What goes on at Pure Barre?
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
I’m not a go to the gym person at all. I hate the gym! I’ve always liked just walking around my neighborhood and sometimes dolight hand weights in ky home when I remember. 
I was a dancer as a child and always enjoyed it for exercise. What can you tell me about Pure Barre classes? Also, is it something I can approximate at home? |
Anonymous
| All kinds of shenanigans! |
Anonymous
I’m OP; this made me laugh! |
Anonymous
| NP here. Is this something you need to be shape with to start or can a newbie do it? The video looked a little intimidating! |
Anonymous
| Is Pure Barre similar to Pilates? Would you get the same kind of workout? |
Anonymous
| It's a lot of small isometric movements. When you do the bar work it's really tough and your leg muscles start shaking. Lots of floor work as well. |
Anonymous
Honestly even if you are in shape, the first time you go it'll feel crazy hard and you'll take little breaks (which is fine!). I don't mean crazy hard as in you'll be panting and unable to keep up all class - it's broken down into sections (abs, thighs, etc). The leg portion is the toughest - tiny little isometric movements designed to fatigue your muscles. It's hard but over fast (and very effective!). It gets easier as you go more frequently, but remains challenging...you definitely feel the burn. You should give it a try! Just do what you can and don't worry about taking breaks as needed, it's not a big deal |
Anonymous
Thank you! You’ve given me the courage to try it! I’m going to sign up for a class this week. |
Anonymous
You can absolutely do it if you have a positive attitude and don't care about looking slightly clueless. Because there is a lot of terminology to learn and you're going to feel like everyone around you is a lithe barre expert and you're a bumbling oaf. But the learning curve is not steep and you just have to stick it out a couple classes. But yes it will be hard on your muscles. But it's still hard for people who have done hundreds of classes; that's why we keep doing it. |
Anonymous
|
Since you danced as a child:
Barre is pretty much all of the work of a dance class before you get to the across-the-floor and choreography bits. I love it for that reason:I was great at the barre work as a child, but terrible at the “actual dancing.” 
|
Anonymous
| Would an overweight (size 16) person be welcome? It seems like it's mostly women with 5 pounds to lose, not 50. |
Anonymous
| what happens at Pure Barre stays at Pure Barre..... |
Anonymous
You'd be very welcome but you depending on how secure you feel about yourself, you might not feel welcome. It can definitely be intimidating because the type of exercise does lend itself to women who are already somewhat in shape. You have to wear more form fitting clothes for alignment and have to look in mirrors constantly, so personally I don't feel comfortable going when I'm larger. That's a personal issue, not a barre exercise issue, but I imagine I'm not alone in feeling that way about my body. It's sort of a vicious circle. Overweight women feel intimated so they don't go, so then there aren't any overweight women there and new overweight women feel intimidated. If you're unsure you could try starting with a barre class somewhere less branded than Pure Barre. Like at a community center. The cost of Pure Barre leads to a selection of women who are very polished and outfitted in the cutest Lulu while the group at a community center may tend a bit older and less Barbie-seeming. |
Anonymous
| ^ NP here. So that sounds like a hard no |