Okay, so I’m all for barre-style workouts, if you’re familiar with my passions. I love ballet, dance and any type of toning that gives AMAZING results. I am a HUGE fan of Bar Method, Exhale, Squeeze and Fluidity…I’ve even tried The Tracy Anderson Method (okay, I need to do the DVD again to get a good feel for the actual workout….). That said, I have heard great things about Pure Barre. I was so very excited to actually try the workout tonight…. And then I hit play. The girl standing in front of me was NOT what I was expecting. She was (I know that I’m going to regret saying this, but I don’t know how to say it nicely) chubby. As my darling husband put it: “she has ALOT of junk in the trunk”. I say this because the type of exercises (Lotte Berk, Bar Method, etc) that she does are designed to create LONG, LEAN muscles…. It actually made me want to know what she was eating so that I could do the opposite. I realize that this is hypocritical (and feel bad saying so), but when I put in a DVD that touts losing inches, creating lean muscle, etc. on its cover, I expect the instructor to be a model for the type of body you are working hard to achieve. Okay, I’m moving on now. The actual workout really kicked my toosh! The thigh work was killer, she does the same sequence TWICE, just rotated to the left and the right, which was SUPER painful! I know that my muscles are going to love me in the morning! LOL. I honestly couldn’t get my legs to stop shaking. The seat work was half at the barre, and half on your knees…no pretzel here (I must admit that i was a little disappointed by that). The standing portion of the seatwork required quite a bit of concentration, as she is not very good a directing BEFORE you start to work…moving to the floor was a little better, as she actually tells you where to position your body. The abs segment was very similar to Bar Method style abs. Overall, I enjoyed the workout and will do it again. I don’t know yet if it will be a go-to, though. I was not drawn toward her style like I have been by some others. Additionally, the instructor has an annoying habit of asking “please” for more reps. For example: “2 more, please?” Ummm…do I have a choice?? I think that this bothered me almost as much as her physique (hubby also mentioned that she had really strong “thunder thighs” since hers weren’t shaking while mine were).
Okay, so I’m trying really hard to be honest in my reviews, but I must say that I feel bad about this one, because it seems so negative. I just can’t get past the issues that I mentioned before. That said, I think that this is a very solid workout. If you are familiar with other barre workouts, you shouldn’t have a problem with this one–in fact, it may be a welcome addition to your collection just for some variety. I know I will be feeling my thighs tomorrow morning! LOL
