Hendry: Barre blast workout tops exercise list
It finally happened — I overdid it at the gym.
This would almost be a point of pride if I could manage to walk more than 20 steps without one of my knees giving out. What could I have possibly done to obliterate my leg muscles in such spectacular fashion? I have just two words for you: barre blast.
I first heard of the class and its growing popularity when one of my roommates began attending them somewhat regularly. This week, she invited me to join her, and I asked her what to expect. “A lot of squats,” she told me. I had a sudden flashback to lunges and wall-sits in middle school gym class.
I can’t say I wasn’t warned. It was too late to back out, so I followed her to the gym with a certain amount of trepidation.
The class filled up quickly, and the friendly instructor began with the encouragement to take breaks when we needed them. She also told us to focus on form and not be afraid to do fewer reps to keep from getting sloppy. Looking back, these may have been red flags.
I want to be clear — this class is a fantastic workout. I used muscles I wasn’t sure I had, and the instructor was wonderfully encouraging. I wasn’t the only person with quaking legs after only a few squats, never mind holding the squat on my tip toes. The ballet bar is there for a very good reason — anyone without the quad muscles of the Incredible Hulk would fall on their face without something to hold onto.
Beyond focusing on the legs, the various stances also work your abs. And just when you think you might throw up if you squat one more time, you trade the bar for some hand weights and target that ever-present arm jiggle. If I only go to one class for the rest of my life, I’d wager this would be the one to keep every bit of me perpetually bikini-weather ready.
The only thing keeping this from being a perfect deal is the awful, horrible, agonizing pain which has followed the full-body workout. I’m writing this two days after my first barre blast experience, and I’m still hobbling around campus with gritted teeth.
The sight of stairs makes me cry. I’ve never so desperately wanted to sit and stew in a hot tub for a few days and let my poor weak muscles heal themselves. I might sit here for another hour just to enjoy the heat of the laptop on top of my legs.
This is not, however, a fault of barre blast. If anything, it’s a fault of mine for being a stubborn doofus and not taking the instructor’s advice to pace myself. Let’s just say my lesson has been learned, and I’ve found new meaning to the phrase “No pain, no gain.”
If you’re looking for a new fitness challenge, barre blast gets my vote. But for the love of all things muscular, do some stretches first.
