I was never that good at ballet. My body didn't turn and twist the way it was supposed to, and I swear my short stature had everything to do with it. So I stayed pretty far away from barre classes, aside from the occasional barre ride at Revolve. Then a few weeks ago while in NYC for work, I went to Pure Yoga with my bestie and took Figure 4. I was skeptical, but a willing newbie. Most barre classes follow the same basic format: upper body, thighs, glutes and abs. Figure 4, however, goes straight to thighs. The place that no matter how many squats, runs, or lunges I do can never be lean.
Rather than isolate one muscle at a time, Figure 4 incorporates leg exercises with arms to keep the body in a fat-burning zone. I really loved how the instructor didn't let me slack off because it was my first time. She was there to correct my form and push me when she thought I was going too easy.
I was dripping in sweat before the hour was over, and was feeling it in my legs days later. It turned me into a believer of barre workouts, so much so that I invested in Physique 57 DVD set (review to come).
