If you have been reading my blog for a while, I do a lot of home video workouts, especially now that I have to work around all of our schedules with Tuesday's new school.
Among my favorite home workouts are barre style, which basically incorporates small movements based on ballet that are done repetitively to really focus on them. I've reviewed some different types of barre videos in the past, most of which are linked in this post (linked as to not spam this post mentioning other "brands").
One of my favorites is Xtend Barre - Lean and Chiseled -- I like it so much, in fact, that it's currently the video loaded in my laptop. Well, truthfully, it has been a while since I've been doing barre videos regularly since I've been trying to hammer away at some other programs and lifting more weights. But I did start doing it again recently knowing that the studio was opening soon, and according to my Apple Watch, I'm burning about 200-ish calories for about 40 minutes of work (I don't have time to do the whole video usually, so upper + lower body segments come up to around 40 minutes). I feel like doing barre workouts at least somewhat regularly has helped me stay in shape even though I'm not putting in as much time into working out as I did before.
I was able to attend the Pasadena studio's first-ever public class and did a vlog about it. I mentioned in a previous post that I started a YouTube channel where I was going to start posting video reviews of things just because I find myself looking toward YouTube for reviews myself. The video is directly linked below.
The Pasadena Xtend Barre studio features barre, yoga, circuit, and TRX classes. I tried one of their barre classes with instructor Monica. There was a group of about 10? people taking this inaugural class, and it was definitely everything I expected: plies, butt-burning, arm workouts with tiny weights that feel heavy after a while, and core work. I was concerned that my recent rib injuries would make things especially rough on me, but nothing that was done in that class aggravated it too much. I'm still figuring out what my limitations are as I recover, but thankfully, this wasn't a limiting factor for me. I did, however, tell the instructor prior to class, just in case. You should always do this if you feel like you may need to modify in any way!
The class started off with plié and squat variations, and then the arm work with 1-lb weights. There were 2- and 3-lb options, but everyone was taking the 1's, and I think they were the right choice. Though all the arm exercises did add up, I will say that these recent months of heavier upper body work at the gym made this a little less painful than I remember barre arm work to be.
The toughest parts of the class involved this giant rubber band wrapped around either your arms or legs that really brought on the burn. I've actually never used this before with any of my videos or in any other environment, so I learned something new for sure! The latter parts of the class focused on the core with pulses and planks.
I definitely sweated and felt my arms and legs a little weak afterward, which is a good thing. As I said in my video, I'm still trying to see how I can fit in time with this studio, which I won't know completely until they settle into a schedule. While I don't see myself going everyday because I still want to tackle other fitness pursuits (and don't know what to do about my current gym membership), I do want to exercise in a group once in a while. I don't "get out" very often or do group fitness anything, but it's a nice change and motivating!
The studio itself is obviously clean from being so new, and well-lit. The owner and instructors that I've seen so far are very friendly. There's a cool sign-in device in the front, which I can foresee being useful when you're rushing in to the class, lockers, and merchandise for sale. The big (BIG) plus is a kids' room -- I would totally bring Tuesday there, except I'd need to wait a bit because he's still upset when I leave the room abruptly. Surveillance cameras are up in the kid room and lobby.
This studio is a great addition to the area, and I hope to be able to take advantage of it however I see it fitting into my current lifestyle. The bottom line is, stuff like barre, although very different from running and such, is a good exercise that yields results.
Here's the video review:
(Not quitting my day job yet, LOL!!)
------
FTC Disclaimer: I came for a complimentary class and was not otherwise compensated to provide a particular opinion.
Among my favorite home workouts are barre style, which basically incorporates small movements based on ballet that are done repetitively to really focus on them. I've reviewed some different types of barre videos in the past, most of which are linked in this post (linked as to not spam this post mentioning other "brands").
One of my favorites is Xtend Barre - Lean and Chiseled -- I like it so much, in fact, that it's currently the video loaded in my laptop. Well, truthfully, it has been a while since I've been doing barre videos regularly since I've been trying to hammer away at some other programs and lifting more weights. But I did start doing it again recently knowing that the studio was opening soon, and according to my Apple Watch, I'm burning about 200-ish calories for about 40 minutes of work (I don't have time to do the whole video usually, so upper + lower body segments come up to around 40 minutes). I feel like doing barre workouts at least somewhat regularly has helped me stay in shape even though I'm not putting in as much time into working out as I did before.
I was able to attend the Pasadena studio's first-ever public class and did a vlog about it. I mentioned in a previous post that I started a YouTube channel where I was going to start posting video reviews of things just because I find myself looking toward YouTube for reviews myself. The video is directly linked below.
The Pasadena Xtend Barre studio features barre, yoga, circuit, and TRX classes. I tried one of their barre classes with instructor Monica. There was a group of about 10? people taking this inaugural class, and it was definitely everything I expected: plies, butt-burning, arm workouts with tiny weights that feel heavy after a while, and core work. I was concerned that my recent rib injuries would make things especially rough on me, but nothing that was done in that class aggravated it too much. I'm still figuring out what my limitations are as I recover, but thankfully, this wasn't a limiting factor for me. I did, however, tell the instructor prior to class, just in case. You should always do this if you feel like you may need to modify in any way!
The class started off with plié and squat variations, and then the arm work with 1-lb weights. There were 2- and 3-lb options, but everyone was taking the 1's, and I think they were the right choice. Though all the arm exercises did add up, I will say that these recent months of heavier upper body work at the gym made this a little less painful than I remember barre arm work to be.
The toughest parts of the class involved this giant rubber band wrapped around either your arms or legs that really brought on the burn. I've actually never used this before with any of my videos or in any other environment, so I learned something new for sure! The latter parts of the class focused on the core with pulses and planks.
I definitely sweated and felt my arms and legs a little weak afterward, which is a good thing. As I said in my video, I'm still trying to see how I can fit in time with this studio, which I won't know completely until they settle into a schedule. While I don't see myself going everyday because I still want to tackle other fitness pursuits (and don't know what to do about my current gym membership), I do want to exercise in a group once in a while. I don't "get out" very often or do group fitness anything, but it's a nice change and motivating!The studio itself is obviously clean from being so new, and well-lit. The owner and instructors that I've seen so far are very friendly. There's a cool sign-in device in the front, which I can foresee being useful when you're rushing in to the class, lockers, and merchandise for sale. The big (BIG) plus is a kids' room -- I would totally bring Tuesday there, except I'd need to wait a bit because he's still upset when I leave the room abruptly. Surveillance cameras are up in the kid room and lobby.
This studio is a great addition to the area, and I hope to be able to take advantage of it however I see it fitting into my current lifestyle. The bottom line is, stuff like barre, although very different from running and such, is a good exercise that yields results.
Here's the video review:
(Not quitting my day job yet, LOL!!)
------
FTC Disclaimer: I came for a complimentary class and was not otherwise compensated to provide a particular opinion.
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