1) Isometric muscle contraction
2) No joint impact
3) Increased Proprioception
I remember hearing about "Barre" a few years ago. Honestly, it took me a while to figure out that people weren't actually going to a bar. (Barre is pronounced "Bar") Phrases like "Ballerina workout" and "really hard" were common responses when I asked just what Barre was. I'll be honest, I wrote Barre off as a possible workout for me. I am not a ballerina and I certainly do not look like a ballerina, and I just couldn't fathom the value of going to a "ballerina workout".
I changed my mind Spring of 2014. I recently moved to the Seattle area (previously mentioned) and I didn't know much about my neighborhood and I certainly didn't know anyone in my neighborhood, so I decided I would meet people through fitness. I found a Groupon to a local Pilates studio, The Union Method and purchased it. It was an incredible value; something like 10 classes for $30. Killer, right?!
Let me back track a minute and remind you all that I previously mentioned that I developed "runner's knee" at the beginning of the year. [Sad face] I went to Physical Therapy and got a series of strengthening exercises and stretches to help "fix" my knee. It might surprise you to read that I was NOT good at consistently doing these exercises. (Okay, that might not be surprising.) Realistically, it is tough to keep a consistent routine. I think most everyone struggles with this. My struggle was doing these leg strengthening exercises consistently. I remember thinking, "Jeeze, when will I be able to run again?!" (At this point I was able to run a max of 1 mile before it became uncomfortable.)
Fast forward to my first class at The Union Method in Kirkland, WA. It's Sunday morning and I joined about 8 other women in a room with mirrors and [obviously] bar railings along the walls. The instructor was very friendly and welcoming, but she warned me that the point of a truBarre class is to fatigue the muscles. (Me: Uhhhh...what?) Roughly 60 minutes later, I was fatigued. My legs were burning my abs were stiff. I was in love.
So what is Barre?
The Barre Method was developed by Lotte Berk. After suffering a back injury, Lotte decided to combine ballet barre routines with rehabilitative therapy. The result was the Barre Method.
The Union Method teaches a "spin off" from the original called "truBarre". TruBarre is a mix of pilates and classic barre techniques. The focus of these classes is on form, alignment, and posture; All the while having NO IMPACT on the body's joints. (Might come in handy for people with injuries, huh?) What it also does is increase strength through isometric muscle contraction.
What is isometric muscle contraction?
This is where a muscle "fires" (activates) but does not move over a joint. i.e.: the muscles generates force without changing length.
Can isometric workouts really work for me?
Short answer: Yes. I believe everyone should incorporate isometrics into their normal exercise routine. An article by T Nation stated, "One of the most important benefits of isometric action training is that it’s the contraction regimen that leads to the greatest activation level." (Sounds promising huh?) well, T Nation continues on with an awesome explanation of how isometric exercises help to improve the body over time; "What this tells us is that isometric training can improve our capacity to recruit motor units during a maximal contraction. In the long run, this improved neural drive could greatly increase one’s strength production potential!" (Love the enthusiasm T Nation) So let me break this down for you one more time. Isometric exercise activates your muscle but does not move around the joint. (No movement!) Over time, isometric exercise makes you stronger by training your body to better recruit your muscles. Personally, I have seen some muscle gains, but I want to note that research says that isometric exercise won't give you bulky muscle growth. (I've never met a yogi that gained his bulging biceps by doing yoga sever hours a day.) You likely won't develop huge muscles doing isometrics, but you WILL gain muscle. (And more muscle mass leads to metabolic change. You like eating right??) Isometric exercises are AMAZING for training stabilization in muscles! Let me repeat that again...Isometric exercises are AMAZING for training stabilization in muscles! Stabilizing your core makes sense of course, because you want to protect and support your back. But I love that through truBarre I am much more stable on my feet and arms.
What is proprioception?
Wikipedia says proprioception is, "the sense of the relative position of neighboring parts of the body and strength of effort being employed in movement." I like to simplify this by explaining that it is being aware of your extremities and their position/orientation. For me, the isometric exercises contained within a truBarre routine have increased my proprioception. In my everyday life I am now able to correct little movements and positions. I can FEEL the difference because I am more aware. I'll give you an example. The other day I was out running (Yay!) and I started to feel discomfort in my knee. I immediately took stock of where my knee was positioned during the foot fall... Nope, that wasn't it. Then I realized that it was my foot; I was allowing my arch to fall into "flat foot status". Knowing this, I was able to correct my foot, raise my arch, and continue my run without knee discomfort. It is so important for me to explain that I've never been able to feel my foot pronate before, but by increasing my proprioception [through regular isometric exercise] I can now make corrections to my posture and alignment through my body's cues.
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