Barre-Workout: Everything about trend sport-and what Expert: say inside about the trendy training
The evidence from the glamor editorial team could not be more clear: barre workouts can be addicted (okay, we admit it, the evidence is anecdotic, but-trends are just one of our special areas). It all started with this one colleague who said that she was now going to the barre - and only a short time later the words “Arabesque”, “Passé” and “Plié” were heard from all sides.
And we are not alone with our enthusiasm. On Instagram, Tikk or YouTube, countless videos can now be found under the keyword “Barre”, which promise that - once you started - never again without thatwants to live. Reason enough for us to take a closer look!
Barre-Workout: Everything aboutitTrend sport of the hour
What is Barre and why is it so effective?
Even if the videos on Tikkok suggest: "A barre workout is not a classic ballet," explains Michael Byrne, founder of Feel the Barre Boutique Fitness Studio in Berlin, the first barre studio in Germany. "But it combines various elements from ballet, pilates, strength training and yoga." A central - and also eponymous - role plays the ballet stick, on which the exercises are carried out, the so -called barre. “And we work with stretched feet to create these beautiful long lines in the leg that we know from the ballet,” Byrne adds.
Otherwise, Barre has little to do with the classic dance. Barre focuses on movements with a low load and high repetition number that should strengthen, tighten and stretch the muscles. High intensity meets low impact: there are no jumps or uncontrolled movements, but there are many exercises that really let the muscles burn. “Low impact, i.e. low loads, means that the joints are spared, but it is by no means a“ easy “training”, says Byrne: “Imagine that you pulsate during a deep squat exercise, then you do as many triceps stretching exercises as possible with a light weight and then a lively plank sequence. There are also choreographies or simple rhythmic repetitions. ”
Feel the Beat-Music for Barre-Workout is so important
At the barre, the music sets the pace: "The exercises to be carried out in such a way that you stay in time is exhausting and stresses the muscles," explains Byrne, who has worked as a dancer and choreographer for years before opening Feel the Barre together with his partner in Berlin's Prenzlauer Berg. "It is also more fun!" Unlike the ballet, there is no classic piano music in the background - but beats that drive.
What does a barre hour look like?
Basically, a barre lesson includes a number of exercises, "all of which contain small, controlled movements and work with the body's own resistance," says Mariana Muñoz, owner of the Boutique Barre in Madrid. Instead of being expansive, the movements are pulsating and are carried out carefully. "The exercises are short, but we attach great importance to the correct execution of the movement, the body orientation and the balance," said Muñoz. That makes barre so effective.
In some barre studios, light weights and balls, Pilates rings, Therma ligaments or fascia rolls are used. “We useAnchor WeightsAnd ligaments, but also weights like Kettlebells, ”says Michael Byrne. But that is not the case in all studios.
Feel the Barre
How does Barre affect the body?
"Barre works with exercises that are carried out very consciously and in different tempos," explains Byrne. "It is a very mindful full body training." One that uses various muscle groups with the help of targeted movements, including legs, buttocks, belly, the arms and back: "There is no muscle that is not stressed." It is crucial that one is in a very upright attitude most of the time: "The back and the abdominal muscles, i.e. the core, remain active all the time."
This in turn promotes balance - and also the attitude in everyday life, outside the studio. "The controlled, focused movements help with the barre to improve balance and attitude, which can have a positive effect on daily life and injury prevention," explains Mariana Muñoz.
Barre training increases the flexibility, says Muñoz: "The range of motion of the joints is increasing." Men would also benefit from this, emphasizes Michael Byrne: “I have already done barre training with a rugby team in England to train strength in the legs and train their balance. It was fantastic. "
How will your body change if you do a few barre session? Different muscle groups - especially on buttocks and legs - tighten and shape. The many isometric exercises - i.e. exercises in which muscle groups are simply tense - strengthen endurance. In addition, your cardiovascular fitness improves and fat burning is stimulated. Barre may seem elegant and light -footed - but it has it all.
Feel the Barre
What mental advantages does Barre have?
Like so many other sports, Barre can have a positive effect on mental health. For Michael Byrne, this has to do with the upright attitude, which in the best case can also be retained outside the barre room: “For us it says:Eyes up, chest up, chin up, spirits up.. " The saying not only works in a figurative sense: "If you stand up, you immediately feel happier, more confident and more relaxed." The result: self -confidence is increasing.
Mariana Muñoz also emphasizes that a barre workout could reduce stress and fears: “Since you have to concentrate on barre training in order to carry out the exercises correctly, take the background.” According to Muñoz, conscious breathing could relax the mind, similar to yoga. The repetitive processes-even if each: R Barre trainer: Developed in very individual workouts, the hours are similar in their structure-would also train memory, according to Muñoz. In addition, she encourages mindful movement: "Due to working on posture and body control, the spirit of the movements of the body becomes more aware of every moment."
This is also something that Byrne is watching with his customers: "You leave our studio and still go upright - because you have internalized the attitude during the hour."
Where does Barre come from - and who is it suitable for?
Barre goes back to the German ballet dancer Lotte Berk, who suffered from back problems in 1959 - alive in London and developed a form of training that should combine elements of physiotherapy with gentle movements from yoga and the energy of the ballet. The exercises mainly took place on the Barre - the ballet stick. Nevertheless, you don't need dance knowledge to complete barre workouts, Byrne assures: "Barre was adjusted so that everyone can do it." Basically, barre is suitable for almost every body, he emphasizes: “It is suitable for runners: inside who want to prevent knee injuries, for active athletes: inside, for returners: inside, for pregnant women and for people beyond 70,” says Byrne.
This applies above all because the intensity of all exercises can be adapted. But also because it relies on mindful repetitions (which can burn, so much is said): "Barre protects the joints and is therefore suitable for people with joint problems - or for people who are looking for a gentler training option," explains Mariana Muñoz.
What do you wear with the Barre?
Admittedly, we are still in love with-Your favorite is enough for the barre studio. Light sportswear that offers freedom of movement and good hold is ideal for yoga and pilates, but also for Barre.
Where can you train barre?
Here are a few studios who have barre training on offer:
- Berlin
Feel the Barre Boutique Fitness Studio, Bötzowstraße 26, 10407 Berlin
Feel the Barre Boutique Fitness Studio, Stralauer Allee 15, 10245 Berlin (reopening in May 2025)
- Düsseldorf
Becycle & Beyond, Oststr. 54–56, 40211 Düsseldorf
- München
Ballet Barre, Ballet Center Schwabing, Franz-Joseph-Straße 38, 80801 Munich
