Isometrics. What?
Have you been wondering what “barre” is all about? You’ve heard the buzz and want to know why this is different then your gym workout? Well, the main idea behind the success of barre is the small tiny movements, called isometric contractions, or isometrics. The Wikipedia definition is:
“Isometric exercise or isometrics are a type of strength training in which the joint angle and muscle length do not change during contraction (compared to concentric or eccentric contractions, called dynamic/isotonic movements).”
In class, we may do eight or 16 full range movements, but when we get our muscle in a certain angle, the isometric contraction happens as we “squeeze” and “burn out” that muscle. By not moving the joints, we are protecting them all while building strength in the muscles that hold us up. For instance, in thigh work, we say “one inch up and one inch down”. Essentially, we keep the same angle in our knees and just work our quads. If you are one with knee pain from a previous injury, then you will see why barre is the workout of choice. It is gentle, yet challenging. It strengthens as we fatigue the muscle. You will see results. You feel stronger every day even though it does not get easier. The other beauty of an isometric workout is that anyone can do it and any exercise can be modified. We are highly trained instructors to help you deepen your understanding of your body and alignment to help you raise the barre. If you want to learn more, now is the time to jump in. This weekend, we have $5 Friday at 6pm followed by Beginner Barre Workshop called, One Inch Up and One Inch Down on Saturday at 9:45 and of course, the EPIC, Barre Progressive, where you can sample all our fusion classes of barre. For instance, barre fusion is a combination of barre with flow of yoga. Core Fusion is just the core work of barre, delving deep into your abdominals. We have a new class called Barre + Ball which utilizes the stability ball. All the classes are barre based but tweaked to add and complete your workout routine. Join us! Sunday 8:30-12, in the half hour. $40 for all 7 classes or $9 for single.
Call anytime with questions!
Sharing Barre Love,
Orlee
