Barre Class Review- Embrace the Shake!

I’m thrilled to kick off my Fitness Class Review Series with an amazing workout- REVBarre with Alli! I’ll be sure to share all of the sweaty details with you, including what to wear, how much it’ll cost and whether or not all those millions of reps are worth it. Disclosure: I was not compensated for this review. This is my honest opinion. There is an affiliate link floating around this post though. If you do make a purchase, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. 

Barre Class Review- Embrace the Shake!

About the Reviewer- Me (The Good Mama)!

Age: 25-34

Current Fitness Level: Moderately active (exercise 3-4 times a week)

Fitness History: I have been active my entire life. I played softball and cheered in high school, played intramural sports in college, and continue to run, workout at home and attend fitness classes. I do have the tendency to get bored with the same activity, so I like to switch up my workout routines every now and again. I’m currently pregnant and trying to workout and stay as active as I can.

Class Details

Fitness Class for review:  REVBarre located at REV Indoor Cycle & Fitness 3342 Limekiln Pike Chalfont, PA

Pricing: A drop-in class is $19, but there are a variety of packages you can buy.

Is there child care? Yes! It’s $2 and W loves it there. Seriously, he didn’t want to leave this morning.

Do I need any special gear, & what should I wear? You don’t really need any special gear, but they like you to wear the special grippy socks. You can buy them at REV (along with some other cute workout gear) or you can purchase some online. I wear yoga pants/capris and a tank. Bring a water bottle!

Have you ever taken Barre before? I am brand-new to the Barre workout. The amazing Alli, a fellow pregnant mama and friend, teaches the class and convinced me to try it out. I’ve gone to about 5 classes now.

Brief Description of Class: A Barre fitness class is a strength-training workout focusing on high repetitions of small movements inspired by a combination of ballet, yoga and pilates. The REVBarre class throws in some athletic movements and really gets your heart rate going with a fun, cardio segment for a twist on the traditional Barre class.

What to Expect…for real

Detailed Description of Class: The class is 60 minutes long. I walk into a room filled with yoga-pant clad women all smiling and chatting it up. Everyone immediately welcomes me into the group. I don’t get that awkward feeling that tends to happen when you go somewhere new for the first time. Alli, the instructor, runs over and gives me a huge hug. I think I’m going to like this class. 

• Warm-up & Stretch: The upbeat music starts playing and we get into it right away. I would be lying if I didn’t say that I was already sweating profusely by the time Alli calls out, “warm-up almost done.” 
• Upper body: We use small 2-3 lb free weights and our own body weight in a series of arm movements and push-ups. This series targets your arm muscles, chest and back. Ouch! Is it normal that my arms are shaking this much? Alli shouts out, “Embrace the shake!” Okay, at least it’s normal. 
• Cardio: One of my favorite parts! Instructor Alli’s high energy and amazing playlist make this portion of the workout fly by. Yes, this feels great! Wait, do I really look like that? Why are there mirrors again? 
• Barre time for lower body muscles:  We head to the bar to work on our thighs, glutes and calf muscles. We do tons of repetitions and small movements, also known as isometric movements. Sometimes we bring a stretchy band to tie our legs together or a small exercise ball to put between our legs for more resistance. AHH! My legs feel like they are on fire. I think they may fall off. I look down to make sure they are still attached to my body. I’m barely even moving my leg, why does it burn so bad? 
• Mat time for Abs: Since I’m pregnant, Alli modifies some of the ab exercises for me. I use a small exercise ball so there’s not so much pressure. Yeah for being pregnant and modifications! 
• Stretch & Cool down: The lights are turned down for a relaxing stretch and cool down. Wow, that was seriously tough. I feel so amazing. 

My Review

Pros: This is a truly intense, full body workout that’ll help get you toned and in shape. The upbeat music and ever-enthusiastic instructor keeps you going when you feel like you can’t do anymore.

Despite the difficulty factor, don’t be a afraid to try out a Barre class if you are a newbie. The instructor is easily able to give modifications (great if you’re pregnant!) and every single move has three different levels. I felt encouraged to step up my game to level 3, but didn’t feel bad about myself if I had to stick to a level 1 move.

If you are a mom, Barre is the perfect workout for you since most everyone in the class are also moms. I’ve had so much fun meeting new people and W has had a blast in the child care room.

Cons: This isn’t really a con since it means you are building muscle, but you’ll definitely be sore the next day after trying it for the first time. I just made to sure walk it off.

Bottom line: This is a great workout for women (moms & pregnant moms included) of all fitness levels. You do not have to have prior dance experience (the instructor readily admits that she never took a dance class) and you do not have to be super in shape to start. Will you sweat? Will your muscles burn and shake? Will you be crazy sore the next day? Of course! For me, that’s a sign of a great workout.

Words from Instructor Alli: “Barre is such a great, total body workout for all fitness levels. It’s a fabulous break from bottles, diapers, wiping mouths, etc. You can meet some mom friends too!”

More information on the Barre workout

Benefits of Barre Workout from Greatist

The Beginner’s Guide to Barre from Fitness Magazine

Sign up for a REVBarre class!

Have you ever tried Barre? Let me know your experience in the comment section below!