Five places to hit the barre in London
Five places to hit the barre in London
Looking to try something new? How about taking your workout to the bar? No, we don’t mean the cocktail bar, sigh, but barre fitness classes are becoming a real fitness hit.
Barre classes are stimulating workouts that combine dance and pilate movements for an adrenaline-fuelled formula that sculpts the whole body. A far cry from tutus and ballerina tights!
What’s even better is that you don’t have to be a professional dancer to join in! Splits, pirouettes and pliés? Think more along the lines of improved posture, lean muscle and a lot of sweat.
Get ready to feel the burn with our top 5 places to hit the barre in London.
Xtend barre
Xtend Barre is a unique studio with a variety of different class styles available for people who like to mix up their workouts. It’s a 55-minute total body workout which serves to strengthen, lengthen and stretch the body. And you’ll be guaranteed a different challenge at every session. As well as the signature workout, Xtend Barre also offers 12 additional variations of the classic Xtend Barre method in London. These include classes which feature elements of yoga, reformer Pilates and Tabata/HIIT training. The Xtend Barre London flagship boasts an exquisite interior with polished studios and a charming atmosphere for the ultimate high-end workout experience. And the team behind this awesome studio are amazing! ‘Xtend Barre is run by highly motivated and talented women. This has been my driving force and I hope to inspire more women, just as I have been during my new career journey.’ Catie Miller, Founder Xtend Barre London.
Define London
Achieve more than you thought your body was capable of with Define, one of London’s hottest barre classes! Ashley Yeater, founder of Define, will get your heart pumping during her sequences of intense exercises, featuring everything from cardio-infused sprints to isometric movements. ‘We strive to keep the class moving and grooving to upbeat music, witty jokes, and seamless choreography that has you done with a body burning, sculpting, toning workout in just 50 minutes,’ Ashley says. The class also incorporates exercises with weights, but do not be fooled by the smallish dumbbells because after planking, squatting and pulsing, your whole body will feel the burn. ‘You will instantly feel longer, leaner, and ready to take on whatever the world has to throw at you next,’ says Ashley. What are you waiting for?
Barrecore
Barrecore is one of London’s leading health and fitness brands with a range of studios located across the city. And a list of classes that cater to all abilities means you don’t have to be a prima ballerina in order to break a sweat. Sometimes it can be hard to fit exercising in while working long hours and maintaining a social life. Barrecore knows your time is precious – that’s why its lunchtime Signature Express Class is such a hit! ‘We know our clients are all leading incredibly busy lives, and to help fit around their busy schedules we have created the lunchtime Signature Express Class. These 45-minute classes will target every muscle group, but with an extra special focus on one area (such as the upper body or flexibility) on different days of the week,’ says Niki Rein, found of Barrecore.
Blok
Clapton’s Blok fitness space is a hidden gem located in the heart of East London. This top-notch studio promises to reform your body with its intense barre class. The class targets your glutes, thighs and core with the aim of creating definition for a longer, leaner frame. You’ll enjoy a stretching routine both on the floor and on a ballet barre that will test every muscle. Training at Blok will not only mean getting a good workout in, the classes are designed to build skills and improve technique, so you’ll be learning as you go, too. As if that wasn’t enough, why not treat yourself to a post-workout refreshment from Blok’s delicious cafe menu? Yum!
Frame
If you think barre is a class dedicated just to stretching, think again. Frame’s Cardio Barre class is packed with isometric movements that target the smaller supporting muscles to create a corset – trimming, lifting and sculpting your body in all of the right places. What’s more, Frame’s Cardio Barre class uses gliders – nifty pieces of kit that amp up the workout, burning fat while creating long, lean muscles.
Got the barre bug? Read how it’s breaking the fitness scene or check out London’s first Xtend Barre studio.