Barre classes have been popping up all over the past few years and are the newest trend in fitness, but what is it and what do you need to know before your first barre class? I am sharing below 5 things you must know before your first barre class as well as a free home barre workout to try!

Can I be honest? Barre intimidated me for years. Everyone doing it looks so graceful and toned! Not to mention the classes are expensive and I don't want to pay $20/hour to look like a baby antelope learning to walk in front of 15 strangers. So when I received this free Barre workout online I knew I had to share it!

After the first 5 minutes, I was sweating and it was still the warm up! By the first set, I may have been cursing out the virtual trainer (Thank goodness I wasn't in a huge class and only my dog at home heard me dropping f-bombs in the the living room!) It felt like a combination of the ballet classes I did as a kid mixed with pilates and a little strip tease.

(you'll see what I mean when you get to the first position pulses!)

But before you hop into this free workout or a barre class, here's 5 things you need to know:

*this blog contains affiliated links that I may receive a small commission off of at no cost to you!

1. Anyone can do barre!

This combination of ballet, pilates, and cardio is perfect for any fitness level and easily modified. Any move whether its pulses or jumps can be made easier by dropping the weights, shortening the range of motion, or taking breaks between repetitions. On the other hand, all moves can be made harder by jumping higher, lunging deeper, or adding weights/resistance loops.

I honestly thought barre was going to be a walk in the park or similar to a yoga class...I was WRONG! It was one of the hardest workouts I have done in a while so definitely can kick anyone's booty into shape.

When in class, simply tell your instructor its your first time and I am sure she will offer some modifications. If you try the barre workout I am giving you for free, follow the modifier on the right!

2. You don't need any equipment

While some instructors may use weights or resistance bands for an added burn, many moves are done without anything other than a barre. (kitchen tables, couches, and chairs make great barres at home)

Barre helps you tone muscles by focusing on time under tension aka you are going to be pulsing and holding moves for a long time. Not only will this give you sexy ballerina muscles, but also train your mind to push pass your limitations. My virtual trainer in the free workout says "just when you think you cannot do another, there's 8 more reps!"

3. Barre is for your mind too

As I mentioned above, Barre can help you train your mind too! Learning new moves that you don't see in a gym setting can help your balance and coordination while also forcing your brain to work harder. Anytime you step out of your comfort zone and try something new, you get a little bit smarter!

Barre classes can also be a huge stress relief for many. After trying the free class below, I shared with my Instagram friends that it felt like "a mediation + ballet class + strip tease in one". This trainer in particular, focuses on mental health just as much as physical health. She is constantly pushing your limits and asking you to dig deep while working out to help you train your mind and soul as well. Try the workout below for yourself to see what I mean!

4. Wear something comfy and stretchy

You are going to move a lot in barre so wear leggings or yoga pants and a light sports bra paired with a long sleeve shirt or jacket and tank top. Dressing in layers helps keep you warm until you full warm up and allows you to create more adorable outfits! (if you don't share your workout on instagram, did you really workout?)

As for footwear, totally up to you! Most people go bare foot or wear barre socks, but you can totally rock sneakers if you want. Whatever you are most comfortable in will be fine (just remember to clean them so you're not the jerk leaving muddy foot prints at barre class)

Personally, I prefer bare foot for barre, yoga, and all my workouts, but also I only workout at home. Definitely prefer shoes or at least socks in fitness classes just for sanitary reasons.

5. Barre doesn't have to be expensive

My local barre studio is $69.00 for a 4 class pass!

For Barre beginners, this can be a lot to invest in something you may not love. That is $17.25 a class for only one hour workout a week.

Instead, I highly recommend Baddass Barre Babes online bootcamp! This 8 week, 40+ virtual workout program is only $180/year which equals to about $4.50 a class. The classes can be done on your schedule from home so you can always squeeze one in!

I am coaching a few ladies through this program alongside me and we are loving it so far! Baddass Barre babes also includes unlimited access to+50 workout programs on demand with unlimited replays! I personally use this for myself and with my clients for the past two years now and it has saved me $100's in gym memberships, class fees, and personal trainers.

But before, you invest in Barre Classes or Badass Barre Babes, TRY THIS FREE WORKOUT and see if barre is the perfect fit for you!