The 30-Minute Full-Body Barre Class That Will Make Every Last Muscle Quiver

Barre classes all have one major thing in common: Their movements all take place alongside a ballet-inspired barre. And considering most of our bedrooms and living rooms don’t come equipped with this type of setup, recreating the workout at home can prove challenging. But in this week’s Trainer of the Month workout, Marnie Alton, founder of M/Body, shows us how to embrace our inner ballerinas, sans studio, with a 30-minute, full-body barre workout—no actual barre required.

Set yourself up alongside any sort of solid, waist-high surface (a couch, a chair, or even the wall work just fine), and grab some two-pound weights (or water bottles, wine bottles, or some cans of soup) and an unstable surface like a cushion, a beach ball, or a towel. The “dancer’s flow” will “wake you up from the inside out,” says Alton, and even without any fancy equipment, you’ll still be able to reap all of its benefits.

The workout starts with a short cardio warmup to get your limbs loose and your heart pumping, plus a few simple stretches to activate your muscles and get them ready for the work to come. Next, you’ll hit grab your weights, and Alton will lead you through moves that force you to engage your core while targeting your biceps, triceps, and shoulders. Finally, you’ll hit the “barre” (or whatever your at-home version of the barre entails), and cycle through ballet-inspired exercises that will hit your lower body and core even harder.

The sculpting benefits associated with barre workouts come as a result of teeny, tiny movements, and thanks to Alton’s ultra-clear cues you’re guaranteed to be moving properly—despite the fact that she isn’t technically in the room to correct your form. By the time your 30 minutes are up, you’ll have gotten a full-body burn and be left feeling ready to perform Swan Lake in your living room for your quarantine crew.

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