Heavy lifting and high-intensity cardio may get all the glory, but when it comes to sculpting lean muscle don't sleep on barre. The low-weight, high rep style of training has become more popular in the last decade and for good reason. Barre exercises manage to be easy on the joints while bringing the burn that leads to that signature "barre shake."
Learn the impressive benefits of barre and some simple exercises you can try at home.
What is barre?
Barre takes elements from ballet, Pilates and yoga for a full-body strength training workout. It focuses on small, controlled movements that use very light weights and high repetitions to exhaust the muscles.
Barre workout benefits
The barre style of training comes with many benefits. As previously reported by TODAY, barre workouts are easy on the joints, making it a great way for beginners or those with an injury to build strength and muscular endurance. The exercises also help improve posture and combat the effects of sitting all day by strengthening the hips and core. It’s also an effective way to improve your flexibility and mobilityas the exercises often challenge your range of motion and stretch the muscles.
3 at-home barre exercises
You don’t need to install a barre in your home gym or head to a boutique studio to reap the benefits of this workout style. Kara Liotta, Start TODAY barre trainer and owner of fitness studio KKSweat, shows us how to recreate effective barre exercises using common household items.
Parallel thighs
- Focus: lower body
“This targets your quads (thighs) and is also great for ankle stabilityand balance,” says Liotta. “Building strength in your thighs supports the stability of our knee joints, so it’s great for injury prevention and rehab.”
How to: Use the back of a chair for stability, like a ballet barre. Stand behind the chair with your legs together and your hands resting lightly on top. Raise your heels off the floor and sightly bend the knees. Slowly lower down a few inches and then lift back to standing, like performing an upright squat. Start with 30 seconds and work your way up to two minutes.