These 5 Barre workout moves will have your muscles shaking and leave you feeling refreshed and energized. Make sure to listen to your body and take breaks as needed! Let’s get started.
All you need for this workout is a chair. Optionally, you can use a mat under your feet.
Mainly works quads and inner thigh muscles
Face Chair and rest hands lightly on top.
Step back about 2-3 feet.
Take front leg behind hip and straighten it while pointing the foot.
Soften the back knee slightly and keep weight over the back heel.
Hinge the body over at the hips keeping the hips parallel.
Keep spine neutral.
Lift front leg up and down just an inch for 30 reps without letting the back move.
Change sides and repeat.
Modify:
Don’t hinge down quite so far.
Make it harder:
Raise standing heel.
Lower leg all the way down to the floor and then right back up 60 reps on each side. (See advanced below).
Works glutes and hamstrings just at that area of the top back thigh we want to work! Also works the lower back. Abs stabilize. Don’t forget to breathe.
Holding onto the chair, bring legs hip distance and parallel.
Raise heels up keeping knees pointing straight head.
Bend knees and lower the body down keeping ears over shoulders, shoulder over hips, and hips over heels.
Keep the spine neutral.
Move down and up an inch for 30 times. Make sure you are lower enough to feel the quads.
Modify:
If this move is hard on your feet due to the heel lift, you can lift the heels as much as your strength and flexibility will allow but make sure not to move down as low. If this one still is too much for your feet, you can modify with Wide Second Position with heels down.
Make it harder:
Simply work lower and for longer! Try 60-90 pulses.
Parallel mainly works quads but also some calf muscles.
Holding your chair lightly with left hand, turn toes out slightly.
Stand tall through the crown of your head.
Turn right leg out slightly and straighten the leg strongly.
Raise left heel up.
Lift right leg up about 45 degrees from your pelvis.
Squeeze the glutes.
Lift and lower the leg just an inch 30 times.
Change sides and repeat.
Modify:
Face your chair and use both hands for balance.
Lower standing (left) heel.
Take toes back to the floor and bend and press through your knee to feel the action in the right hip.
Works: Glutes and lower back muscles mainly with abdominal muscles stabilizing.
Facing chair, step back leg forward and front leg back so that you lunge down and up vertically.
Raise back heel up.
Keep spine neutral.
Bend both knees down to your low point. (You will know this if you feel a stretch in the back of the back leg or the front of the front thigh).
Make sure not to move forward and back through the back knee. Think of this as a vertical move.
Also, make sure at your lower point, your knee is over the ball of your back foot for a perpendicular to floor alignment.
Lift up and down an inch 30 times. Repeat other side.
Modify:
Lower back heel. Work higher. Hinge torso slightly forward and see if that helps.
Make it harder:
From low point, raise the legs all the way up and down 60 times.
Works: Quads and inner thighs mainly. If you lower the heel to modify, you’ll activate the glutes if you press through the heel.
TIPS:
Challenge yourself but listen to your body.
Use a mirror to check alignment.
How do these moves contribute to a flat belly? Three main reasons.
Remember, there is no such thing as perfection. Stop believing those lies and start working out to be a better, happier, and stronger you. You deserve a great workout!
xoxo Suzanne
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