A Week with Barre3

I confess—I’m a sucker for all these group-buying sites. I check them every single day, hoping for a good bargain on something on my wish list. When I saw a deeply discounted deal for Barre3 classes, an unlimited week-long pass for only PhP 895 (compared to a single class that costs PhP 700), I jumped at it immediately. My curiosity was piqued after I saw the studio’s window describing it as “ballet barre meets yoga and pilates”. I waited for a free seven-day spell in my calendar, thinking that I’d go every day to maximize the deal. I’m fairly fit, with four years of exercise under my belt, I thought to myself, so this Barre3 thing should be easy peasy.

And so Barre3 would later kick me in the ***.

When I called the studio for an appointment, I was asked if it was my first time; and since it was, my first session was on the house, and I can start claiming my week-long coupon on my second visit. I was told to bring a pair of sticky socks, and that yoga mats and other props will be provided. I visited the studio 30 minutes before the class on a lovely Saturday morning to check out the facilities. Everything was clean and pristine, from the white and orange-themed bathrooms to the hygienic cork floor in the studio. They also provided lockers, hot showers, and free drinking water (they encourage bringing your own water bottles to refill).

Faye, the instructor that morning, noticed that there was a new face in the class, and asked me if it was my first time, which I confirmed. She then helped me pick up a ball and a pair of 2 lb dumbbells (there were also straps on the shelf, but we weren’t using them today) and told me to stand next to her at the barre, so I could easily observe her movements, and for her to correct my poses if I was doing them improperly. I really liked how comfortable I was made to feel, since it was my first time in the class.

The class started with a five minute warm-up at the center of the mirror-lined room to get our heart rates going, before we moved to our places at the barre. The barre really is the only element that’s lifted from ballet—there is no dancing here—and the techniques are mostly derived from pilates, with the emphasis on stretching and lengthening the muscles while using your own body weight. On the barre, we were made to do variations of push-ups, which I’ve found is an amazing workout to trim your arms, and doing them on the barre makes them more accessible for those who struggle with doing push-ups on the floor. Most of the exercises on the barre focused on the limbs, and a mere 20 minutes into the workout, I didn’t feel tired at all, but when I saw my reflection in the mirror, sweat was pouring down my face—this was one helluva workout. In between workouts, we were instructed to go into the foldover pose to relax. This was one of my favorite moves.

We then proceeded to the mat workouts, which mostly focused on strengthening the core. The ball was either pressed between our thighs or calves, or above our tailbone to facilitate movements, such as sit-ups. The dumbbells were incorporated for some moves, but they can be ignored if you’re struggling with the added weight. Even if we were lying down or sitting up on the mat while exercising, make no joke, these exercises were intense. On the mat, the relaxation poses were the child’s pose and the happy baby stretch. Again, I found myself really relishing these moves.

Peace of mind and concentration are the yoga elements that Barre3 borrows, most evident in our cooldown and breathing session at the end of the workout. After the hour-long class, I didn’t feel tired at all, so I went on to play basketball later that afternoon, when I rolled my right ankle, which already had a history of injury. This will play a part later.

When I woke up the following morning, I was greeted with excruciating pain in pretty much every muscle in my body. Really, it took me a while (and plenty of groaning) before I could get out of bed. This was Barre3 having its revenge after I initially belittled it. For the rest of the day, every movement, even mere walking, was accompanied by a tinge of pain. You can say that this is proof that Barre3 provides a total body workout.

I started my coupon one week later, and I dragged Dr. ilegna csm along with me for her to take her free trial. She enjoyed the workout with Z, our instructor that day. That was when I noticed that my right thigh was struggling from my basketball injury; I had the most difficulty with squatting, even while holding onto the barre. I stubbornly soldiered on through the pain with liniment and paracetamol, hoping to maximize the week. But by the third consecutive day, my right leg was absolutely failing, not being helped by driving daily. I decided to skip class on the fourth day and took up Gisa’s offer of dinner and drinks with Tanya and Karen.

Mercifully, things were better in my class the next morning with Mel, with the soreness in my thigh and leg significantly reduced, although not completely alleviated. I was able to press on with two more consecutive classes with Viel, and on my seventh and last day, I got a good indication of how much stronger even just a week of Barre3 made me—I was able to hold a classic plank for a full minute, the first time I’ve ever been able to do so without falling. Everyone else did the easier modified plank (with the knees acting as the fulcrum, instead of the toes), so I was really proud of myself.

Even if I had classes with the same instructors for consecutive days, as I had with Z and Viel, for example, they mixed up the programs, which was really nice. The classes are fairly small (a maximum of just 16 people in the Alabang studio I went to), so everyone can pretty much recognize each other, and the instructors will make it a point to get to know you if you’re new. There’s no reason to feel intimidated at all.

I didn’t take before-and-after measurements, but my abs feel tighter, and I’d like to think my arms also managed to look more compact. Barre3 includes plenty of exercises targeting most women’s problem areas, such as the arms (triceps), tummy, butt, and thighs. I particularly struggled with the exercises targeting the thighs (because of my injury) and the obliques (because those muscles are rarely used every day), so I was really glad that I got a workout for those muscles.

I think Barre3 is great for both beginners and for seasoned workout enthusiasts. The instructors recommend some modifications to make the moves easier or harder, depending on your fitness level, and you can also inform the instructor before the class if you have an injury or a pregnancy so that she can include some special modifications to accommodate you.

If I win the lottery, the first thing I’m buying is an annual Barre3 membership! I definitely got hooked on it, although sadly, my budget and schedule are preventing me from fully committing to it just yet. One option I’m considering so I can continue Barre3 is to do one or two workouts a week, especially during the rainy season, while I also do my own workouts at home. I don’t want this to be the last I’ll see of Barre3. I’ll be back, I promise.
 

Visit Barre3 Philippines's Facebook page

Visit Barre3 Philippines's official site for schedules and rates