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Old 03-07-11, 12:48 PM  
kariev34
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
another barre results question

I want to know for those that have had great results from barre workouts: musle tone, inches lost, lost weight, etc. Why do you think this method was so effective for you as opposed to all the other types of workouts you have tried through the years? I'm just so amazed by all the positive threads on barre. It seems to good to be true that a workout with such small movements that actually makes you feel good could be so effective.
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Old 03-07-11, 01:06 PM  
JP44
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Quote:
Originally Posted by kariev34 View Post
I want to know for those that have had great results from barre workouts: musle tone, inches lost, lost weight, etc. Why do you think this method was so effective for you as opposed to all the other types of workouts you have tried through the years? I'm just so amazed by all the positive threads on barre. It seems to good to be true that a workout with such small movements that actually makes you feel good could be so effective.

If you think of weight work in terms of time under tension, this is why barre workouts can be very effective. The total time under tension for barre moves is often higher than traditional weight workouts.

For example, w/ most weight work, you start in a standing position, squat, then return to standing, repeat. Conversely, barre usually has you start in a shallow squat/plie & go down from there, return to the shallow position, repeat. Since standing upright provides a brief rest, your time under tension gets broken up w/ traditional weight training. W/ barre, your UNINTERRUPTED time under tension is much, much longer. (Cathe does pulses to add to the time under tension which is why pulses hurt so much. )

So, while your total weight lifted is limited to your body weight w/ barre, you are forced to keep your muscles engaged longer. Plus, all the one legged work in barre forces all your body weight onto one leg for an extended period (i.e. more time under tension w/ a heavier weight).

HTH.

Joan
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Old 03-07-11, 01:09 PM  
acta5534
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: The OC
I don't understand the science behind barre, I just know that it worked for me when cardio alone failed. My first attempt at barre was with Fluidity. I didn't think it was "real" exercise and was skeptical, but tried it anyways and went from a size 8 to 6 in 2 months. I did some researched on the Fluidity website and it claims that that you burn calories for up to 48 hours due to the afterburn. Sounded good to me. I've been hooked since. Barre is the only form of exercise that I'm able to do consistently.


From the Fluidity Website.
Quote:
Did you know strength training – not cardio – is the key to losing weight? Fluidity’s whole-body, weight-bearing movement increases your lean muscle mass, thereby increasing your metabolism. So you burn more calories – faster – than with cardio.

An exercise routine based solely on cardio will burn fat, but it will also decrease your lean muscle mass. Although you may lose weight, you are also losing muscle weight thereby lowering your metabolism which will increase your stored fat over time instead of reducing fat! Fluidity, on the other hand, increases your lean muscle mass thereby increasing your metabolism so you burn more fat and calories – even when you sleep. Furthermore, when you strength train, you make small tears in your muscle tissue. Your body’s process of repairing these small tears creates muscle and expends calories; this process, known as the “Afterburn”, is the reason you continue to burn calories for up to 48 hours after a Fluidity workout – compared to just two hours after a cardio workout.
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Old 03-07-11, 01:30 PM  
rosepetals
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: UNITED STATES
Barre is not just all small movements. Some barre workouts depending which you are doing has both large ROM (range of movement) and small ROM. It just depends on the dvd. Also you can get a cardio effect in some of the faster moving workouts.
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Old 03-07-11, 03:53 PM  
slysam
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
I love barre but am not sure that it is *more* effective. I think for people who enjoy this type of workout it feels good or is fun in some way so we are motivated to do it. Also, if you do it right you focus and move with grace and control and that makes it effective. But really you can do any type of workout with focus, grace and control. I think for me I like tat it feels elegant and the instructors usually include nice stretches ad you work on posture and balance at the same time as conditioning. I am very skeptical of some of the claims some instructors make that seem disconnected with science though. In many cases the most effective workout is the one that does not injure you, challenges you, and that you like well enough to do consistently.
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Old 03-07-11, 03:55 PM  
slysam
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Quote:
Originally Posted by rosepetals View Post
Barre is not just all small movements. Some barre workouts depending which you are doing has both large ROM (range of movement) and small ROM. It just depends on the dvd. Also you can get a cardio effect in some of the faster moving workouts.
Yes! A lot of my favorite barre workouts actually mix small and large movements and I believe you are getting a few types of muscle contractions in each workout.
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Old 03-07-11, 05:18 PM  
kariev34
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Thanks everyone for your responses. I LOVE hearing peoples results from barre. I still have not given barre a fair shot and really need to based on all the great posts as well as my love for the workout and how great I feel when I'm done.

Acta5534: Your statement "didn't feel barre was real exercise" is kindof how I feel when I do it. Even though it is challenging, because I feel good doing it and feel good afterwards I feel like its not working. Does that makes sense? I guess workout intensity has been drilled in my head for so long that anything that doesn't make me feel like taking a nap after a workout I feel is a waste.

After all these years of exercise, I think its time to challenge my brain a bit with accepting different approaches for exercise instead of being stuck in a one type of exercise fits all type of thinking.
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Old 03-07-11, 05:29 PM  
lisarah
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Crabby in Maryland
Here's my completely untested hypothesis but based on years of watching women at various gyms "weight training". I believe the majority of women don't use either heavy enough weights in relation to the number of reps they are doing. Ergo, they aren't working hard enough. For example, they've been told to do 2 sets of 15 reps & they do so, with hardly a strain. I think with 'barre' & other high rep workouts, you are forced to go to exhaustion. And i believe that is the key to results - especially with those who are coming from a sedentary lifestyle (as are many success stories featured on websites). Just my 2 cents! & i'm sure it doesn't account for everyone's success with barre.
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Old 03-07-11, 08:00 PM  
kariev34
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Ok, so I have been pondering all day about barre. This is going to sound weird but maybe I'm just not that into barre???? This may be why I haven't been able to stick with any of them. I think I may be really "wanting" to like barre because of all the wonderful posts and someway believing that this is the miracle workout. Does that make sense? I think i'm going crazy
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Old 03-07-11, 08:01 PM  
Cassy
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: San Diego
I'm not sure what type of workouts you were doing before but I think it takes a lot of trial and error when when you are switching up your routine.

Just have to go with what you enjoy.
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