Fitness review: Barre Attack

If you want the long, lean and toned physique of a dancer without the dancing bit, then Barre Attack is for you! 

I love dance – in its many styles – but ballet is my thing. You just can’t beat it as an art form that imbues strength, discipline, grace and beauty all in one. I take up to three classes a week but am conscious there can be too much of a good thing. Moderation is key!

So recently, I swapped out a dance class for a Barre Attack class. I figured it would be ‘same same, but different’ but I wasn’t expecting what I got: a high intensity workout that had me towelling down sweat from start to finish.

The details:

Duration: 60 minutes
Style: Group class – up to 12 people in a studio with a barre (pronounced as ‘bar’) along the walls. A barre is simply a bar at waist level that ballet dancers place their hand onto for balance.
Cost: $20 casual drop in; cheaper in a package e.g. 10 class pass
Who’s there: All females, but all ages – from 20s to 60s
What to wear: ¾ tights, moisture wicking tee. Socks are optional, but you can do the entire class in bare feet. Do not forget your towel and keep your water bottle close by.

What to expect:

Barre Attack lives up to its name of being a dynamic fusion of Pilates, ballet and fitness. As someone who has invested in all three for years, I can definitely vouch for this claim.

It’s a workout, developed by Aussie girl Renee Scott (a former professional international ballet dancer), that works your major muscle groups in a low impact style but at high intensity. The moves themselves are a combination of basic ballet positions done at the barre and Pilates techniques spliced with things likes squats, lunges and calf raises.

Resistance is also incorporated throughout with the use of small Pilates balls, resistance bands and in the class I went to, light (1kg) dumbbells.

Warm-up was exercises done at the barre, such as rising up onto your toes (relevés) and sitting back down into a yoga chair position and using the Pilates ball to squeeze the thighs and glutes.

Then it was straight into the class which was broken up into sections involving the pilates ball to work the legs, inner thighs and glutes; resistance bands and dumbbells for arms, back, shoulders and chest ending on the mat for a solid core workout.

Here’s an explanation of some of the ballet and Pilates terms you’ll hear and the exercise that goes with it:

Plié and rise in second: A plié is simply a deep bend in the knees, which you then push off to rise onto your toes before coming back down. ‘Second’ refers to a ballet position where your feet are placed roughly hip width apart from each other. You’ll have your arms out in front of you clutching the pilates ball.

Attitude pulses: Attitude is a ballet position where you stand on one leg (known as your supporting leg) and lift your other leg either out in front or behind you, with the knee bent out to the side, and pulse quickly for counts of eight. Your hand will rest on the barre.

Table top toe touch: A Pilates favourite. Lying with your back on the mat, you’ll lift your legs up so that your knees and shins form a ‘table top’ parallel to the ceiling, and then, hinging from the hips you’ll alternate one leg at a time, bringing your toes down to touch the floor, before returning to the starting point.

Would I recommend this fitness workout to a friend?

Definitely, yes. It is challenging, but you’ll feel a million dollars when you finish. Expect to feel abit tender in places you never knew you had muscles there before! I dropped into a class at Fabulous Yoga and Pilates at Newstead, a great and welcoming studio.

What I liked: high intensity, relaxed vibe, comradery, using different props (ball, band, weights), the fusion of ballet, pilates and fitness

What I didn’t like: those pesky ‘pulses’, they seem to go on forever!

What do I rate this fitness workout out of 5?

Fitness: 4/5         Strength and toning: 4/5

Weight loss: 4/5                Wellness (mind, body, soul connection) 4/5

What’s on this workouts playlist?

Bruno Mars – Uptown Funk

Has this review inspired you to give it ago? Share your thoughts in the comments box below!

And don’t forget. If there’s a fitness workout you’d like me to review, email hello@askthatfitgirl.com

Till next time,
Maryanne K