This morning started on a happy note for me!
A couple of months ago, I noticed a new barre studio pop up relatively close to us and just the sight of one gave me the biggest smile. Long time readers might remember my visit to an Xtend barre class at a Pilates studio back when I first moved up to Michigan.
I thoroughly enjoyed that class, but wasn’t keen on the distance required to get there, especially in the dead of winter. For that reason alone, I never attended regularly and became ridiculously excited when I found out that a free-standing studio opened just ten minutes away from me!
For the first time since teaching classes in 2012, I got myself out of bed and made it to the barre for a 6:30 a.m. class. Getting up that early is always a challenge for me, but once I get there I absolutely love it.
The Xtend barre workout is very similar to the style I taught back in Orlando. We started with a warm-up in the center that involved a light set of dumbbells (my shoulders died), then completed a series of cardio, arm and core strengthening exercises.
I don’t think my arms were quite ready for the warm-up series. Even though my weights were only 3 pounds each, they seemed heavy after a few minutes time and I eventually set them on the floor and finished without any weight at all. Eh, you live and you learn!
We spent the rest of the class at the barre and went through the standard set-up of thigh, leg, and seat exercises. Everything gave me a challenge with the encouragement of trying to balance without using my hands and had the advanced option of adding a relevé.
There was a continuous music track of different upbeat songs playing at all times which kept us moving quickly from exercise to exercise. I barely stopped for water breaks!
In my opinion, the majority of the class is spent sculpting the limbs: arms and legs. If you do the exercises with correct form, however, the majority of them can also work your core and some can tone the booty.
With ten minutes to go, I was wondering if we were going to get to abs. As soon as the thought crossed my mind, we killed the next five or so minutes using a yoga strap around the barre and finished with a series of bodyweight crunches, pulses, and plank holds.
The class came to a close with dimmed lights and a slow track to cool us down, which is always my favorite way to end a workout.
I ended up purchasing a 5-class package, but have a feeling I will be returning pretty frequently once my gym membership expires again. I look forward to trying out the different styles of barre fusions and definitely want to make it back for their jazz choreography class.
I loved the ambiance of the studio!
Breakfast
I decided to take the early class so that my best friend, Alex, could take it with me before work. She also loved it and joined me for a quick recovery breakfast at Starbucks afterwards.
I mixed it up this time with a non-fat Chai Tea Latte, but got the same old (but tasty!) spinach feta egg white wrap for substance.
Giveaway Winner
Thank you to all of my fellow mid-westerners who entered in the $100 Meijer gift card giveaway!
Congratulations to…
Entry #267 : Chelsey Jones. You won by tweeting about the giveaway!
You have been emailed and will need to respond within the next 48 hours in order to claim your prize.
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I’m currently blogging from the coffee shop and plan on spending the next couple of hours glued to my chair to study. I tend to focus much better here than at home with the every day distractions from the pets and such.
Ha! I couldn’t resist sharing this guy a friend sent me last night. Too cute!
I hope that you have a great start to the day. See you later on this afternoon!
Question of the Morning
• Are you more of a coffee or tea person?
I will always be a coffee person through and through, but that mostly applies in the mornings. If I am looking for a pick-me-up or even just a hot beverage to sip on in the afternoons, I usually gravitate towards hot herbal tea or a chai tea latte instead. I love it all!

Oh my god, thanks for making me laugh!!
Hehehehe. 🙂
I used to be just a coffee person but now I like tea too.
That pug picture is TOO cute!
Pugkin spice latte. Hahaha. It still kills me!
I am definitely a coffee person! The only time I ever drink tea is when I’m sick.
I used to be the same way. The older I get, the more tea I LOVE! #grandmastatus
Yay for a Barre Studio popping up near you!! It’s always so exciting when something you love is finally near you so you can indulge regularly ;). And omg I love that pug picture, I found it a couple months ago on pinterest { along with many others } and I sent it and many many others all at once to my boyfriend hahaha……Hmmmm I love tea, but I always crave coffee.
Ha, I couldn’t resist. It literally made me laugh out loud! 🙂
Yay! Happy for you that the barre studio opened up near you. Now you should start teaching there. 😉
I’m totally a coffee person! I do enjoy some tea before bed every once in awhile in the winter months, but other than that, it’s coffee!
Hehe, you never know! I’m sure I would love it!
Yay for getting back to barre! I love the routine of working a muscle group to exhaustion and then stretching it out. Coffee and tea are both treats for me. I love Starbucks lattes in the fall and winter and I love iced tea in the summer.
That’s my favorite thing about barre. The stretching! Yum, I am a big fan of iced tea too!
Coffee for the win! Tea is nice too though. How did you know I wanted a pug? Lol. Thanks for sharing this adorable pic!
Woot!! Glad it made you laugh 🙂
Coffee first thing in the morning and a few cups of tea throughout the day. I started drinking tea mainly for health reasons, but learned to really love it. My cupboards are stuffed with it. My 10 year old daughter loves it too. I call her grandma whenever she asks for it. 😉
Aw, that’s so cute!
Definitely more of a coffee person!
Pugs 😉
Well my coffee obsession just started back up after years of not drinking it. But it kills my stomach so I have to watch. So I think I’ll always be a die hard tea fan no matter what!
Here is my favorite barre exercise – The Pretzel- quick video focusing on the butt, hamstrings, and obliques http://www.inallofhersplendor.com/2014/03/07/the-pretzel-barre-exercise-bikini-booty-ready/
The pretzel is killer! I love it and hate it all at the same time 😉