Move
WHY BARRE3 IS BETTER THAN A PERSONAL TRAINER
Director of Instructor Training Sara Catherine Wheatley explains how barre3 works for everyone.
Have you ever had that moment when you walk though the studio doors at barre3 and say to yourself, I don’t know if I can do this?
And yet you find a way to step over the threshold onto the cork floor, and before you know it you’re moving to the music and feeling lifted, those earlier thoughts a distant memory.
What is it about barre3 that propels us forward, even on those days when doubt creeps in? For me, it’s that no matter where my mind and body are when I start class, I know barre3 will always provide me a space where I can take things as I need them. On my own terms. At my own pace. Within this space, I have all the freedom I need to listen to my own voice and make my own decisions. I have the freedom to feel empowered from within.
How do we create such a freeing space?
There are countless factors at play, but the most important one is the option to adjust every move to let the workout meet you where you are. Does Plank hurt your wrists? Take it at the barre, or consider resting on your forearms rather than on the palms of your hands. Reverse Seated Chair feeling off today? Try Power Leg instead. Are your hips screaming in Horse Pose? Sumo is a great option.
We call those options modifications, but I think that term can be misleading. Modifications tend to be associated with adjusting to make something easier—and therefore less effective. At barre3, we offer modifications as a way to adjust so that the workout actually works better.
For example, I have a client (we’ll call her Cindy) who is a regular in my Friday morning classes. One day I looked over at her during a Parallel Bridge Lift series, and she was grimacing. I went to see how she was doing, and she told me that her knees were hurting. I suggested she walk her feet out a little wider to Sumo and little farther away from her hips. She followed my lead.
Immediately she felt relief in her knees and was able to focus on bringing a burn into her glute muscles (she was also able to relax her face, jaw, and neck and make space for steady breaths to keep her grounded during that deep burn!). She continued to take this same modification in Bridge Lifts for a long time—for months, I’d cue Parallel Bridge Lifts and Cindy would walk her feet wide because it worked better for her.
Then one day I noticed that she was working with her feet in parallel again. I went to her and asked “Does this feel OK?” and she said, “Yeah! I tried it again and my knees don’t hurt when I do this anymore. And I can really feel my butt burning!” I threw my hands up with joy! Cindy found the true greatness of embracing modifications.
When you focus on working your body in the way that feels right and accessible, then you can really dig in and train the muscles in a way that will ultimately make you stronger.
Because Cindy listened to her body and took the modification, with time her body got stronger and was able to serve her in a new and more balanced way.
Everybody has a different body, and only you know what feels best for yours.
When you have options that allow you to adjust the workout for your body, the workout becomes truly your own—it’s as highly individualized as working with a personal trainer, but with all the energy of a group-fitness setting. When I take class and my instructor cues me to close my eyes and feel the deep connection I’m building with myself, I am lifted up and inspired by the people around me, but also know that I am in control of the situation.
It takes a lot of courage to intentionally choose something that sets you apart from the group—standing while everyone else is kneeling, say, or being the only person taking plank at the barre. But a modification can open up space for you to listen to your inner voice and to make the bold choice to do what feels right in the moment. By modifying, you are standing up for yourself and for what you need—and there is nothing more empowering than that.
Quick challenge: Take a studio or online class today, and try a modification you’ve never tried before. How does it feel? Were you able to get deeper into the posture? Relieve pressure on a sore spot? We’d love to hear about your experience.
Director of Instructor Training Sara Catherine Wheatley explains how barre3 works for everyone.
Have you ever had that moment when you walk though the studio doors at barre3 and say to yourself, I don’t know if I can do this?
And yet you find a way to step over the threshold onto the cork floor, and before you know it you’re moving to the music and feeling lifted, those earlier thoughts a distant memory.
What is it about barre3 that propels us forward, even on those days when doubt creeps in? For me, it’s that no matter where my mind and body are when I start class, I know barre3 will always provide me a space where I can take things as I need them. On my own terms. At my own pace. Within this space, I have all the freedom I need to listen to my own voice and make my own decisions. I have the freedom to feel empowered from within.
How do we create such a freeing space?
There are countless factors at play, but the most important one is the option to adjust every move to let the workout meet you where you are. Does Plank hurt your wrists? Take it at the barre, or consider resting on your forearms rather than on the palms of your hands. Reverse Seated Chair feeling off today? Try Power Leg instead. Are your hips screaming in Horse Pose? Sumo is a great option.
We call those options modifications, but I think that term can be misleading. Modifications tend to be associated with adjusting to make something easier—and therefore less effective. At barre3, we offer modifications as a way to adjust so that the workout actually works better.
For example, I have a client (we’ll call her Cindy) who is a regular in my Friday morning classes. One day I looked over at her during a Parallel Bridge Lift series, and she was grimacing. I went to see how she was doing, and she told me that her knees were hurting. I suggested she walk her feet out a little wider to Sumo and little farther away from her hips. She followed my lead.
Immediately she felt relief in her knees and was able to focus on bringing a burn into her glute muscles (she was also able to relax her face, jaw, and neck and make space for steady breaths to keep her grounded during that deep burn!). She continued to take this same modification in Bridge Lifts for a long time—for months, I’d cue Parallel Bridge Lifts and Cindy would walk her feet wide because it worked better for her.
Then one day I noticed that she was working with her feet in parallel again. I went to her and asked “Does this feel OK?” and she said, “Yeah! I tried it again and my knees don’t hurt when I do this anymore. And I can really feel my butt burning!” I threw my hands up with joy! Cindy found the true greatness of embracing modifications.
When you focus on working your body in the way that feels right and accessible, then you can really dig in and train the muscles in a way that will ultimately make you stronger.
Because Cindy listened to her body and took the modification, with time her body got stronger and was able to serve her in a new and more balanced way.
Everybody has a different body, and only you know what feels best for yours.
When you have options that allow you to adjust the workout for your body, the workout becomes truly your own—it’s as highly individualized as working with a personal trainer, but with all the energy of a group-fitness setting. When I take class and my instructor cues me to close my eyes and feel the deep connection I’m building with myself, I am lifted up and inspired by the people around me, but also know that I am in control of the situation.
It takes a lot of courage to intentionally choose something that sets you apart from the group—standing while everyone else is kneeling, say, or being the only person taking plank at the barre. But a modification can open up space for you to listen to your inner voice and to make the bold choice to do what feels right in the moment. By modifying, you are standing up for yourself and for what you need—and there is nothing more empowering than that.
Quick challenge: Take a studio or online class today, and try a modification you’ve never tried before. How does it feel? Were you able to get deeper into the posture? Relieve pressure on a sore spot? We’d love to hear about your experience.
