Pure Barre & Me

A little about me to start, my education background is in Athletic Training, and now I am a certified Atheltic Trainer. An athletic trainer is a health care professional specializing in sports medicine and performance. Athletic Trainers are different than personal trainers. Personal trainers specialize in exercise training. Athletic Trainers are familiar with exercise as well, knowing the proper way to work out to increase performance and minimize injury. But they also work closely with coaches, nutritionists, and medical providers to coordinate the care involved in helping to keep an athlete in tip-top shape.

Through my education, I am well versed in the benefits and necessity of exercise. That being said, I am also human, and I often need a big push and extra motivation to get up and go work out. I know why it is essential and healthy for me, but cardio is the bane of my existence.

I went to my first Pure Barre class at the Forth Worth Location during a summer I stayed in Texas to take courses and work with the football team. The first class was hard! My legs buckled and shook, and I sweat more than anyone else, it seemed. But I learned that this muscle shake is one of the objectives of each Pure Barre class! And although it was hard, it was fun, and I kept coming back every day for my first free week! Each workout felt more manageable, and I kept getting stronger. The instructors are fun and positive. They make an effort to learn your name so they can celebrate you when you are doing excellent on a set.

I received an email yesterday after walking out of class in Del Mar. It said I had just attended my 100th Pure Barre class! This achievement took what seemed like forever due to school, football, and moving from Texas to California, but I have looked forward to this milestone since my first week. So here is a post to celebrate!

What is Pure Barre?

Pure Barre is the largest and most established barre franchise with more than 500 studios across North America, Canada, and more on the way. It is a 50 minute, low impact high-intensity exercise that utilizes isometric muscle contractions to lift, tone, and burn. An isometric contraction is when you hold a specific position in flexion for an extended length of time, doing only tiny pulses while holding that tension. To an onlooker, the small movements may look simple, but controlling the movement requires small support muscle strength and they very much make you feel the burn. At the studio, you will be using the barre for standing support, as well as light weights, a rubber ball, and resistance bands. Each class has the same general structure, so you always know what to expect when you come to work out. The flow of the workout starts with a full-body dynamic warm-up, which leads into arms, thighs, seat (glutes), and ends with core training and stretching.

Since I have started, two more class varieties have been created, Pure Empower, and Pure Reform.

Pure Empower

Pure Empower is 45 minutes of heart-pumping intervals that are quick-paced, still targeting all the same muscle groups and giving you the classic Pure Barre burn. According to the class description, Pure Empower is a high-intensity, low impact, full-body workout that combines strength training with cardio-centric circuits. To raise the heart rate, expect lots of quick lunging activity. The workout incorporates a platform during push-ups, mountain climbers, and other fun floor exercises to strengthen and improve balance. Pure empower is an excellent supplement to the traditional PB regimen if you're looking for a low-impact activity to increase cardiovascular fitness. The Pure Barre workout is great for expectant mothers and individuals with conditions requiring them to be mindful of high-impact exercises.

Pure Reform

The Pure Reform program was created to accompany the Classic's strength training and improve balance and coordination and flexibility. It utilizes resistance-based exercises and sliders to target and shape 50 major muscle groups! If you are familiar with pilates, Reform is the most pilates-esque of the three classes, resistance bands mimicking work done on the reformer machine. Reform takes everything clients love about Pure Barre Classic to the next level through the use of resistance bands and sliders.

In conclusion

I like to remain objective and genuine when I review and recommend things on Jeremy Jac. So I'm electing to list some pros and cons of Pure Barre.

Pros

• Full body workout! All Pure Barre classes target all the major muscle groups in your body.

• The attention to balance and coordination in Reform applies to skills needed in everyday life. Reform can help prevent some side effects of aging.

• Low-impact movements and optional modifications, make the class more inclusive or more challenging as needed for participants. Pure Barre may be a safe option for pregnancy and for people who have had previous surgeries or replacements that affect their ability to participate in other modes of conditioning.

• You can see & feel the difference in your body very quickly. Nothing dramatic, but I can see the difference two weeks of consistency makes on the shape and tone of my body – and more importantly, I could feel myself getting stronger too! Important note: It takes at least 5 classes to get the hang of it. You will feel confused, the pace is fast, and it won’t be perfect. But you will get there, and it’s such a satisfying feeling when you do! Make sure if you're going it try it you take at least a few classes before you decide it is not for you.

• The Class Length & Convenience. Class only takes an hour, but you use that hour to the absolute fullest. I always walk out feeling accomplished (and already sore), but I never feel as if I didn’t get a good enough workout in. Time well spent, without taking up your entire evening.

• The Instructors and Community. Every location has different instructors, but from what I’ve gathered, at the Fort Worth and San Diego locations is that they’re all fantastic people. They're great at motivating you, helping you adapt certain moves for your injury and condition, and they get to know you and your goals personally. Their attention to detail ends up being very motivating!

• It Targets Body Areas that Women Typically Dislike. Pure Barre targets five core areas: Your Arms, Abs, Thighs, Back, & Seat (aka your booty). You can run all day long on a treadmill, but until you isolate and target those pesky love handles or the side of your butt, you most likely won’t see the results. The movements are designed to isolate particular muscles to the point of total fatigue – and that’s where you see a change! Since it is impossible spot-target fat burn, specific muscle toning is the best chance we have at improving a problem area.

Cons

• Cost It’s no secret that Pure Barre is pricey. There are different levels of membership to choose from, but the unlimited class pass is by far the best deal. I signed up for an annual contract to wiggle my price even lower, but it’s still an investment. The way I justify it? I genuinely enjoy this workout. I'll actually go! I can explain scientifically how vital exercise is, and rave about the lifelong benefits of cardio and strength training, but the truth is if I don't enjoy my workout enough to take booty to the gym, I probably won't work out. The reason Pure Barre works for me is that I enjoy it and get value out of my membership. When I am consistently attending, I feel so confident about the positive changes in my body and my strength. I personally don’t want to put a price on my self-esteem. The Unlimited membership also comes with a subscription to Pure Barre on Demand, an online stream where you can follow a video from anywhere you can access a computer. So, even when I'm out of town or don't go to class, I have a fighting chance and not missing my workout for the day.

• You Get What You Put Into It. After about two months of attending, there was a point I felt I wasn't being challenged as I was when I started. At first, I thought it must be because I am incredibly advanced (giggles). But then I realized, it’s because I had gotten stronger, and wasn’t pushing myself to my limits anymore. If you aren’t willing to put the work in, you won’t get the rewards.

• Schedules & Waitlists It varies between every studio, but sometimes it can be challenging to find one with a location and class times that are perfect for you. There are typically about 5-6 classes offered in a day, which can sometimes be hard to schedule around work. So if you're not a morning person or have to combat unpredictable traffic after work, I would look into the classes offered at the studio by you.

Most studios have a deal for new clients to try a class for free, so I would highly suggest giving it a shot if you found yourself interested in the workout I've described. I love it and would recommend it to any of my friends. The Pure Barre official website can be reached by clicking on any of the pictures on this post. There you can find the studio closest to home. You have nothing to lose, but so much to gain! If you end up trying a class, let them know I sent you and share your experience with me! I would love to hear how it goes. I hope you're having a good day today, my friends.