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This morning I was mulling around through various sites (a regular morning at the Duthie house), stalking my blog buddies and getting up to speed on the daily goings-on of the World Wide Web, when I came across an interesting review on The Bar Method. This isn’t a brand new find for me, like yesterday’s Parkour revelation; however my lone experience with this workout comes from a late night infomercial on a local cable station (I mainly remember the ripped bodies of the models). So, I guess you can argue that today I was able to establish a better understanding of what the Bar Method truly is.
To best explain, I pulled a description directly from the source…
“The Bar Method integrates the fat burning format of interval training, the muscle shaping technique of isometrics, the elongating principles of dance conditioning, and the science of physical therapy to create a revolutionary new workout that quickly and safely reshapes your entire body.” – www.barmethod.com
The workout was developed by Burr Leonard and is based on the methods of Lotte Berk. In 1959, Berk opened a studio in the basement of her west London home and began training students using a combination of ballet and rehabilitation techniques. The results were astounding and later, in 1971, the method was introduced on this side of the pond at the Lotte Berk Exercise Studio in Manhattan. Burr Leonard was amongst the first North American students to participate.
As I read on, I was processing all of this info in my head, paying close attention to the particulars of the workout. Dance… check… yoga… check… isometrics… check… I love all these things… this is totally a class that I need to get into! Sadly, there is one major problem and that is lack of availability. According to my multiple searches in desperation of finding a class in my area, I realized that this is quite an exclusive form of exercise. Unless you’re lucky enough to be in California, Connecticut, Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey, New York or Washington, the only option (besides traveling) is to grab a DVD of the workout or follow along to some short clips on You Tube. *Tear. I’m jealous.
Fit Sugar tried the Bar Method and says anybody can do it.
“Never before have such small movements made me so sore! The exercises are designed to strengthen and stretch every major muscle group, and let me tell you from experience they do!
The work is definitely ballet and dance based, but no dance experience is required to reap the benefits of the class. Standing at the bar for relevés (heel raises to work the calves) and stretching your legs might just bring out your inner ballerina, and there is nothing wrong with that. This is definitely strength training with poise and faulty posture will be corrected by the instructor, so if you tend to slump this class will help you stand tall. All the movements, no matter if they are for your arms, legs, or abs, are best described as intense and minute. The work is very detailed oriented, which helps keep your brain engaged while your quads or abs scream for you to stop pulsing in a small range of motion. I really appreciated that a considerable portion of the class focuses on working the legs and glutes – two areas I love to work.”
Definitely curious about this program. Look for a DVD review to come from me in the near future!
Have any of you tried the Bar Method? If so, what’s it like? I’d love to hear more.
Heather Duthie
www.sweatdish.com
what you're getting yourself into!
