15 Thoughts Your Barre Instructor Likely Has During Class
Ever wonder what your barre instructor may be thinking during class? Here’s a little insight - probably a million things at one time.
Photo by Mackenzie Gaultier Photography
During a class, I often wonder what my clients are thinking. I'm sure many thoughts are going through your mind while your body is shaking like crazy, waiting for the moment I say the last count.
And yes, sometimes I trick you with when that last count comes. It's out of love…right?
Have you ever wondered what goes through a barre instructor's mind in the hour she's guiding you through the workout? Even if you haven't, I'm going to tell you anyway.
Teaching barre isn't easy. Anyone who says it's not that hard, you're joking, right? Getting up in front of a group, leading them through an intense workout, ensuring they're doing everything correctly and safely, encouraging them, staying creative, and just having a butt load of fun; it can get challenging.
There are so many things to remember as an instructor, it's no wonder we mix up our words or forget what we were going to say.
Some of the following thoughts are likely common amongst all barre instructors. Then, some of those thoughts are completely specific to me. If you regularly come to barre, you'll know which ones I'm talking about.
Here we go – 15 thoughts that a barre instructor (or just me) has during your barre class.
1. Smaller movements! An inch really is one inch.
How often do you hear us saying "up an inch, down an inch," "tiny movements," "lift your leg just a small amount?"
We're not joking.
It's easy to get lost in the movements and forget that when you're pulsing, the smaller movements are where the magic happens. That is when the muscle really kicks in before fatiguing (and ultimately shakin' like crazy).
2. Squeeze the booty!
Now, this is a hard one because, on the one hand, well, we can't help you squeeze your glute muscles. On the other hand, though, we can tell when you're not activating the glutes (aka squeezing your booty muscles) to go through the movement. Since we want you to have an effective workout, can you see our predicament?
When we tell you to squeeze your bum, we seriously mean squeeze with everything you've got!
3. Please just take a break. There's no harm in stopping.
There's a huge difference between listening to your body and taking a quick break and just giving up halfway through the movement. We WANT you to take breaks.
Let me repeat this – YOUR INSTRUCTOR WANTS YOU TO TAKE A BREAK!
Why? Although to get the most effective workout you have to put the work in, if you don't take those breaks when your body tells you to, you risk injuring yourself. If your thighs are burning so much it's physically hurting, that's a sign to come on out of the plié, give your body a shake, and join when you're ready.
4. Haha, I lied… Let's toss in another 8 reps in there.
Okay, okay, I know we can be mean. There are usually two reasons why we do this. The first, and I'll admit it happens to me too, we just lost count of our reps and figured an extra few wouldn't hurt.
The second, we see your strength and know you came to class for a reason. So, we're going to deliver with a killer class.
5. Girl, those weights are too heavy.
Let's take a moment to be serious about this one. It may seem silly to use only two or three-pound weights when working the upper body. However, as you soon learn, those weights get heavy VERY quickly. When that happens, it's our form and posture that is the first to go, to make up for using too heavy of weights.
Now, I can't control what you do. However, it's not a bad idea to listen to recommendations of weight size.
6. Don't stop just yet! Breaks are fine, but please don't give up!
You're stronger than you think, seriously! And your barre instructor quickly learns your strength and what you're capable of doing. I already said it, but I'm going to repeat it – there's a difference between taking a break because your body needs it and just saying nah, I don't feel like it.
It breaks our hearts to watch our beautiful clients give up so easily during a workout.
7. I wish she'd come to class more often to get the results she wants.
How often do you attend a barre class? If you're only coming once in a while but are frustrated you do not see any results, you're simply not being consistent enough.
We recommend hitting up a class around three times a week to get the most benefit and reach your goals quicker. However, even consistently coming once a week is an excellent starting point. The key is, you just need to keep coming.
8. I wonder if the new clients are having fun… I really hope they are.
I have this thought EVERY TIME a new client steps up to the barre. It's hard not to think this.
Our barre studio's success comes from having clients attend a class. So, when a new client attends her first class, we want to make sure she feels comfortable and enjoys every moment of it.
9. Am I talking too much?
Another thought that goes through my mind – how much am I talking? If you ever notice in class I may stop talking for a few seconds, it's likely because this thought popped into my head…
10. THIS IS MY JAM!
I love our music, enough said.
11. Don't look down, nothing is exciting on the floor. I know. I cleaned it.
Do you even realize when you look down? Probably not.
Looking down isn't a sin in barre class, but it's definitely a habit we want to break. To start, the more your head hangs down, the more pressure you're putting on your neck. Plus, it can really throw your balance off, especially when we take our hands off the barre.
Unless we tell you to look down for a moment, try to keep your head up and lengthen through the back of the neck. As I like to say in class, what does a proud posture look like? The head definitely doesn't sink down.
12. Don't worry about your neighbour! Focus on what YOU'RE doing!
There's a time to look at your neighbour for guidance or swapping glances of ‘please help me I'm shaking so much.’ If you start looking at your neighbour to compare what she's doing to you, that's a no-no.
Everybody is different. Everyone has different flexibility, range of motion and strength. Trying to compete with your neighbour usually leads to feeling like you can't do something (even when you can), being disappointed in yourself, and potentially to injury.
13. Yeah… let's go ahead and lower that leg down a bit.
PLEASE stay within your range of motion. Seriously, I cannot stress this one enough.
Your barre instructor can tell (or should be able to) when you're pushing past your range of motion, whether it be in a leg lift or in turn out.
This idea that a higher leg lift means you're working harder needs to go. If your form and posture are compromised because you're trying to lift your leg higher, you're no longer working efficiently and could ultimately hurt yourself.
14. Did I seriously just say that?
If you've attended my classes, you're likely not surprised by this one…
I'll admit that I can say stupid things in class. You'll see it in my face when it happens. But, it's also become a part of who I am because we all get a good laugh from it!
Trust me, I always remember those moments when I hear what I just said and wonder if that was even English! Ahh, good times.
15. That glass of wine is going to taste sooooo good.
I don't know about you, but I love to enjoy a nice glass of red wine after a long day and an intense barre class. So yes, I'll admit that thought of excitement creeps into my mind sometimes.
There you have it – 15 common thoughts I have during a barre class. Of course, there are many more that happen, but these are the ones that seem to appear most often.
Did you notice a theme at all? The majority of these thoughts focus on the safety of what you're doing. That's because your safety is always the top priority in every class I teach.
So, if you ever wonder what I'm thinking about during the workout, there's a very good chance it has something to do with being safe (and having a butt load of fun)!
What are your common thoughts you have in a barre class?