My Honest Review of Barre Class
As an avid CrossFit athlete, I figured I could crush pretty much any workout presented to me.
So I went into my first ever Barre class with confidence. Mistake.
It kicked my ASS.
Before the class started I looked around nervously. I knew I looked out of place. I was in a cut off t shirt and shorts while everyone around me was head to toe in LuluLemon. I saw the other ladies grabbing dumbbells, a blow up ball (looked like the ones you played dodgeball with in gym class) and bands.
I confidently walked to the 10 pound dumbbells and grabbed them- meanwhile I looked next to me and saw Ms LuluLemon with 2 pound dumbbells. At the time, I didn’t even know they made dumbbells that small. I internally felt victorious.
Our gorgeous instructor with a perfect ballerina body came in and we got to work. To my dismay I realized what “pulsing” was the hard way. That dodgeball wound up inbetween my thighs while I was in a sumo squat up on my toes “pulsing”. I have not felt a burn like that in my legs EVER- even on a 20 rep max backsquat.
The movements we did were not crazy aerobic movements, they were small micro movements with a ton of time under tension. I found tiny little muscles all over my body that I didn’t know existed- and they HURT.
I also wish someone had told me to settle down when I grabbed those 10 pound dumbbells. We did lateral pulses with the dumbbells towards the end of the class. Aka I had to hold the dumbbells out to either side and do small pulses with straight arms. I quickly realized the 10’s were a mistake. After I had all I could take, I walked to the bin and grabbed 5’s. That only last for a few rounds. Then I walk of shamed back to the bin to grab a final set of dumbbells. How much were they? You guessed it… the 2’s. The girl next to me probably internalized her laughter.
After the class was over, I realized that I was in great shape for CROSSFIT workouts. I was not in great shape for Barre. And this was an important lesson! There are so many different kinds of workouts out there that can make you stronger and healthier. The great part about there being options is that if you absolutely hate one- you can try something else until you find your thing.
I really enjoyed the challenge barre gave me and I have been back to classes since (I never attempted the 10’s again that’s for sure).
Barre seriously kicked my butt. I love this workout option ESPECIALLY for someone who needs low impact and wants to gain strength.
Also: this is your reminder to get outside of your comfort zone! The environment I started out uncomfortably in turned out to be super supportive and challenging. I learned new exercises and tips that I took with me long after my first class.
