What Is Barre Exercises? 10 Workouts At Home

Once we have picked up a bunch of barre moves from the fitness class, it is easy to bring some of them into our home routine. This lets us work out whenever we want to in order to stay in shape.

Here are some exercises that can be practiced at home:

1. Reaching Rond de Jambe

This barre workout is a gem - we’ll just need a chair, wall, or ballet bar for support. It primarily targets the abdominals, arms, thighs, and hip muscles.

Steps To Do It:

• Stand tall with the back straight and shoulders relaxed.
• Place your right hand on the ballet bar or chair for supporting the body weight.
• Extend the left arm in front of you, right at the chest level.
• Lift the left leg as well, bringing it parallel to the left hand.
• Swing your left hand and leg out to the sides at the same time, so that by the end of the movement, your legs form a right angle.
• Then, stretch your left leg backward as your left hand reaches forward.
• Fully extend both your hand and leg, aligning them in a straight line.
• Hold this position for a few seconds, then return to the starting pose.
• Continue this activity for 10 to 12 reps.

2. Attitude Back Extensions

Doing the attitude back extensions every day can result in the development of strong muscles in the standing leg. Lifting the back leg to the highest possible position can also strengthen the core and gluteal muscles.

For an added challenge, try doing this exercise without support, clasping your hands in front of you to improve balance.

Steps To Do It:

• Stand upright with both hands touching a chair for support.
• The feet should be planted firmly to the ground, while your toes must be pointed outwards.
• Take a deep breath, and start lifting the right leg back. Bend the knee slightly while doing the lift-off.
• Raise the leg as high as possible, and you could also bend the upper body forward during this process too.
• Stay in this position for a few seconds.
• Return to original pose and repeat this process for 10 reps.

3. Triceps and Calf Raise

This workout stretches the triceps with dumbbells while targeting the calves through heel raises. It is also great for working out the shoulders and core muscles.

Steps To Do It:

• Stand tall with a dumbbell in each hand. Keep the back flat and shoulders relaxed.
• Place the arms by your sides. You can keep the feet together or place them in a V shape.
• Slowly raise the dumbbells upward, extending the hands fully.
• At the same time, raise the heels off the ground.
• You could also bend the elbows to your back to get a more powerful tricep stretch.
• Stay like this for 30 seconds, then return back to the starting position.
• Continue practicing this barre exercise for 10 to 12 reps.

4. Lunge Pulses

Lunge pulses are one of the top barre workouts we can easily practice at our home. It could be done with or without a dumbbell in hand. What makes them unique is the pulsing motion, which activates our muscles further, improving strength and endurance.

Steps To Do It:

• Stand tall, then bend the left foot forward. The right foot will stay back. Both the legs must form a 90-degree angle.
• Now, bend the knee and ankle of the left leg.
• Go low until the right knee nearly touches the floor. Bend the right ankle and knee as well for a deeper stretch.
• Hold this stretch for 5 to 10 seconds.
• Push through the front foot to get back to the standing position.
• Continue doing this exercise for desired number of reps.

5. Rear Fly and Arabesque Lift

This low-impact exercise targets multiple muscle groups, including the thighs, core, upper back, and glutes. It requires a dumbbell and a good support material - a chair or ballet bar will do just fine.

Steps To Do It:

• Grab a dumbbell in the left hand, and stand with your feet together.
• The right hand will be holding the support item like the chair or ballet bar. The left arm will be at your side.
• Now, raise the left leg slowly to the back, without bending the knee.
• Lift the left hand to the side as well.
• Lean your upper body forward during the movement, letting the right leg resist the full body weight. 
• Stay here for a few seconds, then lower the leg and hands with slow, controlled motions.
• Repeat this exercise for 10 to 12 reps.

6. Ballet Squat

Ballet squat is a fantastic hip mobility exercise that combines the moves of a ballerina while doing a squat workout. It can be challenging for beginners, especially while holding the position with raised heels.

Steps To Do It:

• Start with your feet placed a meter apart and the feet “turned out”. This pose is also referred to as the ballet's second position.
• The arms should be outstretched at your sides.
• Come down into the plie position through bending the knees and lowering the hips.
• Remember to place the knees right above the foot. Lift your foot a few inches from the floor.
• Keep the back straight during the entire squat.
• Hold the ballet squat for 30 seconds, then return to the ballet second pose.

7. Plank With Alternated Leg Raise

Doing a plank with a leg raise can be fantastic for working out our quadriceps, shoulders, glutes, and ab muscles, making it one of the best full body stretches out there. It also helps to improve balance and posture.

Steps To Do It:

• Get down on the plank pose, with the forearms and feet supporting the entire body weight.
• Engage the core, and raise the left leg slowly and steadily.
• Do not bend the knee while lifting the leg.
• Go as high as possible, then return to the plank pose.
• Repeat the same process for the other leg.
• Continue practicing this exercise for desired number of reps.

8. Plie Pulse to Passe

This exercise features the transition to the “passe” pose that is quite popular in ballet. This transition helps enhance balance and coordination, making it a great barre workout to incorporate into our home routine.

Steps To Do It:

• Hold a ballet bar or chair with your right hand. The back must be straight.
• Keep the arms by your sides. The feet must be turned out - this is a crucial element of plie pose.
• Take a deep breath and lift the left leg. Bring it into the passe pose, with your left foot touching the side of your right knee to create a figure 4 shape.
• Next, raise the heels off the ground.
• Hold the raise for a few seconds. Then, lower the heels and switch sides.
• Conduct 20 reps on each side.

9. Arabesque Attitude

Often used in ballet, this move strengthens the glute, core, and leg muscles. It involves balancing on one leg, while the other leg is extended behind. It is fantastic for maintaining a good posture and increasing flexibility.

To get the most out of Arabesque Attitude, keep a long spine and lifted chest for a proper upper body alignment. Moreover, do not overextend the lifted leg in order to prevent muscle strain.

Steps To Do It:

• Stand with a straight back and feet together. Keep the feet turned out.
• Gently raise the right leg backward. The other leg should stay stationary.
• Lift the leg as high as you can. Extend your arms for a deeper stretch.
• Lean the upper body forward while doing the leg lift for balance purposes.
• Hold this stretch for 5 to 10 seconds, then get back to the standing pose.
• Practice this barre exercise for 5 to 7 reps.

10. Parallel Plies

Parallel Plies is a simple barre stretch suitable for people of all ages. In this exercise, we'll be performing plies with our feet in a parallel position. It primarily targets the hamstrings, quadriceps, and calf muscles.

Steps To Do It:

• Start by standing with the feet joined together and the right arm resting on a handrail or chair.
• The toes should be facing forward. Do not turn them outward or inward.
• Now, raise both the heels at the same time.
• Lower the hips by bending the knees, going into a deep plie. Squeeze the inner thighs as you lower the hips.
• Go down as far as possible. The knees must always be touching each other.
• Raise the hips once you hold the stretch for 5 seconds.
• Perform the parallel plies for desired number of reps.

If we are thinking about joining a professional barre class, we might be wondering what to expect from them. We're definitely not alone! Barre classes often feature high-rep moves with smaller range-of-motion movements. This is the foundation of what barre is all about.

The fitness trainer will start off with proper warm ups to loosen up muscle stiffness, boost body temperature, and raise our heart rate for better workout performance. Then, we will have to practice various exercises targeting the arms, core, chest, back, and glutes.

Once the session wraps up, we’ll finish with cool down exercises to promote smoother muscle recovery. A typical barre session runs about 60 minutes, and equipment like dumbbells is not compulsory.

1. Enhances Flexibility

Barre exercises, inspired by a mix of ballet and yoga, are a no-brainer when it comes to enhancing flexibility. These workouts help loosen tight muscles and prepare the body for more challenging movements.

2. Easy On The Joints

Being a low-impact exercise, barre is good for people with various joint problems like arthritis. Since it features high reps with small, controlled momentum, barre does not yield much pressure on the joints, helping increase flexibility and mobility without pain.

3. Promotes Better Posture

One of the best barre benefits is that it helps improve posture. Many barre moves target the back and core muscles, which support proper spinal alignment and better balance. Together, these factors contribute to maintaining good posture.

4. Supports Recovery After Injury

Taking barre classes can help speed up the recovery process after a recent injury. For instance, if you have an injured ankle, barre can aid in rehab by deepening the mind-body connection.

5. Strengthens Muscles

Being a full-body workout session, barre classes aid to strengthen various muscles in both the upper and lower body. Consistently doing the exercises will build stronger abs, calves, and glutes.

6. Develops Bone Density

Barre is also known to develop better bone density, which can decrease the risk of osteoporosis in seniors. Stronger and denser bones help to enhance balance and reduce the risk of bone breakage from minor falls and slips.

1. Focus On Correct Forms

When practicing barre workouts, it is crucial to follow correct form to maximize the results. If we’re just starting out, go for quality over quantity, i.e. focus on how we make the moves instead of trying to finish lots of reps.

Without a good form, our barre session will simply be a waste of time as we won't be getting the desired benefits. Moreover, improper forms may lead to serious muscle and joint issues.

2. Engage The Core

Our core needs to be constantly engaged while performing the barre sessions. This action helps to stabilize the body and prevent injuries in the legs and upper back. Tucking the tailbone is a great way to engage the core muscles.

3. The Body Should Shake

Are you shaking during barre classes? That’s not a bad thing - in fact, it means we are working our muscles harder than usual. With isometric holds and high reps, our bodies can quickly get fatigued.

Disclaimer: The content presented in this article is only intended to be used for information purposes. It should not be taken as a form of medical / clinical advice.