Pure Barre.

I’ve been struggling lately with finding the motivation for weight training. I do understand the importance of lifting weights, but I’m just so burned out (college basketball really drains you). Also, my competitive nature finds it hard to enter the weight room and not try to be the biggest, fastest, and strongest. Yep, that’s right. In my beastly basketball days I maxed 300 in squats and 185 in bench. I was huge. While I know that doing less weights and more reps will keep me from bulking up, I’m just not really into it. I know, I know. Why don’t I do CrossFit? It’s the big craze right now, but you know what?! I did CrossFit all 4 years in college. It was called POST-SEASON WORKOUT!!! Yep, the box jumps, kettle bells, squat thrusts and all of those other exercises found themselves on my list of things to never do again once basketball ended. So, sorry. I’m burned out on CrossFit, too. 

While yoga is great for stretching, I’m not 100% sold on the toning aspect. Don’t get me wrong. There are some awesome yogis out there who look fabulous and can attribute their 6-pack and toned tris to yoga, but I think I need more. Honestly, all I really want to do is run and do yoga + another toning exercise and look like Gwyneth Paltrow. Too much to ask, no?! Enter, Pure Barre. 

It’s been the talk of the town in Nashville for a couple of years, and Charleston opened their location about a year ago. Some of my best girlfriends from Nashville and Charleston have been doing Pure Barre and love it, so I’ve been anxious to see what all the hype was about. 

Anyways, Winston finally manned up and opened a location in the lovely Reynolda Village, right beside Nekkid Dave (not really sure about this…naked yoga for men?). I just got back from my first experience (today was opening day!). All I can say is HOLY HELL. I don't think my abs have seen that much work in years. I was kind of lost on some of the leg exercises, seeing as how I quit ballet when I was 5 and don't remember anything. Once I get the hang of it, though, I'll most likely reap the true benefits this workout has to offer. 

*Full disclosure: no, it's not as intense a workout as CrossFit or Body Pump. There were times where I thought, "I've had better." While I don't feel that Pure Barre should be my only workout, I think it's a good supplement to what I'm already doing (running + yoga). I'm going to keep trying Pure Barre, and I'll let you in a few weeks if it met my expectations.

**actually, I just googled Nekkid Dave. It’s actually not a naked yoga studio for men. It’s a home furnishing store with the philosophy, “expose the life.” Sorry for the initial stereotype.