This post is sponsored by Pure Barre – Rochester MN. All opinions are 100% my own.
First thoughts when I first heard Pure Barre was opening up in Rochester:
“OH! Kinda like advanced stretching. I can for sure do that!”
I joined.
First Class
I arrive a bit early and was warmly greeted by one of the owners, Anna, and her new team of barre instructors. I checked in using the iPad at the front desk. After taking off my birks in the lobby, I slipped on my special Pure Barre sticky socks that helped with traction and grip. I was feeling cool and confident in my brand new athletic leggings with cut outs towards the bottom (you know, the kinda trendy ones right now), and cool and comfortable top…blousy but comfy. Because clearly, I would just be doing advanced stretching. I picked up the three tools you will use during each class: a small red ball, stretching tubes and a set of free weights (grab the lightest..trust me). I took my spot at the back of the class and waited.
And then class begins.
We begin to march in place and my heart rate starts to rise. Wait, where’s the stretching? From the moment class starts to the time it ends, my heart rate is elevated the entire time. I sweat, I plank, I shake (just like they say!)…and after I made it through the first class, I felt like I could conquer the world. But advanced stretching, it is not.
What Is It?
Pure Barre utilizes a ballet barre to perform a series of isometric (think static…you’re not contracting your muscle) movements that focus on toning a specific area of your body. With each isometric exercise, you will only be moving 1-2 inches at the most! After beginning warm-up, arm exercises, some stretching, and the famous Pure Barre 90-second plank, the toning and strengthening exercises begin. You’ll start out by engaging in an isometric move by pumping or holding your limbs in certain positions anywhere from 30 – 60 seconds. The set then continues with a micro change to the exercise (indicated and modeled by your instructor) that will focus on a different area of the muscle group being targeted. At the end of a set, you may have spent 4-5 minutes working one muscle group but it will be an entire work out for that muscle.
What I Love
What I found surprising about Pure Barre is that I had a total body workout. Complete from head to toe. In each class, my arms, legs, seat, and core are all engaged. The muscles worked in each of those areas changes from class to class, but each area will be worked. The unexpected aspect of Pure Barre is that my heart rate also remained elevated for the majority of class…and for long stretches within that fat-burning target heart rate zone.
◆◆ I was also delighted to find a kind community of women from all walks of life coming together for Pure Barre. Young women, single-in-the-city women, retired women, working women, stay-at-home women…all represented in a single barre class.
◆◆ The instructors are truly remarkable. They are knowledgeable, kind, provide hands on correction, and/or training to isometric movements (so you know what to do!), and they are always available for a chat after class if you have any questions.
◆◆ All athletic abilities are represented. Honestly. If you take anything away from this post, I want you to know that ALL athletic abilities are represented. Sometimes we might be fearful to try something new because we don’t want to be the “worst” one in class. Please know…if you are interested in Pure Barre but are hesitant because of this reservation…you will not be alone in your skill level. Yes, there are women taking the class that could very well teach the class, but they also started out at their very first barre class once not knowing any of the moves and wondering if they were the “worst” in class. You will be welcomed regardless of your skill level or current physical fitness. I was basically moved to tears by how welcome I felt when I started.
The Challenges
Folks, this is not a relaxing yoga class. Again, advanced stretching it is not. You will work the entire 55 minutes of class. You will feel muscles that you legitimately did not even know existed. You will feel frustration and you might not even want to come back. And then class will end, and you will feel on top of the world. Here’s some things to keep in mind:
◆◆ You will not understand every move after the first class. Pure Barre moves have a little bit of a learning curve and you might not think you accomplished anything at all during a muscle series. You *did* work that muscle and you *will* understand, promise.
◆◆ Pure Barre instructors will openly tell you that it takes 5-7 classes for it to “click.” I absolutely found this to be 100% true for me. By my 5th class, I distinctly remember thinking, “Oh, THAT’S how this is supposed to feel!”
◆◆ You will be sore. There is no getting around this. Isometric exercises are meant to exhaust a muscle group, and it will be exhausted…trust me. Please keep this in mind…taking breaks during the exercises is very normal and very expected. Pure Barre classes are not designed for you to do every exercise perfectly from start to finish. You will need to take breaks during the movements…embrace that!
Verdict
I have tried many, many forms of exercise over the years. Free weight strength training, extended cardio sessions, swimming, Zumba, Pilates, etc. While I saw success and loved each of those exercise methods for different reasons, I have never seen or felt transformation like I did with Pure Barre. It was almost as if I could see my muscle fibers getting longer and leaner with each session.
I feel strong. I feel healthy. And most importantly, I have found an exercise method that I am embracing for me and my self-care. Nothing quite prepared me for the feeling of satisfaction that brought to me. Yes, I am keeping my health in mind…but Pure Barre has turned more into a personal whole-body and mind wellness endeavor. I’m sold. Bring me the shakes, because I’m a bona-fide Pure Barre convert!
