-of-the-mill workout class and offered mostly in specialty workout studios. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the benefits of a barre workout at home! If you’ve been dying to hop on the barre workout trend but can’t seem to justify the hefty price tag that comes with joining a boutique studio, this at-home barre workout is perfect for you!
What Does A Barre Workout Consist Of?
Ballet-inspired workouts, like barre, are unique compared to other forms of exercise because they include technical movements that have been performed in ballet for centuries! Unlike ballet, barre classes often feature small balls, resistance bands, hand weights, and floor work. However, the movements used in barre are very similar to those of ballet (no tutu required).
When you take a class at a studio you can expect a blend of cardio, strength training, flexibility, balance, and core conditioning that targets the glutes, hips, abs, and arms. But an at-home barre workout isn’t nearly as complicated. By taking the fundamental movements from a barre class and making a few adjustments, you can still get an effective barre workout at home without having to spend a dime at a fancy studio.
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What Does An At Home Barre Workout Do For Your Body?
Barre is a low-impact workout that focuses mainly on helping you achieve proper body alignment, improve core strength and flexibility, and build lean muscle without putting a strain on your ligaments and tendons. It utilizes small isometric (static) movements through high reps and low weights to keep muscles long and lean. And because it’s low-impact, it’s easy on your joints and increases your bone density and range of motion.
Thinking of adding barre to your regular workout routine? Taking a daily collagen supplement, like SkinnyFit Super Youth, can help ease any additional stress that’s placed on your bones and joints and can increase flexibility.
How To Do A Barre Workout At Home
Performing a barre workout at home is very easy as long as you’re familiar with a few of the basic movements. The exercises in a barre workout are frequently French words as they derive from classical ballet terminology. Here are a few of the most popular moves to master if you want to learn how to do a barre workout at home effectively:
- Plié means “bent” or “bending”. This is when one or both knees are bent while the legs and feet remain turned out. There are a few different variations of a plié that involve different foot combinations (referred to as first, second, third, fourth, and fifth position).
- Relevé means “raised” and describes the action when a dancer lifts their heels and “rises up” onto their toes. This is the typical “on point” or “on toes” move we see most in ballet.
- Attitude, in ballet terms, refers to when the dancer is standing on one leg while the other is lifted in either the front or the back and bent at the knee in a 145-degree angle.
- Grand Battement refers to when a dancer throws their “working leg” into the air from the hip and brings it back down into a starting position.
- Allongé, simply put, allonge is when a position is stretched or made longer – the true test of flexibility!
The Best Ballet-Inspired Barre Workout At Home
Perform 30 repetitions of each exercise and complete three rounds total. You will need a sturdy chair with a back and a small set of dumbbells (optional). Here’s the workout:
- Plié Squat With Relevé
- Allongé Rotating Glute Burner
- Attitude Pulses
- Kneeling Reverse Battement
- Seated Leg Extension
