Barre is a low impact, full body workout for every fitness level that combines the best of the best: the core strength of Pilates, the mindfulness of yoga, moderate to high intensity of strength training, all to the high energy beats of a dance party. Some of the major benefits of barre for all ages and stages of life are:
- Strengthening of the muscles, bones, and joints
- Increasing flexibility and range of motion
- Alleviate anxiety, promote better sleep, improve mental health + mood and reduce stress
- Surrounding yourself with a fun and supportive community
Pure Barre classes give you a full body workout in under an hour. Each class starts with a warm-up. For our most popular class format, Pure Barre Classic, after warm-up in the center of the room, clients move to the barre to work the thighs and seat, which is followed by focusing on your core and ab exercises, then a cool down. Stretch sequences are integrated throughout each workout to combine strength and flexibility training.
Why do muscles sometimes shake during exercise?
Pure Barre targets all of the major muscle groups in the body and works each group to the point of muscular fatigue, or the point at which force and/or power is reduced. During exercise, skeletal muscle cells contract as groups of cells (called motor units), rather than individually, to produce the movement.
After vigorous exercise, like thigh sprints during a Pure Barre class, some muscle groups may become fatigued more quickly than others and become less able to produce force or power. This can make the muscular contraction appear temporarily jerky and shaky. After rest (or during the stretch section of class) the motor units should recover to once again allow contraction to appear smooth and organized. While it can be tempting to come out of the position once you find your shaking point, we encourage you to stay in position and use your mind and body connection to embrace the shakes!
Why do some exercises cause muscle shaking and others don’t?
When muscles shake during a specific exercise, it's a sign that you’ve successfully reached fatigue in the target muscle group! Most commonly, during thigh work, there are often opportunities to sink a little lower, lift the heels a bit higher, or hold onto the position just a moment longer than you think you can. While each series of movements in class will feel different for you, both mentally and physically, you are working on your strength and stamina every time you take a Pure Barre class.
Should I stop exercising when the muscles start to shake?
During a Pure Barre class, the majority of the positions during which you would experience shaking, you are not in that specific position for very long. With that in mind, Pure Barre members are not as likely to overdo it based on the duration in not only each position, but also each section of the class.
Keep in mind, every individual responds to movement in different ways, so “shaking” should not be the sole determinant of whether or not your muscles have reached fatigue or had a “good” workout and it’s ok if you don’t find yourself in the shaking zone often!