The Friday Five - Pure Barre Platform

After taking a break for a few weeks (school, running, L's bday), I returned to Pure Barre earlier this week. My first class back was a platform class. Basically, Pure Barre on steroids. I took my first platform class over a month ago, in a preview session that I had won from a March challenge. After that first platform class, I was a little leery and not so sure that I'd do another. I'm not someone who likes a lot of change, and this was a HUGE change from what I was used to in my tame, non-sweaty traditional barre classes.

Per the Pure Barre website:

"Pure Barre Platform is a new fast-paced class designed to optimize cardiovascular results and increase total body strength. This heart-pumping class combines quick bursts of high intensity, yet low impact cardio work with periods of lower intensity muscle-sculpting movements. These 55 minutes of high energy, fun and intense interval training at the barre will help you burn calories, jump-start your metabolism, and increase your overall endurance. It is the perfect cardio complement to your Pure Barre class to help you achieve even greater results, while still holding onto the traditional pieces and parts of a Pure Barre class that we all know and love."

1. The warm up. It's legit.

It's the "prepare to sweat portion of class". Kind of similarly to step aerobics, there is some stepping on and off the platform. Coordination. You kind of need a little, but it's pretty easy to catch on.

2. On to legs!

In traditional Pure Barre, the class is split into different portions, warm up/core, arms, thigh work, seat work, wall abs, floor abs, lower back and finally a few more minutes of seat work and a nice stretch.

In platform, you transition from the warm up/core, into arms (with big leg movements). Every arm movement has a coordinating leg movement = huge calorie burn.  Be ready to double time!

photo credit: Pure Barre

3. More legs!

Because your legs aren't already fatigued from the arm portion, we must do more! Lunges, plies, step ups and flying?

Yes, You will do this.
Photo cred: Pure Barre

OMG. Your legs will be crying, but it feels SO good. 

4. Breaks? What breaks?

Unlike traditional Pure Barre, where there are breaks/stretching between each of the aforementioned segments, I think there are like two. And they are short. BUT, it keeps everything flowing and really, once you start, you don't want to stop. PS. There is a lot more "double time". 

5. Sweat.

Want to get a sweat on? Platform. One of the things I love about going to Pure Barre, is that I can go work out and go out without having to do some kind of makeover before I go somewhere. Not that it isn't hard work, but it's very low impact (which I also love) and the heart rate doesn't get terribly high. Not in platform. Cardio is the name of the game. Your heart rate will be high from beginning to end. Even though there are some portions that are still low impact, you turn it up immediately by adding in some stepping and flying. 

5 1/2. When you are done, you will feel 

Even though I wasn't particularly sold on the Pure Barre platform method after the first class, I think it was because it was an unknown. The class moves very fast. I didn't dislike it the first time I went, I just had no idea what to expect, no idea how to do the movements and zero idea what was going to happen next and that made me feel a little uneasy. I know it is going to benefit my running and strengthen my core A LOT. I'm really happy I gave it another chance, because now I am kind of obsessed with it! I went to my third class the other day and am even more obsessed.

Happy Friday!!

Thanks again to the ladies in DC for the Friday Five Linkup!  Check out more awesome Friday Fives over at Courtney at Eat, Pray, Run DC, Mar at Mar on the Run and Cynthia at You Signed Up For What?!