Jennifer Tries....Barre

Oh yeah, three-day weekend, oh yeah, whoop whoop! Are you so excited?! I’m so excited. Life has been non-stop since we got back from our honeymoon. ::sigh:: I miss Oahu every day. This weekend we were supposed to be heading up to the panhandle to visit some friends, enjoy the sweet sunshine and relax. Unfortunately I have some reading/projects/studying I have to do so those plans got cancelled. MAN! And I really wanted to  visit my favorite popsicle joint! They serve gourmet fruit popsicles. That is basically a fancy way of saying they don’t contain any added s@#% and they are delicious! Anyone know a place like this in Tampa?

If I do anything this weekend IG worthy I will definitely post it on the blogs Instagram so be sure to stalk me there so you can join in the fun!

What do you have planned for this weekend? Time with family? Mini vay-cay? Sitting on your butt binge watching Netflix? I mean, those all sound great to me.  Whatever your plans, enjoy!

So, we are almost through May which means it’s time for this month’s Jennifer Tries!

This month I tried Barre. If you’re not familiar with Barre it is a ballet based fitness class. Now, this doesn’t mean you’re going to need point shoes to attend, it just incorporates several movements from the ballet practice to help strengthen your legs, glutes, core and posture.

I have been interested in trying Barre just to see what the craze is all about. I have been reluctant to do so because it just looks slow. If you haven’t figured it out by now, I don’t do slow. But, I thought I would finally give it a try. I recruited my amazing Esthetician /friend to join me because I’m just socially awkward in new group settings.

Most Barre classes are held in individual studios as opposed to your normal gym setting. Reserving your spot in crucial to make sure they have enough room and equipment to accommodate you. I went online prior to the class to reserve our spots. My friend did more research than I did and read that we needed sticky socks so we wouldn’t be sliding all over the place.  I thought that was so funny.  In my mind, I thought we would be the only nerds with sticky socks but I wasn’t going to make her wear them alone.

The studio was small and inviting. Our class consisted of the instructor and only 3 other women besides us. And, they were wearing sticky socks! I felt more comfortable then for sure.

The instructor went over the basics with us and then the class began.

We started on the barre. I know, what a concept right, the class is only called Barre Jennifer. Duh! We spent about 20 minutes performing multiple ballet and balance movements on the barre. During a couple of movements, I could really feel the burn. It also really made me more aware of my posture which I tend to struggle with.

Then we moved on to weighted movements. We used 1-2lb weights (those little pink balls pictured above are the weights, LOL.) You’re thinking, “that’s it?” and so was I, especially since I train with weights daily but hot damn! My shoulders and biceps were burning. We also used bands for additional upper and lower body movements.

We finished the class with what the instructor called a minute circuit. It incorporated weights, abs and barre movements. There were 5 different exercises and each had to be performed for 1 minute. The longest minute EVER! My legs and abs were burning for sure!

Overall I enjoyed the class. It reminded me of Pilates but with a ballet twist. As I said, it made me more aware of my posture as well as my breathing. The instructor had to tell me a couple times to breath. LOL. I also utilized muscles I don’t typically target in my weight training so it was good to feel challenged in those areas. It was definitely a total body workout.  Plus, it was amazing the work you can do with those tiny weights! My biceps were sore the next day.

My only critique is that I didn’t sweat. I am so used to killing myself every time I enter the gym that I set that as my standard for a good workout. Would I try Barre again, Sure! I won’t take it on as my daily practice but it was nice to do something low impact and at a slower pace so I could really pay attention to my body.

It helped me become more aware during my weight training. In the days following I have really taken notice of my posture and alignment which is something I’m not as mindful of as I should be. It made me realize I need to incorporate more lower impact, slower paced exercise into my workout regimen so I can preserve my muscles and joints instead of beating them up all of the time. 

Oh, and you don’t have to look the part to take the class. I walked in with my basketball shorts and sweat wicking t-shirt I typically wear to the gym and no one looked at me sideways. So, wear something comfortable that you can move in and don’t forget your sticky socks!

If you’re interested in trying Barre there are several studios in the area. The studio we went to was Spark Fitness. Here a link so you can check them out!  http://sparktb.com/ They also offer Pilates and spinning.

Suggestions of other fitness classes or just fun things I should try? Comment below!

Need quick fitness ideas for the long weekend so you can spend less time working out and more time enjoying your time off? Check out the blogs Pinterest for quick workout routines!

Don’t forget to follow the blog! Help me grow this mother! Just scroll down and click the follow button!

And please share with your friends and on the socials!

Ok, enough already! Have a wonderful weekend and stay safe!