The Bar Method
March 6, 2012
Time to hit the BAR!
Ever since Natalie Portman graced the screen in Black Swan with her new and improved long lean figure, there’s been a revival of ballet and dance as a legitimate workout. I admit, I was one of those bandwagoners vowing to enroll myself into ballet lessons to achieve that rock solid cut silhouette that I so desperately lusted after. But after realizing that as a 26 year old woman I would have to start from the bottom up in a class full of 4 year old girls in pink tutu’s, I figured it would be an inappropriate way to spend my evenings.
Luckily a good friend of mine tuned me into The Bar Method. She had been doing it for almost a year and swore by the results, plus a long list of celebrity clients including Drew Barrymore, Dita Von Teese, Zooey Deschanel, Denise Richards, Kelly Osbourne (have you seen her lately?! wow seriously), Ginnifer Goodwin have the goods to prove it.
So what exactly is The Bar Method? It’s a workout that integrates the fat burning format of interval training, the muscle shaping technique of isometrics, the elongating principles of dance conditioning, and the science of physical therapy to create a revolutionary new workout that quickly and safely reshapes your entire bod. The fun thing about bar is that each instructor at the studio has their own play list so while you’re working out, the music helps distract you from the pain (ok maybe fun is not the correct way to put it but music does make everything better).
As an observer you may think, “that looks so easy, how do you get a workout from that?” but you’d be surprised how much those tiny isometric movements with light weights burn. I too had the same attitude during my first class but as the hour progressed I found myself in so much burning pain in my legs and arms I knew that this was working for me. Utilizing light weights, a ballet bar, your own body weight, and lots of stretching, this workout makes you long and lean rather than bulky and muscular.
FINAL VERDICT:
I signed up for the new client $100 for 1 month unlimited class special. For that first month I took on average 2 classes a week, sometimes three. By the second week I could really see the results. My trouble area are legs; I’ve always wanted lean legs but whenever I workout or run they just seem to get more muscular and bulky, Bar Method was the only thing that has worked for me so far to slim them down significantly. The workout will hurt during and especially after but the results are definitely worth it. I breathe so hard to push through the pain during class that I feel I get more cardio in the studio than I do when I go for a run. My tip to you, and this is also what your instructors will tell you, push yourself till you feel pain and hold it there until your legs start shaking, that’s the burn you need to feel to see results. I shake like a plate of jello in class and I love it!
