Okay, it’s rare that I feel as good about myself as I do when I'm working out to this program. Toes are pointed, back is straight and hands are positioned in ballerina pose for the majority of the 30 minutes it takes to get through each workout.
It makes me feel like a ballerina, and that's a tall order for someone as ungraceful as me.
Personally, I love Xtend Barre because it's varied enough that I don't get bored, it's challenging enough that I feel like I've had a good workout, and there's also not a ton of bouncing around, which is a great balance to my weekly running schedule.
Xtend Barre is the perfect Equipment-free Workout
However, if you're working out on carpet or if you have a yoga mat, the socks aren't necessary. If you plan to go to a studio to practice barre as well as working out at home, you might want to invest in a pair as most people do wear them in studio.
How much weight can you lose with barre workouts?
I get this question a lot, so I want to address what you can expect from a weight loss perspective. If you are currently not working out at all, and you follow the Xtend Barre program to the letter, you can expect to lose weight.
How much?
Well, that depends on your eating habits. If you don't change what you're eating but you burn an additional 250 - 300 calories per workout five times per week, you can expect a 1 to 2 pound weight loss per week.
However, if you make a few adjustments to your diet by eliminating junk food, drinking more water and eating more veggies, you could lose even more (and at a faster rate).
Weight loss has more to do with what you eat than what workout you’re doing. That said, Xtend barre is a great way to accelerate and maintain your weight loss once you reach your goal weight. It’s also a fantastic overall boost to your physical and mental wellbeing.
Barre workouts in particular are awesome because they’re generally low impact, they strengthen your core and reduce the risk of injury. They will also make you feel fantastic. They focus on opening the chest and hips - where we store a ton of pent up emotion, so they make you feel more energetic and happy after you’re done.
If you’re someone who feels like they’ve been hit by a truck every time you try to run, then you might find barre workouts will be easier on your body and leave you feeling less sore.
Want to try Xtend Barre for Free?
You can give this workout a whirl for free on OpenFit's free, 14 day trial. You will be required to input your credit card to snag the trial, so if you have no intention of going forward with the membership, then it's a good idea to put an alert on your phone to cancel before the trial ends.
Want more online barre workout options?
As much as I love Xtend Barre, it's not as robust as other online options. If you're an avid barre enthusiast, you're probably already familiar with boutique studios that also offer online classes, such as Pure Barre, Physique 57 and Barre 3.
All of these brands offer amazing workouts, but here's the thing - they're all much pricier than Xtend Barre. The average cost for a monthly subscription to an online barre studio is $30, where as Extend Barre on OpenFit is $10 per month. The other benefit is that you get access to ALL the workouts on the Openfit app, which includes everything from Spartan-style workouts to crossfit and cardio.
If a variety of workouts is something you need so that you don't get bored, you may also want to consider Beachbody On Demand. This platform also offers an amazing 8-week barre program called Barre Blend that I got killer results from.
An annual Beachbody on Demand subscription is less than $10 a month, and you get more workouts than with OpenFit including 21 Day Fix, Insanity and P90X. These are all in addition to the barre program, so you'll NEVER get bored.
Based on reviews of both apps - Beachbody on Demand is a far better deal. It's cheaper ($99 annually instead of $139) and it has way more programs available.
Just a suggestion!
Are you going to give it a try? Please do let me know what you think. I'm always interested to know what my readers like and dislike in terms of home workouts!
Cheers
Caren is a certified yoga teacher, fitness instructor and ADHD Coach. As the founder of The Fit Habit, she shares ADHD-friendly self-care, food & fitness inspiration, along with practical ways to foster mind + body wellness.
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