Thank You! Excited for My New Barre Journey

[pollytc]

I know all of you must be tired of all my questions regarding barre workouts. All your replies and feedback from my posts the past few days have really helped with my decision to try barre (health reasons and other!)

While I'm patiently awaiting my DVDs, I do have a few Squeeze DVDs, and I am thinking of trying one today. A few years ago I remember doing the original Squeeze a few times. I'm also going to go through anything I may have not gotten rid of when I was initially trying barre. I believe I have Xtend Barre Lean and Chiseled, and Exhale Core Thighs and Glutes. I got rid of most my Exhales because I think that's what discouraged me from barre. The set was so drab and I didn't get the "personal feeling".

One last question (until another pops into my head!)....when using barre workouts, do you follow a particular rotation, or do you just randomly pick from your collection? Do you add cardio at all?

Thanks again for helping me branch off into a whole new world!

[Nuggie's Auntie]

Hey Polly! How fun that you're getting into barre. It's pretty much all I do! I don't supplement with any cardio. I mostly do physique 57 DVDs, which elevate my heart rate nicely. If you have access to live classes, I always suggest people take a class or two. It really helps with form.

Have fun!

[Nuggie's Auntie]

Oh yeah, I used to use physique 57 challenge calendars, but sadly they only make those available to their monthly subscribers now. so I just pick daily from my collection based on my time allowance and how I feel that day.

[alisoncooks]

Yay for barre!
I'm just getting back into my barre workouts after a loooong hiatus. Before, when I was consistently doing barre, I did a dvd M/W/F and sometimes walked or rode my recumbent the other days (Tu/Th).

This time, I'm just winging it. I'm LOVING the new Suzanne Bowen dvds and using them pretty exclusively (we'll see how that changes when my Collage orders roll in, haha). I'm considering doing barre M/Tu, rest on W, barre on Th/F...

[BalleRina]

I find that I'm not consistent enough when I just try to pick what I feel like doing that day. It's much more beneficial to me to stick with a rotation and for that I love Leah's BBPS plans.

[bzar]

hi polly ~

sorry I keep posting on your threads.... and you can feel free to ask away whatever questions you might think of later on.

there was a time when I did only barre and walking. I used my own rotation - 30 min of any barre workout in the morning, then walking/jogging in the afternoon. I belonged to a check-in that focused only on barre.

in fact, there's several barre check-in's going on right now that should give you ideas.

presently, I own a good amount, but i'm not a guru by any means. if you search for any threads written by Fuzzie, you'll get a good summary of the available workouts.

my most recent acquisition, and it is on backorder, is Sadie Lincoln's set on QVC. it has yet to ship - they ran out.

and i'm a devotee of the barre style that is slow and deliberate. there's others that move faster, but I prefer to go slow and controlled to make it more meditative.

my current rotation is that i'm doing barre just 1-2x/week because i'm focusing on weight training right now.

[pollytc]

Don't be sorry for posting on my threads!.... I totally appreciate it! Barre is a whole new world to me so I'm loving all the feedback!

I love weight training, and consider KCM and Cathe as family members since I prefer to hangout with them. Lol. I do hope I love barre, and I do hope soon my body will be strong enough to let me do both strength trg and barre....and kettlebells! Hmmm....I wonder if there's a rotation that includes all three?!?

Originally Posted by bzar

hi polly ~

sorry I keep posting on your threads.... and you can feel free to ask away whatever questions you might think of later on.

there was a time when I did only barre and walking. I used my own rotation - 30 min of any barre workout in the morning, then walking/jogging in the afternoon. I belonged to a check-in that focused only on barre.

in fact, there's several barre check-in's going on right now that should give you ideas.

presently, I own a good amount, but i'm not a guru by any means. if you search for any threads written by Fuzzie, you'll get a good summary of the available workouts.

my most recent acquisition, and it is on backorder, is Sadie Lincoln's set on QVC. it has yet to ship - they ran out.

and i'm a devotee of the barre style that is slow and deliberate. there's others that move faster, but I prefer to go slow and controlled to make it more meditative.

my current rotation is that i'm doing barre just 1-2x/week because i'm focusing on weight training right now.

[slysam]

Originally Posted by pollytc

One last question (until another pops into my head!)....when using barre workouts, do you follow a particular rotation, or do you just randomly pick from your collection? Do you add cardio at all?

.

I do. When I do barre I combine it with cardio on alternate days (or daily depending). For cardio, I've been all over the place. I love dance so I usually do some variation of dance cardio, but that might be why I like barre and ballet workouts because it reminds me of dance class and makes me feel "like a real dancer". But depending what cardio I fancy, I've also combined barre with walking, swimming, rope jumping, plyometrics, kickboxing, Micheal Olajide boxing workouts, etc. I like my cardio but am kind of loosy goosy with it. I like to vary the intensity and will usually only do one or to vigorous cardio workouts others are more fun, movement at whatever intensity I feel like giving it. I limit impact cardio to three times a week.

Rotations... With barre I don't think I've ever followed a specified rotation exactly. I've done three full body workouts a week (at the time P57, Squeeze Stronger or Ballet Body full body mixing and matching). I've done upper/lower body splits with Ballet Body, chapters from Squeeze Stronger, P57 Boosters, etc. I don't really click with Exhale--I want to like it and imagine their classes might be good, but I rarely return to them and have traded most of them away shortly after getting it. I think the way it is divided into 10-15 minute chapters doesn't flow right for me.