Barre is a 3 in 1 workout: it combines ballet, yoga and pilates. When performing barre exercises, you do not need to pour out liters of sweat to get stronger muscles, and at the same time a slimmer and more feminine figure. Read about barre training and learn about examples of exercises that you can do yourself at home.

Trainingbarrebecame popular a few years ago thanks to the movie "Black Swan" starring Natalie Portman. The actress, preparing for the role of a ballerina, practiced under the supervision of dancer Mary Helen Bowers. The trainer also developed a program containing activities derived from ballet that every woman can do at home. Her idea for trainingbarremet with great interest of women (and slightly smaller men, although they can also perform these exercises) and found their way to fitness clubs as an offer of activities for people not professionally related to dance.

What is barre training?

"Barre" means a bar with which ballerinas practice, but it is a training for people who had nothing to do with ballet before - just like the aforementioned Natalie Portman or other stars practicing it: Madonna, Kelly Osbourne, Denise Richards . Barre also draws from yoga and pilates. During training, accuracy is more important than the high number of repetitions and the speed of their execution. The main goal of the barre is to shape shapely buttocks and slim the thighs, which are issues that many women care about in particular. Barre works especially intensively on the lower parts of the body, strengthening the muscles of the torso, spine and improving our posture - after a few weeks of classes, walking with an straight back will be almost natural for you.

During an hour of barre training you will burn 300 kcal. It is intended mainly for people who want to give their body a slimmer shape. Barre training, although it is based on ballet, does not require the ability to perform pirouettes, on the contrary - the movements performed should not be difficult for anyone, even if we participate in the classes for the first time.

Watch a sample barre training on the video:

Source: X-news (Dzień Dobry TVN)

What does barre training look like?

Barre training starts with warm-up - exercisesfor the upper body, such as dumbbell exercises, push-ups, planks, and other activities to strengthen the biceps, triceps, chest and back. Then you move on to exercises with a bar and your own body weight, which are aimed at strengthening and firming the buttock muscles and slimming the thighs. During training, the core muscles ( core ) are also constantly working. Finally, there are stretching exercises - stretching to bring relief to the muscles after hard work.

Barre exercises for slender legs and firm buttocks

Below are some examples of barre exercises that you can do alone at home. Remember to maintain the correct posture while exercising:

  • straighten your knees;
  • tighten your thigh muscles and buttocks;
  • pull your hips under you;
  • pull your belly in by sticking your navel to your spine;
  • remove the shoulder blades.

Plié squat on shapely thighs​​

Stand up straight. Bring your heels together, pointing your toes outward. Do a squat, bending your knees wide to the sides so that you feel the muscles of your buttocks. As you go down, simultaneously lift your arms above your head in a smooth movement, then lower them. Do 20 repetitions.

Squat plié on legs wide apart

Stand with your feet apart, pointing your toes outwards. Do a squat by bending your knees to the sides. Lower yourself until your thighs form a single line and are parallel to the floor. You can raise your arms and bring them together above your head, or keep them stretched out to the sides. Repeat 20 times.

Do barre exercises for 45 minutes at least 3 times a week.

Moving the shrunken leg forward

Stand up straight with your legs together. Pull in your stomach and tighten your buttocks. Place your hands on your hips. Move your right leg forward (leg should be straight, taut, feet tucked) and accentuate the movement by touching the floor with the tip of your toes. Bring your legs together again. Repeat 10 times on each side. Do the same exercise by sliding your shaggy leg out to the side and back. Do 10 repetitions on each side.

You can do the same exercise by sliding your shaggy leg out to the side and back. Also, do 10 repetitions on each side.

Przysiadpliéat the bar (chair) on the buttocks

You don't need to have a bar at home to practice barre - instead you can rest your hands on a chair, wall or windowsill.

Stand facing the bar (or the back of a chair) and place both hands on it. Do a plié squat (as in exercise 2). When returning to a standing position, lift upbent leg to the side and do the squat again. Repeat 10 times on both sides.Lunges on the bar (chair) for firm thighs​​

Stand facing the bar (or the back of the chair) and place your hands on it. Bring both legs together. Throw one leg to your side and bend your knees to do a plié squat. Come back to the starting position by bringing your legs back together. Repeat 10 times on each side.

Worth knowing

Barre training outfit and accessories

The most important thing is that you feel comfortable during training, so choose stretchy leggings or leggings, and for the top - a loose t-shirt, under which you can wear a bodysuit with shoulder straps. Don't invest in shoes - the barre is practiced barefoot or in soft ballet shoes or even in socks. You also do not need any specialized equipment - all you need is a mat and a support - a chair, wall or window sill. You can diversify your training with dumbbells or a gym ball.

The exercises will be made more pleasant by rhythmic music - its choice depends only on you, because barre can be trained for classical music by Tchaikovsky, and for jazz, as well as contemporary pop music.

Barre training effects

Barre training slims the body and stretches the muscles, which also become more durable. Overall condition and balance improves. The range of movements of the exercising person and their fluency also increases - he gains more control over the work of his body. Thanks to barre training, the arms become stronger (but not more massive), and the protruding belly - smaller. Barre is a combination of cardio training and strength training, so it burns fat and builds muscle at the same time.

Another effect of systematic barre training is the restoration of the correct - upright - figure. Exercises will be useful both for younger and older women, because they strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, which in turn can facilitate childbirth and protect against such an uncomfortable ailment as urinary incontinence. Barre training is very safe, the risk of injury is minimal, which is why this type of exercise is also recommended for pregnant women. Barre can also be used as a form of corrective exercises or as a supplement to any other type of training. Like any physical activity, barre has a positive effect on the psyche, improving the mood.

Examples of barre exercises come from the CD and the booklet "Barre. Recipe for a perfect figure" by Mariola Bojarska-Ferenc and Piotr Lewandowski. The presented training takes 50 minutes and can be divided into 10-minute segments for individual muscle groups.

About the authorAnna SierantEditor in charge of the Psychology and Beauty sections, as well as the main page of Poradnikzdrowie.pl.As a journalist, she cooperated, among others. with "Wysokie Obcasy", the websites: dwutygodnik.com and entertheroom.com, the quarterly "G'RLS Room". She also co-founded the online magazine "PudOWY Róż". He runs a blog jakdzżyna.wordpress.com.

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