Since Katie has been getting back into fitness lately and tearing up the gym and lap pool I thought I’d share my all time favorite workout – the Bar Method.  Bar Method is a form of isometric exercise that integrates many principles from ballet.  It is INTENSE and incredibly addictive.  It hurts but it hurts so good.

At the start of this year I was feeling sluggish and out of shape.  I was what I like to call skinny fat – not necessarily overweight, per se, but most definitely lacking in muscle tone.  Despite spending at least an hour a day, 5 x a week in the gym I was easily winded and slowly but surely my clothes were getting uncomfortably tight.

I spent an inordinate amount of time researching the various workouts and techniques and quickly became REALLY overwhelmed.  I remembered a friend tweeting about her insane experience with Pure Barre and as a former dancer this workout seemed to be right up my alley.  Sadly, at the time there weren’t any Pure Barre studios in Austin so I turned to amazon and after a bit more research decided to order The Bar Method Body 2 pack of DVDs.   Y’all.  The first time I tried the Designer Sculpting session I couldn’t walk for the rest of the day.  It was INTENSE.  The moves work deep within your muscles to quite literally reshape your body.  It is an amazing feeling and after the first session I was hooked.

I’ve been doing the DVDs about 3 times a week for the past year and would recommend them to anyone.  I’ve also started attending the classes at the Austin studio to ensure my form is correct and to push it a bit harder.  I myself have certain limitations on the amount and types of workouts I can do and since BM is very low impact I’ve never had a problem with injury or over-exertion (that said, I feel the need to insert my standard I am not a doctor or professional disclaimer here.  Always consult a MD or a fitness pro before starting a new routine.)