I had yet to officially revive my blog a few weeks ago when I attended Pure Barre while visiting my parents so this is a slightly delayed post about my experience. When I attended, I had notions of blogging again so I was sure to take careful mental notes about my experience. I've chatted some about barre workouts recently so why not continue the theme and share my experience with Pure Barre!
Unfortunately, living in Gainesville significantly restricts ones options in regards to specialty studios featuring "boutique" exercise programs. I hate that connotation a little since I think, while trendy, many of the "boutique" programs are here to stay for awhile. These boutique brands include barre concepts such as Pure Barre and Barre3, as well as SoulCycle, and OrangeTheory Fitness (P.S., Gainesville has an OrangeTheory coming this Spring!) to name a few. It's always nice to head out of town to a more populous area where these programs tend to be more popular and established. I love trying new things and would LOVE regular access to the variety. I've been trying to make it a point to take a class or try a new workout when out of town...typically easier said than done while on the road.
Knowing that we were headed to NJ back in December to spend 2 weeks with family for the Christmas holiday, I decided to scope out what the area was offering. I grew up in North Jersey and it is a densely populated, affluent area that is the perfect foothold for these studios. Luckily, I was able to locate a nearby Pure Barre Studio and Barre3 studio. Unfortunately, I had to cancel my attendance at Barre3 but was able to make it to Pure Barre. I even had great company! My brother's girlfriend is very into fitness and also instructs group fitness classes so she was more than willing to tag along and take class with me. If you've never attended Pure Barre before, keep reading for a run down of my experience, a breakdown of the class structure, my overall impressions, and thoughts about the studio.
I currently do Pure Barre in the comfort of my living room. The company offers a nice selection of DVD's and equipment filmed in different studio locations and guided by the founder of the technique, Carrie Rezabek Dorr. They even have two prenatal based home workouts available which I've been incorporating into my routine. As long as you have a sturdy high backed chair to hold onto, you can accomplish your own home version of PB easily. Sometime in the future I'll be reviewing the various DVD programs I've tried but I digress, back to the live studio experience.
I was so pumped to be able to attend a live class. Though I love DVD based fitness, especially for programs that are offered live but I don't have access to, it is always wonderful to be able to experience the energy of a live class. The music is always a little better, the energy of the room and other participants fuels your workout, and if you have an excellent instructor, you get the benefit of more clear form recommendations and even hands on adjustment.
The studio where we attended class was located in Wyckoff, NJ, about 15 minutes from my parents home. Yay for convenience! The studio is located in a newer shopping center and was easy to find. Upon entering the studio, it looks and feels very similar to other Pure Barre locations I've seen. The decor is a sort of rustic/modern with the bold Pure Barre logo and a nicely arranged, though small, check-in and apparel/accessories retail area. It's a smart concept to offer for sale the "uniform" of the class including stylish leggings and tops, headbands, water bottles, and of course, the sticky socks! We arrived about 15 minutes early as instructed for first timers and we were greeted by a very friendly receptionist who gave us our paperwork and introduced us to the instructor. I needed another pair of sticky socks for my home workouts so for $12 I was able to purchase a cute turquoise and black pair...though any socks should do.
(As for what to wear to class, long yoga pants or leggings are encouraged though capri length works too. Shorts are frowned upon and you probably wouldn't want to wear these anyway since you will perform many positions where "gapping" in shorts might be revealing. The longer pant also keeps your muscles warm. As for tops...a supportive, fitted yoga cami or tank will do the trick. Many will also wear a breathable but long sleeve top as well. The sticky socks are meant to keep muscles warm and provide a little extra traction though the studio floor is carpeted. The concept is a little weird to me since I'm so used to doing yoga and BodyFlow in bare feet on a yoga mat...but the socks are encouraged so...when in Rome...)
We were then greeted by our instructor Deihdra. She was incredibly welcoming and gave us a complete run down of how to prepare for class. We were instructed to leave shoes in the lobby, don our socks, and followed her to a room in the rear of the studio complete with cubby's for bags/coats, water cooler, bathroom/changing area and equipment storage. (FYI there is no childcare area or showers). Also in this area is their "100 club" bar. Participants who have completed 100 classes are recognized for their accomplishment and sign their name on the bar for recognition. Cute :) Deihdra then explained the structure of class, helped us choose equipment needed for the class (this particular day we used light hand weights, resistance tube, a small pliable ball, and a nice cushy mat). There were options for hand weights from 1-5 lbs. Since I was about 28 weeks pregnant at the time and trying to manage my intensity I chose 3 lb hand weights. I informed Deihdra that I was expecting, though it was hard to miss, and she was very helpful. Though I had already informed her I was familiar with my prenatal Pure Barre home workouts and was a group fitness instructor, she was more than willing to chat with me about exercises she had planned for the class so I was better prepared to modify. (PS, Pure Barre, or similar fitness programs, are an excellent low impact option for pregnancy.) She explained to us that she would check on us often and since we were new, to anticipate some hands on adjustments from her. She was quick to eliminate any notions of intimidation and told us to work at our pace and within our comfort zone.
We then took our places for class. There were about 12 other participants at the 8 am class. The studio itself is somewhat dark with bright ceiling spotlights directed at the walls featuring large scale photographs of women performing different Pure Barre exercises. The ballet barre extended the length of each opposite studio wall, the walls were mirrored, and the floor was carpeted. I sort of love and don't love the overall feel of the studio. It's hard to explain. While I think the styling is modern and sort of trendy which is appealing, it's also sort of dark and moody. There were times when the lights were lowered a bit and I had difficulty seeing the instructor. While it may not have been my studio style preference, it would also be unfair to say that it detracted from the overall class experience. Given my preferences, I love to practice in bright, airy studio spaces...feeds my personal energy better...but at the end of the day it's more about the workout for me. The most important part...the studio and carpeting were VERY clean. There is nothing worse than a dirty fitness space.
It was clear Deihdra has a great rapport with her participants, many of whom were clearly regulars. The women in our class were of all shapes and sizes and age groups. They all had friendly banter between them and were welcoming to us as well. No cold shoulders or icy stares here! The instructor started the music and the warm-up began. I really enjoyed the music choices...faster paced current hits and some retro throwbacks. Very motivating and drove the workout.
As for the structure of the class, you'll perform some work in the center of the room starting with a warm-up which is a series of knee lifts, reaches, core work including planks, and stretches once you're warm. You'll then grab your light hand weights and begin a series focusing on upper body. After this segment you'll head over to the barre and perform different sequences of plies, leg lifts, and pulses using a "tucked" pelvis. Work then moves back to the floor or up against the wall under the bar for core work and more seat/thigh work. Between most exercises or exercise segments and at the end of class, you'll perform stretches to improve flexibility. The key throughout each segment is understanding the technique. In Pure Barre speak, the technique incorporates the concept of working from a tucked pelvis and performing small, near isometric movements. The instructor will frequently say "pulse" or "up an inch, down an inch". Who knew such small movements could make muscles burn! To learn a little bit more about the barre concept, head over to a recent post titled Let's Talk at the Barre. Deihdra was great about checking in on us, especially me, to make sure our alignment was good. Because my belly sort of affected the position of my spine and pelvis, I was appreciative that she took a few moments to periodically check on me and adjust my form or offer me a more comfortable way to stand or position for safety. Being pregnant, I won't lie and say I didn't have to modify some of the class. I wasn't able to perform some of the traditional ab work and the core work against the wall was a little bit difficult with my belly in the way. It was easy enough to substitute a different exercise or modify the moves to fit my needs. At this point you may be asking "did you feel the shake"? Heck yes we did! I definitely had to take breaks and I've been practicing barre for a little while! I'm not sure my muscles will ever get used to this form of training where is feels "easy".
A few final thoughts. Overall, the class was amazing and I wish I could attend regularly. As I mentioned in my prior post about barre workouts, while it wouldn't be my sole workout program, I'd love to incorporate a live class more regularly. I'll have to stick to my DVDs for now. If you're thinking about trying a Pure Barre class, the website has some great resources including some videos reviewing technique tips, etc. Also, keep checking your local studio's schedule since they often scheduled classes called "breaking down the barre" where they review many of the foundation exercises and concepts in detail. I've included a video below that is a great review of what to expect when you show up for your first class. As for price, this is a big factor for many people. I can't lie and say the class or packages were cheap. One class cost $24.00. Clearly, there is savings when you invest in a package. For example, new client packages will set you back $99.00 while packages lasting 3 months could set you back close to $300. An entire year of unlimited classes will cost you just north of $2000. Based on some quick research, each studio location across the US appears to be fairly competitive and consistent in their pricing.
So tell me. Have you tried Pure Barre? Another barre concept class? Do you do barre DVDs at home? I'd love to hear about your experiences and results!
Now is the time for me to mention that I have not been compensated by either Pure Barre or the local Pure Barre studio for this review including attendance at the live class or my use of their home DVDs and equipment. I independently decided to purchase DVDs, attend the class, and pay for my class. I subsequently chose to review my experience on this blog.
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