Loving The Barre in Wayzata

I first noticed The Barre last fall as I was driving through Wayzata on one of my many carpool runs. Perched above Ben & Jerry’s across from the Bookcase, I’d always admired that space and wondered how spectacular its view must be. Little did I know, I was about to find out.

Over the last couple years I had heard about the Barre method through several of my Facebook friends who live in different cities. Based on their reviews, I was intrigued but also a bit scared! One memorable quote read, “Wow, I thought I was in pretty good shape but that class kicked my #?%!”

Since I did not consider myself in good shape at all, I concluded that it was probably way beyond my capabilities. But another of my friends loved it so much that she opened her own studio in Lexington, KY, so I knew there had to be some merit to the concept.

I continued to ponder but made no move to give it a try.  Then one morning on KARE 11 I saw a short segment on the studio. Chris Freytag interviewed the owners, Paula and Rachel, and she tried some of the moves. As my morning continued I kept thinking to myself that one of the women looked really familiar but I could not put my finger on it. I kept thinking, “Paula and Rachel… hmm…” Then it hit me, “Oh, Paula Warford… my neighbor right here in Wayzata!”

Last I had seen Paula she was nine months pregnant with her fourth child on the way. Now she is a tiny, spunky Barre instructor. 

Obviously the method works! I e-mailed Paula about her stellar performance on the show and committed to giving it a try. I attended my first class on Dec. 1, and now 30 classes later I am officially addicted!

The first class was incredibly hard, and I was admittedly anxious to walk in the door. But surprisingly, I could do more of it than I expected. And let me remind you again, I was NOT in good shape and when it comes to working out I am a humongous wimp! But I made it through the class and signed up for another.

For the next class, I brought my 14-year-old daughter along, and she also loved it. We started going once or twice a week, and now I try to go at least five times. It just makes me feel so good! My back and core are so much stronger, and I feel very flexible and limber. Part of my job as relocation director at Roger Fazendin Realtors entails staging vacant, corporately-owned homes. Carting furniture and accessories around used to make me so sore. Now I feel like Wonder Woman and can handle it all with ease!

Your first class will be very hard, but you can do it. Each class thereafter gets easier. The breathtaking setting certainly helps you get through it. During a recent Saturday morning class, there were ice boats out on Lake Minnetonka zipping back and forth across the bay at unbelievable speeds. The spectacular view certainly gave me some extra adrenaline bursts to get through the tough segments.

Rachel and Paula also do an excellent job of setting up a peaceful, spa-like environment to help you escape the stresses of your daily life. As you enter, you notice the subtle scent of fragrant candles. There is a welcoming dressing room complete with extra hair bands in case you forget to bring one along. In the reception and check-in area there are welcoming sofas, a nice tea selection and an adorable child care corral surrounded by a half-wall.

I think one of the biggest factors of why I love the studio so much is how genuinely nice Rachel and Paula are. I have been to many other fitness classes and even other Barre classes in the Twin Cities, and I find that the norm for instructors is to be more of a drill sergeant than a motivator and caregiver. That is certainly not the case at The Barre. Rachel and Paula’s consistently smiling faces, sweet voices and encouraging words keep you engaged and trying. 

There is absolutely no shame if you have to stop to catch your breath or give your burning thighs a break (which I do in almost every class!).

I think half the anxiety of trying something new is the fear of the unknown.  Let me help you out and walk you through a typical class experience:

1. First visit The Barre website and read a bit about the concept. Click here to sign up for a class, view the schedule and check out prices. For a limited time, they are offering a complimentary new client "orientation" class that includes a quick history of barre classes and an overview of benefits and typical results, followed by a “barre basics” class with a special focus on posture and alignment. 
2. Dress as if you were going to a yoga class. Most people wear yoga pants and a yoga top. You don’t want to wear really loose clothing because Paula and Rachel need to make sure you are aligned properly while doing different exercises. Don’t worry, there are people of all shapes and sizes in the class so you will not feel self-conscious. Plus it’s nice to see your body progress over time. They have a nice dressing/locker room where you can store your items in a locker and take the key with you. But I find it is easiest to just hang my coat on a hook and leave my shoes under the bench and get right into class. At first I wore a sweatshirt but that is really unnecessary. Most people who enter class with a jacket take it off within the first three minutes because you start to generate heat right from the beginning. That reminds me—bring a big water bottle because you will need it!
3. Parking is a breeze! Although the address is 539 Lake Street East in Wayzata, the entrance is on the left side of the Ben & Jerry’s building on Walker Avenue South (which is a one-way street going north). If you are lucky there are two parking spots on the left side of the street right in front of the entrance. Otherwise there are lots of spots along the right side of the street and a huge free covered parking lot behind The Bookcase and Caribou retail strip.
4. For your first class arrive about 10-15 minutes early to do some paperwork, buy special “grippy” Barre socks ($12) and get the lay of the land. If you are taking advantage of child care, which looks amazing and very convenient, I’m sure there are a few more steps associated with that process. But thankfully, my kids are out of that stage so you’ll need to ask about that and sign up in advance. Be forewarned that you really cannot come late to the class. The door is locked right before class begins to keep people from coming in and wandering around during the class. I am embarrassed to say I learned this lesson the hard way!
5. As you enter the workout room, pick up a mat from the corner and setup your space on the floor. Pick up two hand weights (three pounds) and a red ball and set them next to your mat. I hope you remembered your water! Now just relax on your mat enjoying the view over Lake Minnetonka until the class begins as you listen to fun music.
6. Rachel or Paula enters the room with her sweet voice and smiling face as the music pumps up and its time to work. Every class has roughly the same format. It proceeds through a series of exercises designed to strengthen your core and abs, tone your arms and shoulders, shape your thighs and lift your “seat,” as they call it. Each exercise targets a specific muscle group and you do it repeatedly until it is fatigued and actually shakes. The shaking is a bit concerning at first, but then you learn that shaking is the goal and it means you are doing it right. As you perform the different movements, Paula or Rachel walk around and adjust your position to make sure you are squared this way or that to make sure you do not hurt yourself.
7. What’s with “the barre” you ask… where does that come into play? As you are moving through the different sets of exercises you go back and forth between your mat on the floor and over to the barre (as in the ballet barre) on the wall. While the class is not ballet, per se, there are a few ballet inspired movements. Often, you gently hold the barre for balance as you do various exercises that begin with a “Rond de Jambe” or “Plie.” It definitely takes me back to my ballet classes with Miss Ginnie when I was five years old. Then other times, you use the barre as your life line as you hang in water skier position to do the hardest thigh exercise imaginable (I’ll never master that one, but that’s ok!). After each set of extremely challenging movements, you switch quickly to a wonderful deep stretch and release of that same muscle group. It is all choreographed beautifully!
8. You always end the class down on your mats with the lights dimmed and the music softened. You slowly stretch one last time and feel an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. You did it!

I do remember that my first couple classes seemed to go on forever. But now they absolutely fly by. The class is nonstop, with really hard segments followed by silent peaceful moments of stretching and relaxing. It pushes you beyond your limits then lets you take a “thank God” moment of recovery. That back and forth format, makes me push myself harder than I typically would because I know I will get a rest in just a minute. It also makes you completely shut out the rest of the world, forgetting whatever stresses or to-do’s that typically inhabit your mind forcing you to live in the “now.”

It makes me laugh that I can say I’m running down to the barre on the corner, just blocks from my house. And like any good corner bar, you are greeted by name from smiling, welcoming faces. About every other time I go, I see someone I know or recognize from another area of my life. Soon I’m going to organize a group from my neighborhood book club to give it a try as a group. If you see me there be sure to say, “hi!”

P.S. Also, check out their blog. I’ve gotten a few great recipes from there.