I got toned at Pure Barre

 How to tone and strengthen muscles you didn’t know you had. 

The basic set-up: Barre is a group of girls (usually up to about a dozen) spread out. You use a squishy ab ball, 2 or 3-lb weights, and a resistance band. Like yoga, the instructor is at the front of the room with a microphone on walking you through each of the movements. Barre targets very specific muscle groups by making micro-movements in your arms, legs, seat, and abs. It is a full-body workout in a totally different way from a HIIT workout in that your whole body will be sore the next day, but it is a deeper kind of sore and in different places. Your form is key in barre because you are targeting very specific muscle groups and the movements can look really similar but have totally different effects. While it may look easy from the outside, halfway through the warm-up, you will be shaking and wondering how you will get through it. 

Rating: 10/10- This is my favorite kind of workout and I will be back a lot. The Fort Worth Pure Barre is particularly great and has the best instructors. I describe Pure Barre as a pretty girl exercise. You will feel like you are the coolest, prettiest girl the entire time you are at their studio and you will feel fit through the next day!

What I liked: I went to Pure Barre once in college and now once here and they always have the sweetest gals working and the Pure Barre trainers are the best at fixing your form throughout the workout. Barre feels very pure in how simple the movements are yet how effective the workout is at making you stronger and more toned. For me, it is easier to let go of any stress that I’m carrying while doing barre compared to loud, aggressive type workouts because you have to really zone in and concentrate on the movements rather than aggressively attacking a treadmill. I love realizing that I had a great workout when I cannot sit up the following morning to get out of bed and if you love that too you will definitely get that from Pure Barre! I’m not sure what order I’ll post these in, but I went to Orange Theory on a Wednesday and Pure Barre on Saturday and while I was sore from Pure Barre, it also stretched me out and was a great recovery from the HIIT workout as well.