Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Pure Barre: A Triathlete's Dream Crosstraining Workout

Us triathletes are always looking for a fun way to cross train. You know- something that doesn't involve swimming, biking or running. My sister introduced me to a class called Pure Barre when I was home visiting family back in September.


The class is about an hour long and is a series of small isometric movements both on and off the ballet barre. The instructors are high energy and they always seems to pick the best music for the exercise. For my first class, Nikki told me to just grab the two pound weights. I looked at her with my head cocked to the side. Two pounds didn't seem hard. She assured me the two pound weights would be enough. She was right.

The small movements do not seem too intimidating at first and then your whole body starts to shake. The class focuses on toning your arms, abs, thighs and booty by bringing your muscles to the ultimate fatigue point and then stretching.

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I enjoyed the class (and took a few more in Philly over Christmas) so much that I signed up for a month of unlimited classes at the studio near my apartment in Denver. After finishing Ironman and with a few weeks before intense marathon training starts, I figured doing a month of demi plies until my legs shook uncontrollably sounded like a great change of pace from my normal swim-bike-run routine.

Pure Barre is marketed to women who are looking to tone up. The Pure Barre media guide states:

        "Pure Barre is the fastest most effective way to change your body. PB utilizes the ballet barre to perform small isometric movements set to motivating music. These movements are targeted at where women struggle most: abs, hips, thighs, back of the arm and seat. 
       The result is a total body workout that lifts your seat, tones your thighs and burns fat in record breaking time. Clients see results in just ten classes."

The Pure Barre slogan is "Lift. Tone. Burn." Now while I, like all other women, wouldn't mind a perfectly toned rear end and arms, I was there for a different reason yesterday- to get stronger. I am using Pure Barre as my off-season strength sessions.

Pure Barre should be marketed to athletes as well because this class focuses on a triathletes and runners weakest muscles. We triathletes are forward movers- every sport we train for moves us in one direction. Which leads to weak lateral stability muscles. Which then can lead to knee, hip, ankle and/or lower back injuries.

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Pure Barre, while toning, is strengthening muscles that triathletes do not focus on or use much during regular exercise. The biggest of these muscles being the gluteus medius- the erky muscle that causes a ton of hip and knee pain if it is not strong. As I was moving my leg up and down with the slightest motion to tone my outer thigh and hip, my glute med was getting stronger. It hurt so good.

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I would bet that the majority of runners, triathletes, and active people in general have weak ankles. We never work out our ankles! And guess what- there are a ton of small muscles in our ankles that keep us stable. Last year, when I was diagnosed with tendinitis in my ankles my physical therapist had me do a ton of ankle stabilization exercises. Yesterday, as I was on my very tippy toes at the ballet barre, it reminded me of the exercises I would perform to strengthen my ankles.

And the abs portion of the class is killer. I thought I had a pretty strong core until I had to pulse up and down for 90 seconds with my hands by my ears. Lets face it, we all need stronger cores.

And lastly- flexibility! I can say with certainty that athletes do not stretch as often as we should. In the triathlon world we need flexibility to survive those long bike rides in the aero position. The Pure Barre class stretches out the muscles you just worked until fatigue and then some.

I'm looking forward to spending this month getting stronger and in prime strength condition for injury-free marathon training. Pure Barre, I love you. You are a triathlete's dream.

12 comments:

  1. My friend is an instructor at the Barre Method in Miami. She's been yelling at me to try the one here!

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  2. I loved my workout there as well! I have some hip and back injuries (as a result of triathlon training, unfortunately) and the barre class causes no pain. Love it!

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  3. I LOVE Pure Barre. As a runner, I could not agree more. I actually just got back into it last week and you're right - it hurts so good.

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  4. I completely agree with you! Just when I thought I was strong, a bootcamp master...I discovered Pure Barre and it completely changed my body.

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  5. thank you for sharing!

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  6. Great info!! Thanks for sharing.

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  7. I am training or an Ironman right now...and I plan on trying PB when I'm in the off season. I might be the only guy in the class!!!!

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  8. I love Pure Barre too :)

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  9. This is AWESOME! Good for you that you've found something to do that's "different" but still makes you feel like you are working towards a bigger goal. My goal is always pizza, but I am not the normal athlete. :) In fact, probably not one at all.

    Good on 'ya, sistah!

    C.

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  10. These classes looks like so much fun. I have been wanting to try them.

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  11. Pure Barre is awesome! I did it for a month and was toner than I had been in a long time. I stopped for amonth, but realize I need to go back now. No other toning/sculpting classes at the gym can do for you what Pure Barre does.

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  12. That sounds like it would be right up my alley. I've never heard of Pure Barre. I'm so out of the loop! haha.
    I have such a struggle with strength training because it's so boring…but it's one of those necessary evils. I so want to try this!!!!!!!

    Btw, if the "I'm small but I eat like I weigh 300 pounds" doesn't exist yet, we should start it. There's no shortage of consuming over here! :)

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