Can we preface this by saying that we are not dancers. We are not graceful. We drink Bud Heavy, eat our steaks rare and sometimes enjoy throwing some weight around. So when terms like “arabesque” and “demi-pointe” are hollered at us, it’s safe to say we feel out of place. But aside our slightly lack in grace, we found the Xtend Barre studio to be beautiful, in a prime location and a great place to break a sweat.

RUNDOWN

WORKOUT

Like most barre classes, Xtend Barre started with a quick warm-up and went right into a weighted arm series. We were pleasantly surprised at the extent of the arm portion. Most studios skimp out on this section, but Xtend spent a solid 12 minutes devoted to the upper extremities. (Side note on arms: We received strange looks for picking up three-pound weights. Apparently it’s an unspoken rule that two pounds is as heavy as you go.  And if you’re struggling, “Move to the one pound weight.” Um, what?)

Xtend Barre didn’t have the typical thigh and seat work you’d usually find, which was disappointing.  That’s really where you start swearing under your breath and wonder why you do this to yourself–you know, the good stuff. Instead, our instructor had us in a plié to a passé to a frappé (OK, we made up that last one). But for real–the exercises at Xtend Barre are based on fundamental ballet movements. So if you’re into tutus and that type of thing, you’ll probably like it.

After the barre, it was down to the floor for core work. We utilized the ball to perform some Pilates-inspired ab exercises. We twisted, we squeezed and we got a solid burn throughout the core. After a quick little mat stretch, we were out the door.

INSTRUCTOR

Leah was theatrical. She demonstrated each movement with a dramatic approach, clearly drinking the Xtend Barre Kool-Aid. In general, we liked her a lot. She was very sweet and welcoming, but we wouldn’t quite term her as “motivating.” But if you have a dancer’s background and are looking for that type of vibe, Leah is your girl. Also, we wish Leah had a more hands-on approach to adjustments. We guess the class wasn’t that technically advanced, but still. There could have been a little more instructor-student contact.  But again, lots of this is just personal preference.

We’ve experienced Xtend Barre before but have obviously been missing out on the Andrea experience. Andrea is extremely high-energy, providing non-stop cues and direction. She was always “on”–werkin’ the room from left to right, top to bottom.  If you prefer a chill, relaxed barre class, skip this one; Andrea is not for you. But if you feed off of an instructor’s energy, you’ll love this Duracell bunny, who keeps going and going and going. Bonus: Before class began, Andrea introduced herself and asked for our name. She continued to give us directions, modifications and praise by name for the entire class.  We LOVE that!

Remember when ‘planking’ was a thing? The Xtend Suspend class at Xtend Barre is bringing that fad back in a calorie scorching, body toning way. Plan to become one with your TRX straps as you strengthen your arms, legs, booty and core (especially your core!) because you won’t be unattached from them until the last few minutes of class during the stretch. No matter what part of the body you’re focused on, your core is engaged with the help of those puppies as you work with just your own bodyweight to break a sweat. All you need is a mat, TRX strap and some sticky socks to crush this class.

RUNDOWN

WORKOUT

Xtend Suspend is a marriage of barre, and TRX training (which FYI was actually created by Navy SEALs so you should feel like a total bad ass) aka leveraging your body weight via gravity. Class is broken up into different focuses similar to barre (warm up, arms, legs, booty, core, stretch) varying in range of movement and tempo. Biceps got to flexin’ with either one, or both hands holding the TRX handles while facing the strap mounting, body angled into a plank position with a flat back and solid core. Our bodies acted as one giant weight that our arms had to lift then lower for 4 counts, then 2, and finally pulse. Leg work incorporated some cardio following the same pattern as arms, but replacing pulsing with jump switch lunges. If you aren’t sweating yet, the mother of all planks will get you there. Feet hang in the TRX cradles as we bring out knees into the chest and back, across our body and for the finale…. Mountain climbers!

INSTRUCTOR

Kristen Giddings is just the right amount of motivational encouragement for a 6:30am class. I mean, it’s an art to get someone to do a suspended plank mountain climber before sunrise, so you might as well call her Picasso. Mad props girl. There’s a certain rhythm barre instructors develop to get their clients moving. Every movement in barre correlates to beat and timing of the playlist chosen. Kristen’s musicality was spot on, and our final movements of each exercise (the one’s where your legs feel like Jell-o and the instructor counts down) seamlessly intertwined with the bass of the beats bumping through the stereo.

STUDIO

Xtend Barre is in a great location. It’s right on Newbury Street, nestled between a coffee shop and some clothing store that only sells crop tops. The studio is small, but is very clean and bright. Think all-white everything and exposed brick. The studio is pretty small–a few lockers, a few changing stalls and a wall with tanks and yoga pants for purchase. One (large) downside–no showers, so plan accordingly.

As soon as Kirsten put on her mic and began class her zest for barre was apparent as she coached us through the warm up. Her instructions were heard over the musical stylings of Sean Paul and Nicki Minaj (boss tunes by the way!). However, her inflection felt inauthentic at times with little variance in tone. We would have appreciated some change in emotion over the mic… If we’re slacking, let us know! If we’re kicking ass let your voice show it! At certain points it was unclear what our form should be through verbal instruction, but Kirsten too hands on measure to make sure we had proper corrections when needed! It’s obvious Kirsten has all the tools to be a kick ass instructor, and over time as she teaches more classes we know her teaching swag will develop.

A common misconception about barre is that it’s easy, and you aren’t working that hard because the movements are so small. That has never been more un-true than in Sophie’s class. We were glistening by arm work, and our 2 lb. weights somehow transformed into anvils by the end of the series. But man did our shoulders, bis and tris feel chiseled afterwards. Sophie transitioned us flawlessly from one exercise to the next without interruption. As we moved from thighs, to booty and then to ab work Sophie gave us different visuals to perfect our form, whilst reminding us which muscles we should be contracting. Not only is this helpful if you’re a barre newb, but even if you’re a barre aficionado her constant reminders force you to never get comfortable and keep striving to pulse lower, and squeeze tighter. That’s the beauty of barre. It’s NEVER easy, and the better you are the harder you work. Way to knock this one outta the park Sophie.

Ashley is the Selena Gomez of barre since she, “Cant keep her hands to herself,” and we didn’t mind it one bit 😉 We couldn’t get through an exercise without some enhancements from her coaxing us to intensify whatever movement we were working on, which is exactly how class should be. Hands on corrections are the special sauce of barre, and are critical to making the workout worthwhile and Ashley did just that. Her background in ballet is super obvious, as she would float through the room lifting our heels higher, or gently pushing our shoulders down an inch forcing us to work harder in each position. Her confident cues made us want to work hard for her throughout the entire 55 minutes of class. We have sore muscles to prove it!