A Morning at the Bar

“Parkour… what? Oh right, bar crawl?” You know you’re going to a super trendy new fitness class when absolutely everyone mishears what it’s actually called. Rather than a Saturday morning bar crawl, Katie (of Frankie’s Weekend) and I checked out a new fitness class called Barrecore, just outside of Manchester, in the leafy suburban area of Alderley Edge.

The BarrecoreMIXED is a 60 minutes of low impact, full body fitness class, using a mixture of stretching and isometric exercises, all with a distinct ballet and pilates influence. After regular weekly classes, you can hope to achieve a more toned physique, higher muscle definition in your legs and arms, a flat tum and a greater sense of well-being.

As I’m running the Race For Life Pretty Muddy 5K in July (full blog post about it here), which combines obstacles with running, I thought this would be the perfect preparation.

 

What can you expect?

The class begins with some warm up floor exercises, including using small 1kg weights to warm up your arm muscles. We both scoffed at the tiny weights, but you really do feel the burn after a few reps!

Once warmed up, you head to the bar to do a mix of isometric exercises (perfect for burning fat) and stretches. At your first lesson, you’ll usually be mixed in with a few seasoned Barrecore babes, but rather than feel intimidated, they’re really great to watch for inspiration and guidance when you can’t quite see the instructor.

There’s no crazy weights or high energy moves (just the bar and a small ball), it’s actually quite elegant & understated and involves a lot of stretching. You will usually rely on one leg and the bar for support whilst stretching out the other leg. All whilst feeling like a sassy, slightly shaky, ballerina. If anything though, I’ve really felt the most ache (hello newly strengthened muscles) in my core, rather than my legs, so it’s perfect if you’re looking to tone around your tummy.

The class finishes with some relaxing yoga-esque moves to control your breathing and wind you down, and then you’re basically hooked and ready to do another class! The only downside is the £28 cost per class, but they do offer some great packages if you’re looking to make Barrecore a regular part of your workouts.

 

Do you like the sound of a Barrecore class? Find out more info about your closest class on their website here.