A Human Web
Join

Sports training

Barre strength workout: heavier lifts, pliés, pulses and holds, seat, arms and core

Barre's light weights, holds and pulses build muscular endurance, but light weights only build muscle when the sets are hard, heavier weights build more strength, and barre has no impact for your bones. No study has tested barre itself. This session starts with two heavier lifts, then uses moves our dance page describes from a trial in professional dancers (lunges with pulses, wall sits, bridges with a ball and glute kicks), at doses that are our editorial starting point. It adds an arm circuit taken close to failure, and finishes with pelvic floor squeezes and stretches. Do it once or twice a week alongside your classes. You need a chair, counter or barre, light dumbbells and a heavier dumbbell or kettlebell, a light resistance band, a small soft ball or cushion, a step, a mat and a wall.

45 minIntermediate21 movesA wall · A dumbbell · A kettlebell · A step · A band · An anchor point · A bench or boxHip flexors · Glutes · Back · Abs · Quads · Adductors
Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Warm-up

  1. Standing march60 s
    Beginner · Hip flexors, Abs, Glutes · 3D demoSwing the armsEasier: Seated marchHarder: Standing band hip flexion
  2. Standing hip CARs3 slow circles each leg
    Beginner · Glutes, Hip flexors, Hip abductors · 3D demoHold the barre or a chairEasier: Hip circles on all foursHarder: 90/90 hip lift-off
  3. Cat-cow6 slow rounds
    Beginner · Back, Abs · 3D demoMove the whole spineHarder: Half lord of the fishes (Ardha Matsyendrasana)
  4. Plié dumbbell squat (sumo squat)8 slow pliés, no weight
    Intermediate · Quads, Glutes, Adductors · 3D demoKnees over the middle toesEasier: Bodyweight squatHarder: Back squat with bands

Heavier lifts

Rest 60 to 90 s

  1. Dumbbell goblet squat3 × 8 to 10
    Intermediate · Quads, Glutes, Abs · 3D demoHeavy enough that the last 2 reps of each set are hardEasier: Bodyweight squatHarder: Barbell front squat
  2. Dumbbell Romanian deadlift3 × 8 to 10
    Intermediate · Hamstrings, Glutes, Back · 3D demoPush your hips back with the weights close to your legs, and keep your back longEasier: Hip-hinge practiceHarder: Single-leg Romanian deadlift

Thighs and seat

Rest 30 to 45 s

  1. Reverse lunge2 rounds: lunges with 1 to 10 pulses
    Intermediate · Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings · 3D demoA hand on the barre; pulse an inch or two at the bottom, with the front knee over the footEasier: Split squatHarder: Split squat with dumbbells
  2. Plié dumbbell squat (sumo squat)2 rounds: 10 pliés, then 1 to 10 pulses at the bottom
    Intermediate · Quads, Glutes, Adductors · 3D demoTurn out only as far as your hips allow; hold a dumbbell when it gets easyEasier: Bodyweight squatHarder: Back squat with bands
  3. Wall sit3 × 30 s
    Beginner · Quads, Glutes · 3D demoOnly as low as is comfortable, with your knees over your anklesEasier: Straight-leg raiseHarder: Spanish squat (band squat hold)
  4. Glute bridge3 × 15
    Beginner · Glutes, Hamstrings, Abs · 3D demoSqueeze a ball or cushion between your knees and keep the pelvis levelEasier: Pelvic tilt into bridgeHarder: Single-leg glute bridge
  5. Glute kickback (quadruped hip extension)3 × 10 each leg
    Beginner · Glutes, Hamstrings · 3D demoOn all fours; lift the leg without arching your backEasier: Glute bridgeHarder: Standing cable glute kickback
  6. Single-leg calf raise from a step2 × 12 each leg
    Intermediate · Calves · 3D demoRise high over the big toe and lower for 3 secondsEasier: Slow calf raiseHarder: Single-leg pogo hops

Arm circuit

2 rounds · Rest 60 s between rounds

  1. Dumbbell lateral raise12 to 20
    Beginner · Shoulders, Neck · 3D demoLight weights; lead with the elbows and stop 0 to 2 reps short of failureEasier: Band lateral raiseHarder: Smith machine upright row
  2. Dumbbell biceps curl10 to 15
    Beginner · Biceps, Forearms · 3D demoNo swingingEasier: Seated dumbbell curlHarder: Incline inner biceps curl
  3. Standing band reverse fly12
    Beginner · Shoulders, Back, Triceps · 3D demoSqueeze your shoulder blades back and downHarder: Bent-over reverse fly
  4. Incline push-up8 to 15
    Beginner · Chest, Triceps, Shoulders · 3D demoHands on the barre or a counterEasier: Wall push-upHarder: Push-up

Core

Rest 30 s

  1. Dead bug2 × 20
    Beginner · Abs, Hip flexors · 3D demoAlternate sides with your lower back pressed downEasier: Dead bug heel tapsHarder: Forearm plank
  2. Side plank2 × 30 s each side
    Intermediate · Abs, Hip abductors, Shoulders · 3D demoHips high; knees down to make it easierEasier: Knee side plankHarder: Side plank with leg lift

Pelvic floor

  1. Pelvic floor exercise (Kegel)8 holds of up to 10 s, then 8 quick squeezes
    Beginner · Pelvic floor · 3D demoRelax fully between squeezes

Stretch

  1. Standing quad stretch20 to 30 s each side
    Beginner · Quads, Hip flexors · 3D demoHold the barreHarder: Couch stretch
  2. Supine hamstring stretch with a strap20 to 30 s each side
    Beginner · Hamstrings, Calves · 3D demoMild tension, never painEasier: Leg-up hamstring stretchHarder: Contract-relax hamstring stretch (PNF)
  3. Reclined figure four (eye of the needle, Sucirandhrasana)20 to 30 s each side
    Beginner · Glutes · 3D demoOr the standing figure four at the barreHarder: Pigeon preparation (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana prep)

Tips

  • Once or twice a week, on days that aren't back to back and away from your hardest class. With your classes, that covers the two days of muscle-strengthening a week that UK guidelines ask for.
  • Make the two heavier lifts progressive: when every set reaches 10 good reps, go heavier, as our progressive overload guide explains.
  • Stop a set of pulses or holds when your position goes, not when the music stops. Shaking is fatigue; sharp pain is a reason to stop.
  • Very flexible? Keep your knees and elbows soft rather than locked, and work in the middle of your range, as our hypermobility guide explains.
  • Leaking when you lift? Squeeze your pelvic floor just before each lift (the knack), and see a pelvic health physiotherapist if it isn't better after about 3 months.
  • With osteoporosis, keep your back long in every move; there are no curl-ups here. Pregnant? From the end of the first trimester, swap the bridges, dead bugs and side planks for the side-lying and all-fours moves in our pregnancy strength workout.

The doses are suggested starting points, not a prescription. Choose a range you can control and stop for sharp or increasing pain, numbness or tingling. Get individual advice after an injury or surgery, or if you are pregnant or managing a health condition.

Guides that recommend it

Find more moves like these

More sports training

Injury prevention exercises for runners

Foot, calf, balance and hop exercises taken from the running trials with positive results, in a 25-minute home routine for 3 or 4 days a week.

25 minBeginner11 movesOther / check instructions, A bench or box

Plyometrics for runners

A 20-minute hop and bound session for runners: ankle bounces to pogo hops, one-leg hops and bounding, building foot contacts slowly over 10 weeks.

20 minIntermediate8 movesCardio machine

Strength workout for cyclists (gym)

A 50-minute gym session for cyclists: heavy squats, one-leg presses, hip flexion and calf raises as in the cycling trials, plus jumps for bone.

50 minIntermediate13 movesCardio machine, A barbell

Questions people ask

How long does the barre strength workout: heavier lifts, pliés, pulses and holds, seat, arms and core take?

About 45 minutes, including any warm-up and cool-down listed. Shorten it by doing fewer rounds; lengthen it by adding one.

What equipment do I need?

You need: A wall, A dumbbell, A kettlebell, A step, A band, An anchor point, A bench or box. Each move links to its guide, where you can find an alternative if you are missing something.

Is it suitable for me?

It is written at intermediate level. 16 of its 21 moves have an easier option listed beside them; use them freely.

How do I make it easier or harder?

Use the easier or harder option listed under each move, change the number of rounds, or adjust the rest. Progress one change at a time.