TA vs Barre
 

These seem very different but I wanted to know how they differ. Which one do you like more or do you use a combination of both? And, does one give you more results then the other?

I much prefer TA (as if anyone here on VF doesn't already know that - :D). I've done 6+ weeks of barre in the past, and I am now on week 5 of my Metamorphosis rotation, and I am definitely seeing more positive changes in my body with Meta than I did with barre, but I am also following a better eating plan now than I was then, so I'm sure that is playing a factor.

Differences between the two methods off the top of my head -

* TA's work definitely has some barre influence, but it is far from traditional barre work.

* TA tends to favor more floorwork for the lower body (especially work on all fours in Metamorphosis) whereas traditional barre seems to do more standing work. Tracy also does a lot of "alternative" style lower body work, usually involving using a chair in odd ways. Personally I find this innovative and interesting, but I know some people find it kind of senseless and weird.

* TA tends to do a LOT of reps (commonly 40-60); although barre can definitely be higher rep, I don't think anything out there comes close to Tracy's number of reps.

* TA rarely directly works the quads and, IMO, traditional barre work seems to work them a lot. If you either don't like to work your quads or you love to work your quads, this is important information!

* Although both types of work have both types of movement, IMO, TA seems to favor more large range of motion exercises whereas it seems to me that a lot of barre instructors favor smaller ranges of motion with more pulses. (JUST IMO, I don't want to make sweeping generalizations!)

* There is nothing really like TA, whereas there are a lot of different barre workouts. If variety is important to you and you like having different instructors to choose from, you might get bored or tired of TA. (Although between her videos and freebies on the web, TA has put out a lot of material to choose from.)

* Many barre instructors are meticulous with their instruction (sometimes painfully slowly so) and form pointers/reminders; TA tends to be a little stingy with information. (However, I think she is better about it in the Meta series and reading her book really does help understand how she wants you to perform her exercises and sets forth the basis for her method.) If you like a lot of cueing, Tracy is probably not the girl for you!

* Tracy can often be very free-form and sometimes all over the map (particularly with her upper body work and standing ab work and especially so in her Perfect Design Series workouts). Personally I love this (well, the PD series sometimes drives me crazy), but if you hate following along and maybe getting it right, then you probably would go nuts! LOL!

* IIRC, many barre instructors don't advocate a lot of cardio (someone correct me if I'm wrong - I guess I'm not sure what barreistas recommend in terms of cardio work) whereas TA says cardio (and plenty intense cardio, preferably hers!) is an integral part of her method.

That's all that comes to mind, but I'm sure others will chime in. It really is a matter of personal preference. If possible try some TA and then try some different barre workouts and figure out which one seems like something you'd enjoy and actually do. Good luck!

Thank you so much Shelley. That was very informative:D

wow, what a detailed post, thanks!!!!

I would add that TA's ab work is made up of choreographed standing abs and floor abs with, generally speaking, a base position of the legs extended straight. Most barre dvds incorporate C-curve ab work - TA does not.

Most barre dvds include push ups and dips for upper body (along with weight or band work). TA does unweighted arms, exercises with 3# weights, and then works the upper body with plank positions or all-4s positions in which your balance is challenged (which, for me, require recruiting upper body strength to maintain balance).

Most barre dvds alternate between working a muscle and stretching a muscle. TA does either dynamic stretching at the beginning and end of her workouts or just has you stretch afterwards on your own. I will say, though, that because TA has you working in extended positions and doing lots of extensions, I personally feel less need to stretch.

TA also does a lot of rotations that also stretch your body in a dynamic way. I like how she does exercises at all different angles. I also like when she goes from a low lunge or side lunge exercise to an attitude. It's because I get a stretch from the lunge positions.

The vibe of a typical barre workout vs. a TA workouts is like the difference between ballet and jazz. Like Shelley mentioned, barre instructors really emphasize proper form, have lots of cueing/form pointers, and the workout tends to be very structured. TA reminds me more of a jazz class. The standing ab work is definitely like jazz dance rib isolations. But I've also been to dance classes that have similar arm work. Her music (but not in Post Pregnancy) tend to be more upbeat too. P57 and Cardio Barre are different from other barre workouts. Cardio Barre is very fast/aerobic. P57 is structured like the other barre workouts but the music is upbeat.

Great replies from both Shelley and Ali.

I'd like to add to the list that TA is harder than any barre I've ever tried, but she doesn't hurt my joints in any way like traditional barre does, especially the knees with the deep plies/diamond plies and "knee dancing", and my wrists with the tricep-reverse pushups that Bar Method, Lotte Berk, and Squeeze include. People say that Tracy Anderson doesn't always have good form, yet I have hurt my knees with Callanetics, and my shoulders with Ellen Barrett's Slim Sculpt! So, I have to add "increased safety from injury" to TA's workouts!!!:D

They are not my favorites though, I much prefer ballet-style workouts like Element ballet and New York City Ballet, as well as Classical Stretch. But that's just a personal preference!:)

Great post, Shelley!Both Callanetics and Chicometrics do 60-100 reps. I think that's the key to their fast results; probably for TA too!

These posts make me want to get back into TA. I have been doing P57 and my knees are killing me.

Good point! I guess I forgot about Callanetics. It drove me crazy. I guess I've blocked it from my mind! I've never done Chicometrics.