Thursday, March 30, 2017

My Workout Routine & Why I Love Barre3

Happy Thursday y’all! I am so excited that it is almost the end of the week and even more excited to have this post for y’all! Over the years I’ve gotten a number of requests to share my workout routine and while I have shared bits and pieces before I’ve never really had a set “routine” so to speak. I enjoy running and doing cardio at the gym but sometimes it takes a lot of effort to get myself to actually go. About a year ago though, I was introduced to Barre3 which has quickly become my favorite workout.  



Barre3 is an hour long workout class that “mixes athleticism, grace, and the latest innovations designed to balance the body.” In a sense, it is a full body workout that uses low-impact movements to fatigue the muscles in order to tone the body making it strong, lean, and balanced. The class is split into sections focused on toning different areas of your body and each part lasts about 10 minutes. The class begins with a warm up to get the body moving and warm the muscles. Next comes leg work typically at the barre, then combo work in the center of the studio, followed by seat work, core work, and finally a stretch. While these areas are focused on during their specific time periods of class, Barre3 does a great job at incorporating exercises that combine these muscle groups allowing them to work for an extended period of time. During each portion of the class you’ll hold a specific exercise, move it small, and then move it big to flush out the muscles after exhausting them. There are a few props that the studio provides that are used during the class such as a ball, resistance band, and weights. They even provide mats so you really don’t have to worry about bringing anything aside from yourself!


I’ve done other barre style workouts and wasn’t as big of a fan of the environment or class as I have been with Barre3. The Greenville studio is so bright with windows and mirrors surrounding the room. The owners, staff, and instructors are always so sweet and it is the perfect escape from student teaching or life at Furman since for the most part at the studio I go to the ladies who attend the classes aren’t necessarily college students. I really became hooked on Barre3 as an escape from school and work that allowed me to do something for myself without being entirely unproductive.  Another added bonus is that I am able to exercise a number of parts of my body within an hour long class that I wouldn’t necessarily know how to tone on my own at the gym. While it would be more convenient to just go to the gym on campus I’ve discovered that I am a lot more consistent with my workouts when I go to Barre3 since I schedule them in advance and genuinely enjoy them. As for the price, Barre3 has membership packages that you can purchase or you can buy a certain number of classes. I always opt for the membership package because it tends to be a better deal depending on the number of classes I can attend in a month. The Greenville studio has a $99 unlimited special for students and teachers and that is what I always opt for. If I am able to go 5  times a week for each week during a month that makes each class equate to about $5 which is pretty affordable. It’s also really nice that as a member you get access to online workouts as well. This makes it so that when I know I don’t have the time to devote to go and workout at the studio I don’t have to completely skip my workout and can do it on our balcony or in the kitchen instead!


I usually come straight from student teaching to workout since it is on my way home which makes it so that I have to pack a workout bag before leaving in the morning. Since I have to leave my apartment pretty early I have found that it is easier to pack my bag for working out at night or over the weekend packing enough outfits for how many times I think I’ll be able to make it to class that week. This makes getting ready for the week and working out a lot easier since I tend to forget parts of my workout attire if I pack it in the morning. I also like to pack a snack in my bag as well! Usually a granola bar or something with a decent bit of protein will suffice.




As for what to wear, the attire is similar to what you would wear to a yoga class or other barre style workout. I opt for a pair of workout leggings, a sports bra, tank top, and grip socks. Most Barre3 studios have cork floors so you can easily go barefoot however, I have come to like wearing socks. My favorite are from the brand Sticky Be. They come in a number of colors with encouraging sayings on them which is helpful motivation during class. At the Greenville studio, Barre3 sells a number of cute workout clothes that would be perfect to wear to class. The leggings I am wearing in these photos as well as the tank were both purchased at the studio. Barre3 has their own line of workout merchandise (including this tank) and I am a big fan of the quality and styles of the pieces I own from them. In addition to the Barre3 line, my studio sells a number of other great workout lines such as Alo (which is the brand of my pants), DYI, and Beyond Yoga to name a few.

I'd love to hear from y'all some of your favorite workouts or if you've tried Barre3 or other barre style classes!

3 comments :

  1. I've never tried barre, the name always makes me a bit afraid! Thanks for sharing your workout, it was great to learn more, now maybe I'll try it hehe.

    Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
    http://charmainenyw.com

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  2. Thanks for writing such a great post. I really enjoyed reading that content.
    starfall | barney

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  3. I do Pure Barre and absolutely love it! My studio also sells clothing out front, which I love but it's also so dangerous as I'm always so tempted to buy new workout clothes!

    xoxo,
    Katie
    chicincarolina.blogspot.com

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