Frequently Asked Questions About Barre

Your Questions Answered

General Questions

Every Bar Method class starts with a warm-up, upper-body exercises and pushups in the middle of the room, followed by a sequence of leg work at the barre and core exercises on the floor. The method predominantly uses your own bodyweight for resistance along with a few basic props - free weights, mats and a ball. Students are continually challenged with endless variations of each exercise timed to the beat of the music, so that each class feels unique. Students of all levels work within their individual limits while receiving encouragement to continually push forward.

The Bar Method is unique to other barre classes for one reason, it is truly a method. It was created under the guidance of physical therapists to ensure it is safe and effective for students spanning a wide range of abilities including those with physical limitations and injuries. Unlike other barre workouts, our instructors undergo a lengthy rigorous training that includes lessons of anatomy and hands-on adjustments. Annual certification exams ensure the highest standards are upheld across the entire teaching community. Our students receive personalized adjustments, modifications and encouragement to get the most out of every workout. It’s a workout that is safe and sustainable for life!

The Bar Method’s “round-back” and “flat-back” exercises do have unique benefits. They spike your heart rate, taper your leg muscles, tighten the muscles around your waist, and strengthen your core. To perform them however, you need a bar that is securely attached to a wall, which most DVD users do not have at home. Our DVDs make up for the absence of these two exercises with a quickened pace and extra bar-work to shape your legs and carve your abs. The intensity generated by these added elements enables you to get a Bar Method-sculpted body by either at a studio or at home.

Bar Method studios welcome and support students both young and old. There’s no specific age limit, and in fact our classes include a wide diversity of age groups, from students in their 20s to their 70s. One reason The Bar Method is doable for older students is that teachers call out options for all exercises. Very strong students can choose to do one option, while others who are just building their strength choose another one. That way, all students get the best workout for their level of fitness.

We can only consider an applicant as someone who has done The Bar Method at least 3 times per week for a minimum 3 months consecutively at either a Bar Method studio or with The Bar Method DVDs. Studio owners are required to teach classes and serve as role models for other teachers in their studio. They are to maintain high standards of quality in all aspects of the business and workouts. If you are interested and would like more information, please visit The Bar Method Franchising site.

Yes. The Bar Method will trim down your entire body, particularly your legs. During the first three-to-five months that you take class however, your muscles feel more present than before and so seem to be fuller. This is because newly toned muscles hold additional water, and also because intra-muscular fat has been pushed outwards. After around five months of classes, the intramuscular fat will burn away, your muscles will become more compact and elongated, and you will lose inches.

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Yes. The Bar Method is a comprehensive, full-body workout, so it will help you build and maintain a high level of fitness. You don’t need to supplement the workout with additional strengthening, stretching or aerobic exercise, as long as you come to class three-to-five times a week. The Bar Method also works well in conjunction with many types of exercise. Taking The Bar Method is a fantastic way to train for sports, and it will boost your performance in many other kinds of exercise such as biking, skiing, running, hiking, basketball and dance.

Research shows that you get the best results from exercise by working out three-to-five times per week. The Bar Method is non-impact and safe for your joints, so unlike some other workouts you can do it up to six days a week and still allow enough time for your muscles to recover.

We advise that students listen to their bodies to find the frequency that works best for them. If you feel yourself getting stronger and feeling more confident, your frequency is at a good level. If you start feeling fatigued, you're probably over-doing it. The right frequency for you also depends on what else is going on in your life. If you're working 10 hours a day and not getting a lot of sleep, you might try taking class three days a week to see how that feels. Always be sure to listen to yourself and your body!

While you will see many women in a typical Bar Method studio, we have many male clients who love the workout as well! There are some incredible benefits of barre for men, including increased flexibility, improved core strength, and enhanced endurance. It’s non-impact, safe for the joints and a great cross-training workout for many other sports and activities. We encourage and welcome male clients to try The Bar Method!

Injuries or Medical Conditions

Yes! The Bar Method instructors are well versed in human anatomy and can help you modify exercises to ensure you are comfortable while maintaining the effectiveness of the workout. Be sure to tell your instructor about your condition so they can best assist you. Please read applicable sections below to discover how The Bar Method can work for you.

Disclaimer: Always consult your physician before beginning any exercise program. This general information is not intended to diagnose any medical condition or to replace your healthcare professional.

Having a hamstring strain is painful -- and easy to do! Dancers, cheerleaders, athletes of all kinds, and people who engage in any type of exercise can strain a hamstring. And the diagnosis is not great after that, since hamstring strains don’t heal quickly and can become chronic if left untreated. For this reason, your first step on your road to recovery is to see your doctor.

Once your doctor okays you to exercise, come back to class and tell your instructor you have a hamstring condition so he or she can give you the modifications you need to work safely. Then start slowly, be patient, and back off an exercise when you feel significant pain that is clearly caused by your injury and not a muscle burn.

Remember, while you’re recovering from a hamstring strain, don’t get ahead of yourself and push too hard! Listen to your body, and use the above modifications as long as is needed for the best resolution.

When your abs are weak, your body tends to compensate with other muscles. A “curl” motion might translate into an effort on the part of your neck rather than your abs. Your neck might also experience discomfort because of a natural tightness in your back muscles – not in itself a problem, but something you need to be aware of during ab work.

The Bar Method curl section offers solutions to both these conditions. Teachers provide their students with mats and a cushion they can place under their ribs if needed, and will then show them how to position the back support to work effectively. In the curl section of class, students are free to work at their own pace and can sit up and reset when needed.

With practice, most Bar Method students learn to do rhythmic curls with their abs and without neck discomfort.

Foot, ankle and calf injuries including bunions and plantar fasciitis are extremely common due to women’s love of dangerously high heeled shoes, the hard pavements we dash around on, and how easy it is in the general course of life for our feet and ankles to be sprained and broken.

The Bar Method is an ideal workout choice if you have one of these conditions. It’s non-impact, performed on a soft carpet, and provides special options for students with sensitive feet. As always, ask your Bar Method instructor for modifications as needed – he or she will be more than happy to help!

Tens of thousands of Americans, most of them women, suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome, which is a compression of the median nerve at the wrist resulting in numbness and pain. An even greater number of people are genetically predisposed to this syndrome by having a smaller than average opening in their carpel tunnel, the passageway through which nerves travel through the wrist to the hand. Today, heavy computer use has increased the likelihood that these people will come down with the condition.

Falling on a hand or wrist, a common injury, is another way people end up with wrist pain. Remember to use pain as a guide, and stop when you feel significant pain in the area where you’re injured! Always see your doctor before you attempt to exercise. He or she can give you effective treatments and therapies for your condition.

The Bar Method has developed modifications for every exercise that exerts pressure on the wrists, so be sure to alert your instructor and take their adjustments for a personalized experience. By exercising mindfully, you’ll end up not only pain free but also with stronger joints that are less vulnerable to injury.

Sciatica is pain in the buttocks and the back of the legs due to irritation of the sciatic nerve or nerve roots. It’s really a symptom of several different conditions, including a herniated disk, spinal stenosis, piriformis syndrome, sacroiliac joint dysfunction, and degenerative disk disease.

If you have or have had sciatic pain, The Bar Method workout might be just what the doctor ordered. The Method originated as a therapeutic back strengthening program for a dancer who hurt her back. Consequently every exercise during the class focuses on strengthening, stretching or aligning the back.

Our shoulder joints are especially vulnerable to injury. This goes back to when we evolved from four-legged to two-legged animals. When we began to use our arms, our shoulder joints became more flexible so that we could use them to throw and reach. This gain in flexibility caused the joint to lose stability. Bar Method arm-work is, for this reason, designed by physical therapists to help stabilize your shoulders by helping you strengthen the “stabilizer” muscles around them.

If you have a shoulder injury, The Bar Method strongly recommends that you see a doctor before signing up to exercise. Physical therapy works well on shoulders, so you’ll optimize your recovery by putting yourself in the hands of a physical therapist before coming to a Bar Method class. Then, when you’re feeling better and get the ‘okay’ from your doctor to exercise, your Bar Method teacher will give you modifications to use in class that will help your shoulder continue to heal.

Scoliosis is a common condition where there is an abnormal curvature of the spine to one side (a lateral curvature of the spinal column). Scoliosis may occur from weakness of the muscles around the spine or from the spine not fully developing with growth. It may create an imbalance in your posture muscles, abdominal muscles and hip muscles. Scoliosis will not prevent you from doing The Bar Method in good form, though your back may look different in some Bar Method exercises than other students – especially in “one-weight lifts,” “fold-over” and “arabesque.” Ask your instructor if you need guidance on the correct alignment for you.

The Bar Method is based in part on rehabilitative back therapy and has helped countless people to free themselves of back pain. The Bar Method’s exercises work because they “rewire” the connection between the core muscles and the limbs. The standing seat exercise, for example, teaches you to keep your spine stable while using your glutes, thereby teaching your body to move from the hips, not the lower back. The Bar Method also frees up your lower back muscles by gently stretching them throughout the class.

Doctors say that exercise is the best therapy for varicose veins. Getting the heart pumping helps send blood through the veins and discourages the pooling that's the cause of the condition. The Bar Method has helped fade veins in some students. Its “round-back” exercise, which works the legs upside down, is especially good therapy for varicose veins since it allows gravity to draw the blood from your legs and back to your heart. Before you begin an exercise program, get your doctor’s okay to exercise. Then stick with the routine for at least six weeks if you can. Improving your fitness levels and getting stronger might help to alleviate your discomfort.

If you have any type of knee injuries, it’s important to see your doctor for diagnosis and treatment before you exercise. After you get your doctor’s okay, The Bar Method workout can help you stabilize your knees by strengthening and aligning the muscles around them. This non-impact, highly controlled leg work is similar to what you’d do in physical therapy, and its gentle intensity is highly effective rehabilitation when you’re at the recovery stage. The Bar Method’s thigh exercises, are especially beneficial to the knees and can help alleviate most common knee conditions.

The Bar Method’s thigh exercises use the bar to help you keep your torso vertical rather than having it lean diagonally forward as in a classic squat performed in the gym. This difference acts to make your quads more elastic, increase the range of motion in your hips, and give your legs a streamlined look.

Almost half of all women past menopause will develop a dowager’s hump, and you don’t want to be one of them. The Bar Method is ideal for keeping your bones strong and dense because its exercises are weight-bearing but non-impact, a perfect formula for putting the right amount of stress on your bones to build density without jarring your joints. Second, the many stretches performed during the class cause your muscles to tug at their underlying bones, stimulating your bones to grow stronger. Stretching also helps prevent impact injuries by making your muscles more elastic. Third, The Bar Method’s emphasis on strengthening around the hips and back helps prevent osteoporosis just where your body is most vulnerable to losing bone mass. Fourth, the posture exercises performed during the class reduce stress on the spine and shoulders. And finally, its balance work at the bar helps you steer clear of injuries from a fall.

If you already have osteoporosis, ask your doctor’s advice on the types of exercise you should and should not be doing.

Hip sensitivity can arise from many causes, among them years of running or dancing, inherent hip tightness, or simply being out of shape. The Bar Method workout features protections against overuse of your hip-flexors combined with non-impact core strengthening to stabilize and protect your hip joints. Inform your instructor if you have sensitive hip-flexors and they will provide you with modifications that will allow you to workout comfortable. Additionally, the work you’re doing to strengthen your quads and abdominals will contribute to the health of your hips in the long run.

Studies of patients with fibro-myalgia have found that low impact aerobic exercise and gentle stretching can decrease pain. Medical experts do not recommend intense weight lifting because it can result in excessive muscle soreness. So while The Bar Method is safe to do if you have fibro-myalgia, you’ll need to take occasional breaks during the class, especially at first, to ease the muscle-burn associated with the strength work. Tell your instructor about your condition, so he or she understands your need to rest.

If you get over the hump of initial soreness from your first Bar Method classes, your added strength, flexibility and improved posture will lessen the stress and strain on your muscles and joints. Other benefits of strengthening and stretching workouts are reduced depression, improved sleep and more energy. See your doctor for pain management if you have a severe case of fibro-myalgia.

The National Institutes of Health calls exercise “so important” for those with lupus because “too much rest can be harmful to muscles, bones and joints.” The NIH’s patient handout also says that exercise “can help you feel better, both mentally and physically.” Over the years Bar Method students with lupus have reported that their affected joints feel better after their Bar Method classes. Most of all these students have talked about overall increased well-being. All this said, check with your doctor before starting The Bar Method or any other exercise program.

Pregnant or Post Natal

First, bring a note from your doctor stating that you can safely participate in strengthening and stretching exercise classes while you are pregnant.

If you’ve never exercised at The Bar Method, we recommend that you take several Bar Online Pre-Natal classes so that your body gently becomes accustomed to the exercises and deep muscle work (while it’s already undergoing lots of other changes due to your growing belly). After you’re familiar with the class, it will be easier to start taking regular beginner or mixed class.

There are several modifications that we recommend for pregnant clients, including:

Stall-bar stretch:
Skip the stretch on the stall bar, which students usually perform before and after class, so as not to over-stretch your internal organs.

"Cobra" or "counter-stretch":
Do a “cat stretch” on your hands and knees instead of “cobra stretch”

Thigh stretch:
During thigh stretch series, do not take the option to do a split (due to hormonal changes, pregnant students are more flexible in their hips so it’s important to stretch gently). Instead, stick with the “hamstring stretch” position.

Continue to use the modifications above, and add the following ones:

One-weight lifts:
For one-weight lifts, work with your back at less of a forward angle or hold onto the bar for balance.

Pushups:
You can do pushups against the bar with your heels up or down.

Stretch at the bar:
Do stretch at the bar in a kneeling position.

Seat-work:
For seat-work, replace the “fold-over” and “arabesque” exercises with “standing seat” or “diagonal seat.”

Round-back:
In round-back, place three or four riser mats under your large exercise mat (your instructor will give them to you). Lean on the risers so that your spine is at no more than 45 degrees back. The risers allow you to gently stretch your lower back and work your lower abs at the same time. This position will keep the weight of your uterus from tiling back onto major blood vessels. Hold onto a strap over the arch of your extended foot.

Flat-back:
In flat-back, keep one or both of your feet on the floor if you feel uncomfortable lifting both at the same time.

Curl:
In curl, lean on three or four “riser” mats as you did during “round-back.” Substitute both versions of “clam” and “low curl with one or both legs up” with any of the other curl exercises that are taught with both feet on the floor. Start and stop as needed during the curl section.

Stretches after curl:
During the stretches after curl, do the sitting “mermaid stretch” (shown) in place of the prone back stretch. Sit up with both knees bent to one side. Lift your opposite arm and gently lean your torso sideways towards your feet

Back-dancing:
Modify “back-dancing” by kneeling in front of the bar and holding onto it rather than lying down.

Final stretch:
In the final stretch, replace butterfly stretch with a half lotus stretch. During the “strap stretch,” sit up and place one foot in the strap. Place your other leg with a bent knee on the floor for stability.

Bar Online

Beginner – A simpler class with concentration on learning the technique and set-ups with fewer reps in each exercise.

Method - Full Body – Our most popular classes aimed to suit all clients regardless of fitness level. A perfectly balanced class with clear set-ups for each exercise and challenging techniques.

Method - Targeted – Ideal for any level and is targeted to one focus area or small combinations of muscle groups. Often our targeted videos are shorter in length.

Advanced – A faster paced class with limited set-ups, more exercises, challenging positions and advanced techniques. This level is ideal for clients who are already familiar with Method classes and want to push their limits.

Prenatal – A Method level class for prenatal clients with specific modifications given throughout.

A portable ballet barre or something equivalent such as a straight back chair that you can hold onto that is about the height of your hip / waist.
Two 2-to-4 pound free weights or something similar that you can comfortably hold on to during the workout routines.
A soft exercise mat or a soft, carpeted floor can work.
A stretching strap or something similar such as the belt of a bathrobe.
A small throw pillow may be needed for the abdominal exercises.
The two Super Sculpting Workout DVDs require an exercise ball that is 7-inches in diameter when filled with air.

No special equipment or props are required. You can use water bottles for weights, bathrobe tie as a stretching strap, firm oversized pillows, a towel folded in thirds for knee padding and a sturdy chair or furniture for balance support. We suggest doing the class on a carpet, rug or mat so your joints are cushioned. You may also purchase Bar Method workout accessories and equipment, including our recommended at-home equipment packages.

SHOP

Shipping method will vary by the vendor from which products are offered. We also provide online tracking information for your order. Shipping costs vary by product weight, packaging, zip code and shipping method. All are calculated automatically via the store website. IMPORTANT: Please double check the address entered for shipping location. It should be entered exactly how it is shown on your regular mail.

At The Bar Method, we want you to be satisfied with your retail purchase. If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, initiate a return request via The Bar Method Store (under “My Account”) within 14 days of receipt.

If you have additional questions regarding a return please contact us for additional information on your return.

Items purchased at a local studio are not returnable to the online store. You must contact the specific studio location in which the item(s) were purchased.

Your Questions Answered

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