Barre workouts are HOT, and this workout trend doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon. Once available only in posh gyms and exclusive studios, barre workouts are not popping up in big box gyms across the country, and they are as varied in their moves and styles as their instructors and branded names.
 
What I love about the barre workouts and DVDs I've tried is the variety. I've been doing strength training since I was in middle school, and quite frankly, it gets boring to me over time. So for me, a barre workout is a new and different way to strengthen and challenge my body that isn't the same old stuff I've done for years. Plus, barre workouts are infused with so many of the elements of Pilates (my favorite workout of all time), like core engagement; lengthening of the limbs, spine and muscles; control and precision. I love these things about Pilates; they allow you to constantly push yourself to a new level of mastery, and forget about your day because you're so focused in the moment.
 
Acacia recently sent me one of their barre DVDs, Xtend Barre®: Lean & Chiseled ($12.49, amazon.com). This 55-minute DVD is the creation of Andrea Rogers, a professional dancer and choreographer turned Pilates and fitness instructor. Find out if it's right for you.


What They Say
"The Xtend Barre Workout is a fast-paced, 55-minute full body immersion that fuses dance, Pilates and sculpting exercises at the ballet barre to give you a chiseled body – and fast! The Xtend Barre system sculpts the body proportionally so that all body parts are equally challenged. This total body workout serves to strengthen, lengthen, and stretch the body from top to bottom, from inside out. The end result is a long and lean physique...without added bulk. Developed from a dance / Pilates background, the Xtend Barre workout combines the amazing results of dance with the principles of strength and safety in Pilates."
 
What I Thought:
First off, I really enjoyed Andrea's instruction and personality. She was fun to work out with! I liked her tone of voice, her simple encouragement and her high-impact cues that really helped me grasp the movement and the purpose of each exercise. (You may recognize her from the fun 10-Minute Solution: Dance Your Body Thin DVD, also a good one in my book.) The exercises slowly progress in speed, so she starts you slower to get the movement, then speeds it up and then shows some advanced challenges that are optional. All the while, one exerciser always shows a modified range of motion, which I found to be very helpful.
 
The DVD can be broken up into individual segments for warm-up (it was slightly too fast-paced for my liking), arms, legs, abs/core, and cool down/stretch. I did all segments back-to-back. It even includes a bonus video that explains more on the form and positions, which was very helpful. The video clip below shows a little bit from each section to give you an idea.
 


The arms section recommends 1-2 pound hand weights. The lightest weights I have at home were 6 pounds—a little too difficult! I'd really recommend a lighter weight or maybe a couple of water bottles if you don't have weights that small. But I did my best and swapped in a couple cans of beans when I got too tired. It focuses mostly on the biceps and triceps. I actually wish the arm segment was longer and did more with the shoulders and back, too, so I was just slightly underwhelmed by this section. But the exercises that it did include were still challenging and interesting.

The lower body section was great—all the pliés (squats) and relevés (heel raises) you'd expect from a barre workout. You use just a chair for balance on this segment. It wasn't as hard to me as Tracey Mallet's Booty Barre DVD, in which I had to stop and rest throughout, but it still burned my muscles and left my butt sore two whole days later.  

The core and abs section was short, but intense. You'll need a mat for this unless you have a cushy floor. It was very Pilates-like, but with some new twists on moves that I really enjoyed.  I did have to stop and rest during this one, but I probably could have just tried the modified versions instead of trying to be so hard core.
 
Overall, I thought the Xtend Barre DVD was a little less intimidating and less complicated than the first DVD I reviewed, making it better for a person who is newer to exercise or has less Pilates and dance experience. I don't mean that in a bad way: I thoroughly enjoyed it, and even liked the music. If you're interested in trying a barre workout, this is a great title to start with.
 
Are you interested in barre workouts? Have you tried any before? How does the Xtend workout look to you?
 
Photo Credit: Acacia

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