Class review - Sunset & Sip Barre Yoga

This past Friday, Crossfit Nickel City, Fit2BWell, Barre Centric, Revolution Cycling, and East Meets West Yoga got together to provide an epic fusion of fitness at Canalside. This team from some of the best fitness facilities in the area provided instruction in several different fitness disciplines, primarily Yoga and Barre. 

I arrived a little late (as per usual), and the music was already pumping - DJ Twist was playing in front of the boardwalk area facing the water, and the scene was set with yoga mats, towels, and water bottles along the "barre". Despite some interesting clouds earlier that morning, it was a beautiful 85 degrees and the sky was blue, and the breeze coming off the water held the humidity at bay.

The DJ's adoreable son spinning some beats for us - photo credit

Chris from Nickel City Cross fit opened with some instruction on how to perform planks, squats, and burpees with proper form. This came into play a few minutes later when the challenges begun. Participants broke off into groups to see who could hold a plank, a squat (my group of choice), or could do burpees (heaven help these folks) the longest. The winners of each category would win one month memberships to the sponsoring facilities.

I'm not sure exactly just how long it took, but after what felt like an eternity of dripping sweat and shaking thighs, I was victorious in the squat challenge (I sort of feel like the runner up felt sorry for me, because she did not look fatigued at all).

After that excitement, it was on to the barre. I have never taken a Barre Centric class before, but I have taken ballet, so I was expecting broad, sweeping, dance-like movements, and lots of plies and releves. The latter was certainly there, but I could not have been more wrong about the former. Rather than lots of grand, ballet-like gestures with sweeping arm and leg movements, Barre Centric is entirely about micro-movements and control. Each movement, instructor Rachel Hughes said, was to be about 1in at a time. These small isometric movements are used to attempt to fatigue the muscles, and create tone similar to that of a dancer's body. I know that after the squatting that I had done earlier, this barre workout had my legs seriously shaking, but I am certain that still would have been the case even without the squats.

Bridges at the yoga class

Following barre was Joanne Wu's yoga class - this class was somewhat of a flow class, moving smoothly from one pose to another, but allowed for enough time to sink into the poses, and really feel and breathe through them. There was a little bit of strength incorporated, but this class was great for lengthening the muscles after the intense movements of the barre class.

After these classes, there were happy-hour specials at the Liberty Hound (I had a really refreshing drink with cucumbers and cucumber vodka - I recommend it).

This class was a great taste of a few different forms of fitness class, and I can't wait to try a full Barre Centric class, and to try some of Fit2BWell's other varied classes that are offered throughout WNY.

Superhero poses all around from the instructors (and myself!)