No, Barre Lessons Will Not Give You the Dancer’s Body
Fitness classes with the ballet taste, such as the Pure Barre, suggest that they change the shape of your body. For example, Barre3 says that their technique of “developing the overall strength with the help of lean rather than bulky muscle” and that it “will create a long, lean and flexible physique.” The only problem: the muscles do not work.
In classes Barre use small weight and small movements, but they carefully study your muscles – the classic approach with a low weight and lots of reps . Barre classes can develop greater strength and endurance, but can not change the shape of your muscles. You either build muscle or not; there is no sculpture. According to Katherine in Pett The Friedman Sprout:
To understand what is behind this science, I spoke with Dr. Donato Rivas, a specialist in exercise of the Research Center for Human Nutrition at Tufts aging problems. He explained that as you get stronger, you build muscle, but you do not control, whether or not this muscle is “dry” or “bulk”. “Your [genes] will determine how your muscles will look” – he said.
Pett also talked to former dancer who stopped teaching barre-classes when she was tired of marketing, which considers a slim body ideal, forcing students to envy their classmates, who “came with such legs.” Barre class is still a great exercise, but make sure you understand what it can do for you and what does not.
A look behind the bar: Can lessons Barre «sculpt” your body? | Rostock Friedman