There is no doubt that ballerinas have an enviable tone to their bodies, so it is easy to see why barre workouts are gaining popularity worldwide.
Barre Attack is one, in particular, that is taking the world by storm, with founder, former professional ballerina Renee Scott training up hundreds of trainers Australia wide. In fact, in Australia over 10,000 Australian practice her workout every week, why? Because it gets some serious results.
Here are some reasons why ballerinas swear by this ballerina workout
1. It’s not a dance class, it’s about building strength and endurance
A lot of people firstly mistake barre as a dance class, but it is, in fact, a high intensity, strength-based endurance workout that is designed to strengthen up a ballerina’s (or clients) muscles to ensure they are strong enough to perform their routines. That means it is a workout that is very accessible for everyone to do and you will get the same benefits. Other than building strength and endurance, the workout is also designed to help prevent injury, tone and build healthier stronger muscles.
The best way to build long, lean muscles is through endurance-based exercise. That means light weights and high repetitions which is a key thing in a barre attack class. We also often work the micro-movements/ small movement patterns such as a squat or lunge pulse which is great for working those smaller muscles that you often don’t reach when doing a full rep. Pulses are great for tone and strengthening the smaller muscles that often get neglected which in turn helps with injury prevention. Within 15 seconds you will feel the burn.
2. Cardio
While strength and endurance are important, so is cardio for getting into your fat burn zone and for hiking up your metabolism. Not all barre classes include cardio, but we think it is important to ensure you get an all-round workout so we have cardio bursts all throughout the class with burpees, planks, star jumps, and frog squats. We will usually pick a cardio exercise that works the same muscle group that you were just working in the resistance component as the muscles are already fatigued and therefore will get better results.
We also often do cardio bursts that require you to get your hands over your head as this also helps to raise your heart rate
3. Minimum equipment required
While in a physical class we do incorporate a barre, resistance bands, loop bands, and sometimes ankle weights however you can in-fact do the entire workout at home with just your body weight. Therefore it is a great workout for when you are in lockdown, traveling, or if you just want to train at home. It does not require much space and you can get results with little to no equipment
4. Pregnant and postnatal women love it
While you should always consult your healthcare practitioner or tell your trainer if you are pregnant or post-natal, Barre Attack is a class that is popular with this group of ladies. Why? Because it is low impact, focuses on standing stability and alignment focused movements. It is great for building greater body awareness, retaining core muscle structure, helping with posture and building endurance physically and mentally before the birth This makes it one of the best workouts for soon to be and new mums.
Renee Scott is a former professional ballerina and the founder of Barre Attack. She is also a certified Pilates teacher who trained under Romana Kryzanowska, the direct descendant of Joseph Pilates. She also owns Balance Moves in Bondi Beach which is the original home of Barre Attack.
Balance Moves is now streaming Barre Attack via Zoom. Teacher Training is also taking place virtually as well.
