The Booty Barre Workout & Review

The very first barre class I took that got me hooked on the barre workout was Booty Barre. Created by fitness and lifestyle expert Tracey Mallett, Booty Barre is

“a sexy, energetic 55-minute DANCE-A-THON that combines the TONING benefits of yoga, Pilates and dance to STRENGTHEN AND STRETCH the body to HELP YOU LOOK (AND FEEL) 10 years younger.  (And get this… you don’t need any dance experience and you certainly don’t need a partner!!!)” (from www.thebootybarre.com)

Booty Barre is one of my favorite workouts because it’s a complete workout that targets all of the muscles in your body, gets your heart rate up, and lets you shake your booty, literally. I have to admit, when I first tried a Booty Barre class at the Pilates Company in Woodinville, WA I was a little shy when we had to stick our booty out and shake it from side to side. Now, I get into it with arms and everything.

Booty Barre is spreading rapidly to studios around the US and internationally. Going to a class is the best option, but if there isn’t a class nearby, they have 3 DVDs or classes on PilatesAnytime.com for you to workout at home. I have the Booty Barre Plus DVD and Booty Barre Beginners & Beyond DVD. The BB Plus DVD is most intense version of BB with 65 minutes of muscle burning (my favorite) and the BB Beginners DVD is great for people who want a slower pace and more focus on proper technique. I got the beginners DVD to help learn the correct alignment and cuing of a barre workout.  

The Workout

All of the Booty Barre workouts follow a common pattern with a warm-up, killer arms, barre section, core work, and cool down stretch. The warm-up includes combinations of plies, toe raises, arm movements, and light stretches of the torso and legs.

http://www.thebootybarre.com

Killer Arms

On the Booty Barre Plus DVD they call the arm section “killer arms” because it really does kill your arms but then you get the benefit of killer looking arms. Using light dumbbells of 3-5lbs, you do 2 sets of each round (3 rounds) with about 4 exercises each round. They do high repetition movements of typical arm exercises like bicep curls, triceps extensions, shoulder presses, reverse fly, and pushups to top it all off. And for some of the sets you do everything on your toes, which works your legs and booty too.

http://www.thebootybarre.com

Barre Workout

The barre section of the workout is always my favorite part because it’s non-stop leg burning and your legs feel more toned with every plié. The exercises include a series of plies in 1st and 2nd position, curtsies, leg raises to the side and back, hip openers, tucks and booty shaking. One of the toughest moves is a plié on your toes while moving your hips side to side as you lower down. Every part of your booty burns!

If you don’t have a ballet barre at home (who does?), you can use a sturdy chair for balance or use the kitchen counter like I do.

Me working the barre at home

Plies on the barre. Booty Barre instructor training in Turkey.

(photo source)

Side kicks on the chair barre (www.thebootybarre.com)

Hip openers with the ball (www.thebootybarre.com)

Ab Workout

After you burn off the flab on your booty, hips and legs, you work on toning and tightening your core. Not only do you do these isolated core exercises, you have to keep the abs contracted throughout the entire workout to stabilize your body and keep your spine in alignment. Needless to say, your abs are already tired by this point.

Tracey Mallet has rockin abs! (www.thebootybarre.com)

(www.thebootybarre.com)

Cool Down and Stretch

The crucial cool down and stretch section after a vigorous workout includes stretches of all the leg muscles, booty, hips and core. Your mind is calmed and muscles relax.

Booty Barre Stretch (www.bootybarre.com)

Overall

The Booty Barre workout is my go-to workout at home. I can get a challenging full body workout with cardio and stretching in 65 minutes with the BB Plus DVD, or do the 35-minute express workout with the BB Beginners & Beyond DVD. Be prepared to sweat and let yourself go as you work your booty!

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