Raising the Barre
Brides-to-be use a butt-kicking combo of ballet, Pilates, and more to get their bods in shape.
Posted by: Amanda LaPlante on Oct 27, 2010 at 10:00AM
6 Comments
Brides — and many grooms, too — will go through just about anything to get toned and fit before that walk down the aisle. Most of you are familiar with the whole bridal boot camp thing; the essence of tough drill sergeants and take-no-prisoners workouts seem to work oddly well for pre-wedding day motivation. But how about toe shoes and tutus as inspiration?
Actually, there’s nothing fluffy about Pure Barre a nationwide fitness program that began in 2001 and just made it to West Seattle this past June. The studio there is all ballet bars and floor-to-ceiling mirrors, but the ballet-meets-Pilates-meets-weight training sessions don’t have much else in common with Nutcracker Suites.
We tried it ourselves; an hour’s worth of small isolated movements — some familiar to our dance and yoga days, some not — intended to tone bums, thighs, abs, and arms (just about all of the target areas on a bride’s mind, although not all of Pure Barre’s disciplined students are getting ready for that particular kind of big day). Instructor and studio owner Sami Dinsmore Sweeney promised that the first training session would be the hardest and she wasn’t kidding. Sweeney kicked our butt. Actually, she’s sort of perfected the butt squeeze — that ubiquitous move we’ve all tried in an attempt to firm our seat. If day-after soreness is an indication, the move works. If you decide to give Pure Barre a try, you might consider inviting your bridesmaids along — you might need them to carry you out.
We talked with a Pure Barre regular, too — here’s Nikole Smuck: When the West Seattle location opened in June, I immediately signed up and I found out quickly how challenging the classes were. I was getting married in September and, like most brides-to-be, I wanted to be in the best shape of my life. Pure Barre is tough work, but the results were quicker than anything I had ever tried. The workouts gave me the toned arms and little waist that I desired for my wedding dress. And I never thought I would like my thighs!
Sweeney says most clients see results within just ten classes, and they stress that the mental clarity often achieved through yoga is a part of this practice as well. The focus required to maintain poses and execute lifts, tucks, squeezes, and more for sixty minutes does, as the claim goes, allow you to block out budget concerns and table seating dilemmas.
Sweeney plans to open University District and Bellevue locations this month; check out the above links to the Pure Barre website for pricing and new studio information.
Tags: Bellevue, Weddings, West Seattle, Seattle Wedding Details
For anyone who is thinking of trying Pure Barre… DO IT! I am a very active person who loves fitness and exercise, and out of the dozens of different workouts I’ve tried this is like nothing else. It truly is great for people at any fitness level, I have friends who rarely exercise and they loved the classes as well. I love how no matter how experienced and fit you are, at PB there is no plateau- you can always do more and push yourself farther. And the teachers are fabulous. I can’t say enough good things about this place.
I started going to Pure Barre in July in search of a new way to tone my body and clear my head. I got married this past September and not only were the classes really good for my body, it was my dedicated 60 minutes of “me” time… no seating charts, no ribbon tying, no phone calls…just simple mind cleansing (and a killer booty kicking too!). PB is an amazing place full of strong, kind, empowering women. People of all fitness levels can do this. I’ve been dancing and strength training for years and this workout is exceptional for lean looking muscles, strong abs and perky bums- and it is SO much fun. I highly recommend taking a class…or 10!
I’m a PB fan too! I did their new client special and was considering doing a second month. I saw one of my friends who I hadn’t seen in a while and she was commenting on how good I looked. I booked my second month immediately and have been 3-4 times a week ever since.
Love this article. How many classes do you have to take before you see results? I am very active but would like to add something new. Thanks.
Were there any guys in the classes? I wanted to try it, but dont want to be the only guy?
Hi Jodie,
While I’m sure there are some instructors out there who are willing to quote you a times-results equation, I’d be pretty wary of that. We’re all so unique, and the instructor only gets you for an hour or so during class, so near-to-impossible for him/her to predict your overall condition, right?
Matt: guys? Great question. I say roll the dice and sign up. Be a pioneer!