What to Wear to Barre

First thing, barre classes are a great total body workout. I have noticed huge changes in my muscles and flexibility since starting Pure Barre five months agog. The added benefit of looking cute is a bonus. One of my favorite things are the flattering, cute clothing you get the chance to sport to class. I know many are intimated when attending their first class due to not knowing what to wear. I have but together a little cheat sheet to make sure your not worrying about your outfit and can focus on getting your burn on! 

• Tops

Barre classes incorporate a lot of upper boy movements which require your arms to be able to move freely. Loose tanks are my go to for barre. They keep you cool while enabling a wide range of movement. I prefer tanks with built in support which allows me to not worry about a sports bra as an extra layer. 

Favorite Tanks:

Zella Tanks {here}

All Current Tank {here}

Lululemon Wild Tank {here}

C9 Tanks {here} {here}

Under Armour Tanks {here}

• Bottoms 

During barre classes your legs are often in odd positions such as up in the air or with a band around both thighs, so always make sure your legs are covered. I have been rocking leggings for most of the winter but now as it warms up I find myself granting toward crops. Don't let the light weights fool you, I still get pretty sweaty. 

Favorite Bottoms:

Alo Goddess Ribbed Leggings {here}

Lululemon WonderUnder {here}

Zella Live In Leggings {here}

• Socks & Accessories 

Most barre classes I have attended require socks of some sort during class. They help you keep your highest heels and prevent you from slipping. My go to are the Pure Barre socks that they sell at the studio. However, you are not limited to these as there are tons of other options! Shashi makes adorable glitter barre socks that are on the top of my list. Also, Lululemon makes some cute ones with sayings like nice ledge or higher heels. You have got to be quick to pick them up as they sell out quickly. 

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I always bring a water bottle with me to class. I try and sip as much water I can during transitions. As you know, staying hydrated can help increase far burn. My favorite bottles have straws to making sipping water during class easier. 

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My favorite brands for barre/yoga gear are Alo, Zella, Splits59, Lululemon and Target. Lots of my friends love Old Navy's activewear line. However, I have found it just does not work for me. Here are some of my favorites to make your shopping easy...

A quick note on caring for your workout gear. Always air dry them. I wash everything in cold water and on the delicate cycle. Then air dry. They last longer and there is less pilling. Also, it maintains the intregity of the sweat wicking material.

What is your favorite workout gear?

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Weeknight Meal Plan

I am thrilled to have taken this chance this afternoon to spend a few minutes meal planning for the week. I always try and plan my dinners around the weekly specials. Unfortunately, there is not much on sale at the local teeter this week, so I'm sticking with the staples. The dinner I am most looking forward to is Monday's night Apricot Chicken. This was a favorite of mine growing up that my grandmother made. 

Monday: Apricot- Orange Slow Cooker Chicken 

{via}

Tuesday: Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers

{via}

Wednesday: Breakfast for Dinner

Thursday: Leftovers 

Friday: Slow Cooker Chicken and Pepperoni 

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I also took the time to plan out my weekly workouts. I really want to start training for a 10k mid April. So this week I am adding in some easy miles along with barre classes. Anyone else training for spring races?

Hope everyone is having a great weekend! I am off to the grocery store to pick up everything for the week.

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5 Pure Barre Tips for Newbies

A month ago, I started my Pure Barre journey. My goal with my unlimited month was to attend as often as possible. In that month, I averaged 4-5 classes a week. I am by far no expert after a month of classes. I can share a few tips and tricks gleaned from my first month…

1. What to wear. I recommend tights or capris and loose tank top.  I am a firm believer in investing in a pair of grippy socks which keeps you from sliding around. Any pair of black socks will do if you’re unsure if you want to make the investment.
2. Find a spot. For the first few classes it is important to make sure you can see the instructor to follow her moves. They explain it aloud as well but can be confusing to put together all at once without a visual.  “Feet together, toes apart, slide your legs toward the bar, tuck your hips under…” It will feel like strange contortion moves at first, after a few classes the positions become more natural.
3. What to expect. Lots of shaking and stretching. You will hear the instructor say it a lot in class “Embrace the shake.” Sometimes it is harder to put that into practice when you feel like your legs may collapse beneath you. Believe me they won’t so hold on for another 10 seconds. Also, no one will judge you for your shaking legs. That’s the goal! Afterwards there is lots of stretching which feel amazing. One of the goals of Pure Barre is to increase flexibility so don’t worry if you can’t slide into a split. It will come with practice.
4. Focus on the muscle. The class is broken down into sections which focus on different large muscle groups with a stretch break in between . Classes typically follow the same pattern: Warm-up, Core, Upper Body, Thighs, Booty or ”Seat”, Core and finish with Seat and Thigh combo. Try to focus on the contraction of the muscle you’re working in each move.  The instructor might say lift your leg, then you should focus on squeezing and contracting your glute muscle to make the leg lift.  The lift may only be an inch. If you are unsure if you have it right, place your hand on the muscle that is supposed to be working and see if you can feel it contracting. I find that this is really helpful during seat and ab work.
5. Relax.  Pure Barre is unlike any other workout class I have taken and I always leave relaxed and refreshed afterwards. Don’t stress about being perfect just do the best you can. Remember everyone was new to class at one point and it takes a while to learn the moves. Don’t be embarrassed to come out of a move and shake it out if it is too intense. Take a break and get right back to it.

I hope these tips help unveil some of the mystery of Pure Barre. New Year Resolutions may be on your mind with goals to tone up, lose weight or just live a healthier lifestyle. I highly encourage you to give a Pure Barre class a try .

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