Before I started teaching barre, I was intimidated to try it. I had a dance background but had heard from friends that this was NOT a dance class! It was hard and you could feel the burn. I walked into my first class in great shape…but it wasn’t barre shape. I came to learn during that first class that there is a difference.
What is Barre?
Barre is a mix of Pilates, yoga, and dance conditioning. Classes use dance movements and positions, but you do not need to have dance experience to take a class. You use small, isometric movements to target specific muscle groups (thighs, seat, abs). In class, you will focus on form and alignment of the body. And there is always core engagement to hold you up in a nice long line from the crown of your head to your tailbone.
Barre History
Lotte Berk created barre in London in 1959. She was a renowned European ballet dancer until she injured her spine. During her recovery, she designed exercises to strengthen her spine and core. She also said it was to improve women’s sex lives. Men were not permitted to attend her classes for this reason. Today, what instructors call a “tuck” was called the “love making position” by Berk.
One of Berk’s students, Lydia Bach, brought barre to the US in 1971. She opened a studio in Manhattan’s upper east side. In the 1980’s, barre became more about building strength and empowering women than during the 60 and 70’s.
Many of Bach’s students and former teachers have opened franchises of their own. Barre expanded rapidly in the 2010’s. According to the American Council on Exercise, there was a rise in popularity after the Black Swan movie was released in 2010. People wanting to have a long, lean dancer body.
Benefits of Barre
Barre is said to improve strength, posture, balance, flexibility, endurance, and muscle definition. The muscles that you use in a class are often overlooked in other forms of exercise. These smaller muscles are also not used on a daily basis. Barre exercises strengthen the smaller muscles to help stabilize and support the body.
It is also low impact so people who have injuries or cannot perform high impact exercises are able to take barre classes.
The Shake
During class, you hold your muscle in constant contraction for extended periods of time working to the point of muscle fatigue. As the muscle motor units are activated and fatigue sets in, you may begin to shake. The high volumes of repetitions in barre increase the time under tension of the type 2 muscle fibers. These muscle fibers are different than the type 1 fibers associated with other strength training exercises.
There isn’t a lot of research on the benefits of barre specifically but there is research on high volume strength training. In a Sports Medicine study in 2017, they found that, “In resistance-training programs intended to promote muscle hypertrophy and health, both intensity and volume can be manipulated. However, in some cases, increasing the volume [of repetitions] can be better tolerated than increasing the [amount of] intensity.”
To Tuck or Not to Tuck
The term “tuck” comes out of traditional ballet so that your shoulders, hips, and heels are all in one line when you are on the balls of your feet and your heels are lifted. But sometimes people over tuck causing a posterior pelvic tilt. Visualize your tailbone tucked between your legs with rounding in your hips and lower back. This can lead to back pain and injury.
The correct position is a neutral spine. A neutral spine is when the spine is in the middle of your pelvis. This position protects the lower back and to have the right amount of engagement in the core to provide support and stability. You can find your neutral spine by putting your hands on your hips and slowly moving your tailbone back and your hip bones down. This causes your pelvis to shift forward into an anterior pelvic tilt. Now, slowly move your tailbone down and the top of your hip points up toward your lower ribs. This is a posterior tilt. Move through those two exaggerated movements several times and find the center. Here is where your neutral spine is. Make sure to keep your rib cage closed so there is no arching in your upper back.
Downsides of Barre
Like mentioned above, over “tucking” can lead to lower back pain and injury. It also does not burn as many calories as some other forms of exercise. Calorie burn is similar to walking. Some say it’s less effective than compound exercises at increasing metabolic rate which aids in losing weight.
Others argue that because of the small, isometric movements used in barre it does not build functional strength like compound movements in traditional strength training.
Conclusion
Including barre as part of your exercise routine can help give you strength in the smaller muscles. It’s a different kind of challenge and burn than traditional strength training so don’t be afraid to give it a try.
Resources:
Feeney, M. (2020, January 17) The History Behind the 5 Most Popular Barre Exercises. The Barre Blog. https://thebarreblog.com/origins-of-barre/
McCall, P. ((2019, December) Hitting the Barre: Understanding the Popular Group Fitness Trend. ACE. https://www.acefitness.org/continuing-education/certified/december-2019/7432/hitting-the-barre-understanding-the-popular-group-fitness-trend/
Sides, M.S., S. (2018, June 8) The Down and Dirty of Barre History of Barre Fitness. GXUnited. https://gxunited.com/blog/history-barre-fitness/