Detroit Barre Featured in Model D

Detroit Barre is featured as a startup in an article by Model D!!

“The 1-month-old fitness studio opened in a refurbished carriage house at 2217 Franklin St. near Chene Park, Atwater Brewery, and the Dequindre Cut. The space is 1,500 square feet, half of which is a dedicated workout area. Three instructors teach barre fitness, which is designed to work out the muscles of a dancer with low impact, isometric exercises that combine ideas from ballet, pilates, and yoga.” 

Read the full article here:

http://www.modeldmedia.com/startupnews/detroitbarreriverfront081214.aspx

What Three Words Describe our Barre Classes?

Comprehensive!  Barre classes provide a great, overall workout. You’ll get your heart rate up with some cardio. You’ll get strength training — both in the muscles we often target with other cardio activities (quads, calves, abs, biceps) but also in some of the harder-to-target muscles (hamstrings, glutes, back, shoulders, triceps). You’ll even do some stretching. We know. We sometimes skip stretching when we work out on our own, too.  But, just think, this way you’ll definitely get your stretching in!

Challenging!  But in a good way.  What keeps people coming back to barre?  There’s always something you can improve upon — always something to learn and get better at.  The isometric movements in barre require control and precision.  No one’s perfect at it, but there’s always a new goal to push towards.  Maybe it’s doing a full push-up.  Maybe it’s making it through the thigh exercises without pausing.  Maybe it’s finally understanding how to tuck in flatback! 

Exhilarating!  Did we say get your heart rate up?  Plus music?  Plus sneaking in a few dance moves when no one’s looking?  You won’t miss out on your endorphin high after barre!  And we hope you’ll make a few friends along the way to keep the feeling going!

– Laura

Making the Most of Your Barre Class

Perfect the tuck:

The tuck is often one of the most confusing concepts for new clients – you are not alone! To find your tuck lay flat on your back with knees bent. Sharply exhale through your mouth driving the movement from your abdominal muscles. This sharp exhale should create a slight pelvic tilt. This small but super-effective movement is the basis for many exercises throughout class.

Let it shake:

Work toward bringing each muscle group to fatigue during your practice. You know you’ve gotten the most out of your muscles when you start to feel that shake! No matter how many classes you’ve taken or how strong you are, your muscles should fatigue with every exercise in every class you take. So, take a deep breath, close your eyes, and let it shake!

Take the rebound out:

Barre is all about tiny isometric movements. When working on triceps with weights, think about lifting the weights higher and higher rather than letting them ever drop lower. When squeezing the ball between your inner thighs during the thigh section, think about squeezing tighter and tighter on the ball rather than letting the ball rebound to its original shape. When bend-stretching during seat work, think about getting the leg straighter and straighter and removing the bend from the movement.

Give it time:

Barre is a mental as well as a physical workout. It takes time to learn all of the different variations and understand the movements. The best thing about barre is that you are constantly improving but the classes never get “easier.” So come to class and give yourself permission to learn – your body will thank you for it!

Want even more tips for getting the most out of each and every class? Talk to a teacher before or after class for more suggestions!

– Anna

Why Barre Works

I have always been an active person. I began gymnastics at a very young age, and from there transitioned to the world of cheerleading.

Although I cheered throughout college, I had developed joint injuries in high school. Over time, these injuries worsened, ultimately culminating in a series of knee injuries. It seemed that the very aspects that had attracted me to these sports — fast paced, high adrenaline activity — had also included an amount of impact that took its toll on my knee. My first surgery was at age 20, and the procedure didn’t exactly work out as I had hoped. The recovery was long and tedious, and it meant that running, jumping, and flipping were out of the question. For me, this was absolutely devastating. Things only got worse when I learned that my knee would requite a second surgery and even more recovery time, and my hopes for continuing cheerleading came to an abrupt end.

A few years later, a friend introduced me to barre. After my injury, I had been seeking a new way to get active and in shape again, and this seemed like the perfect way to do so. Knowing next to nothing of barre, I thought, “How hard could this be”? After all, I had been through plenty of rigorous exercise with cheerleading and gymnastics. What could be so challenging about barre?

In hindsight, that was perhaps a bit shortsighted. Much to my surprise, barre turned out to be quite a challenge. More importantly, it was gratifying. It was the most satisfying workout that I’d had in years, and it didn’t hurt my knee in the way that so many other exercises had.

I completely fell in love with barre after the first class and the way I felt afterward.

I feel more confident everywhere, not just at barre. Now that I am an instructor, I can’t wait to bring these feelings and opportunities to others looking for a fun, new approach to staying in shape.

– Jamie

Why Does Detroit Need a Barre Studio?