Hardcore training at barre
Stephen Heard heads to the barre, and finds it’s tough pulling Pilates moves and plies.
Launching one leg onto the pole was unnatural from a male’s perspective; my class members completed the exact same motion on an even higher bar with ease.
Part ballet, part Pilates, part yoga, barre is a full body workout that will leave you feeling like a tender piece of meat. I donned some grip socks at Auckland’s Barrefigure for an introductory lesson. A common misconception is that you need previous ballet or dance experience and that you have to be female. It’s for anyone. Rather than demanding you to perform a grand jete across the floor, the technique simply takes influence from foundation movements like a plie. The ballet barre is used for balance during movements that use natural body weight and isometric contractions – a form of contraction that sees the muscles tense but not change in length. The yoga element comes from stretching and breathing; the Pilates philosophy is in the postures and core work. Free weights, bouncy balls and resistance bands are also used, and grip socks for extra stability. Dancer-turned-Barrefigure founder Marysa Dalton revealed that each muscle group will be worked to exhaustion before being stretched out for relief. She also said that when the muscles shake it’s a good thing and to persevere. The classes follow a 60-minute format, but we did the express 45-minute version. A warm-up involved holding poses before making tiny pulses in the same position to murder the muscles faster. There were upper body exercises using free weights, including slow and controlled bicep curls, tricep extensions, movements isolating the shoulders and back, and everyday press-ups. The real test came during the leg and seat exercises using the barre. The task of launching one leg onto the pole was unnatural from a male’s perspective; the rest of my class members completed the exact same motion on an even higher bar with ease. We worked the thighs across several postures, including multiple variations of plie squats; the burning sensation was considerable. There was no rest between movements. The glutes were next. Balancing on one leg with the ball perched between the thigh and knee and gripping the barre, we rotated and extended MARK HUNT our legs in several directions, both static and pulsing. As my muscles reached boiling point and the ball bounced off into the distance, I had to tap out for relief, several times. Some light core conditioning and stretching closed a well-rounded, total body workout. I left as the most visibly exhausted and sweat-drenched member of the class. Muscle fatigue developed later in the day around the thighs, glutes and back. As well as increasing the heart rate, barre improves posture, alignment, flexibility, strength and endurance, and helps create a sought after ‘‘barre body’’: leaner, longer and more graceful. Dalton says you can expect to see results in as few as eight classes, including results like toned arms and back, sculpted thighs and butt, a flatter abdomen, and increased energy. While barre is low impact on joints, tendons, ligaments and the spine, the intensity on the muscles is brutal. The drawn-out movements can be challenging, and beginners or those with injuries are encouraged to go at their own pace. But exercises can be reduced or amplified depending on your ability. Barre was far harder than expected. It shouldn’t be taken lightly.