Your Guide to the Best Barre Workouts

A guide to some of the best barre workouts across the country

Toning, lengthening, strengthening, sculpting, awesome arms, whittled middle and great glutes—such are the benefits of practicing bar or barre. The celeb-favorite boutique fitness approach that focuses on core work and loads of reps is, in large part, based on the foundation moves and basics of ballet. The low-impact workouts are so effective that there’s now a host of various methods in welcoming studios offered across the country. As any regular can tell you, not all barre classes are created equal. Which is right for you?

Method

Physique 57

CORE PHILOSOPHY In just eight classes, participants look longer, leaner and tighter. The body-sculpting method utilizes your own weight as resistance with a concept called Interval Overload, a method that specifically targets and fatigues particular muscles.

TYPICAL CLASS Following a warm-up, the upper body gets a workout. A combo of hand weights, push-ups, planks and other targeted exercises strengthen biceps, triceps, shoulders, chest and back. Then over to the bar for leg and core moves—expect your muscles to be shaking. Before concluding with a stretching session, there’s a three-part abs series.

SIGNATURE MOVE Curtsy: Disguised as a thigh move, this all-over toner engages the back, abs and, of course, the legs.

CELEBRITY FANS Chrissy Teigen, Emmy Rossum, Petra Nemcova

LOCATIONS Eight studios are scattered worldwide from the Hamptons to Beverly Hills and Bangkok. physique57.com

Method

The Barre Method

CORE PHILOSOPHY Built upon the Lotte Berk Method, this full-body workout, designed with the help of physical therapists, highlights technique and physical integrity in accordance with a choreographed order of moves and intervals.

TYPICAL CLASS Hour-long classes are non-impact, total body-workers. Each starts with a warm-up, free weights and push-ups, followed by intense isometric legwork at the bar and ab moves at the bar and on mats. Active stretching elongates all targeted muscles. Instruction is very hands-on.

SIGNATURE MOVE The active seated Pretzel position tones and slims the waist, while strengthening the core and amping up the butt.

CELEBRITY FANS Reese Witherspoon, Drew Barrymore, Kristen Bell

LOCATIONS Nationwide from Alabama to Washington state. barmethod.com

Method

Barre 3

CORE PHILOSOPHY The 3 stands for the tenets of the practice’s teachings: movement, community, whole body-happiness, and speaks to the three-step sequence for every posture. There’s the isometric hold to deeply tax the muscles while encouraging alignment; small movements to maintain effectiveness of the hold and burn; and large-range, functional low-impact movements to get the heart rate up while stoking the metabolism.

TYPICAL CLASS High-energy, hour-long sessions begin with a warm-up, followed by leg moves and “combo work,” a hybrid of upper, lower and cardio exercises. Classes set to rhythmic music conclude with seat and ab work.

SIGNATURE MOVE The Carousel Horse focuses on all-over proper body alignment and an engaged core, while amping up the booty.

CELEBRITY FANS Madonna, Miranda Kerr

LOCATIONS More than 70 studios across the U.S., Canada and even the Philippines. barre3.com

Method

FlyBarre

CORE PHILOSOPHY A companion to the wildly popular indoor cycling phenom FlyWheel, FlyBarre blends the best of light weight-training, dance and core work. Sessions are fast-paced, total body sculpting workouts set to the hottest—and inspirational—music.

TYPICAL CLASS Sixty minute, high-energy choreographed exercises systematically work each muscle group with focused movement. Arms, abs, thighs and butts get “pulsed out” to the beat. For the time crunched there’s a Power45 session, a 45-minute condensed version.

SIGNATURE MOVE The isolated arm series is one of FlyBarre’s most popular moves. It works the shoulders and defines triceps and biceps through a choreographed sequence and use of one- to three-pound weights.

CELEBRITY FANS Olivia Palermo, Olivia Culpo, Karlie Kloss

LOCATIONS More than 21 outposts across the country. flywheelsports.com

​