Black Swan Workout

Cardio Barre.

It’s a stylish workout popular with celebrities and those who mingle with celebrities out here in Los Angeles.  No doubt, it will soon be trending nationwide.

And for very good reason.

I went to my first cardio barre class a few weeks ago.  My experience with dance consists of perhaps a year of toddler ballet before I hit five, plus one summer of ballroom dance lessons.  I’ve never been the most light-footed of people (my brother has been known to call me “Grace” with no small measure of irony), but I’ve always admired dancers with their lithe flexibility and strength.  When I saw a Living Social deal for cardio barre classes, I couldn’t pass it up.

As it was a group fitness class, I didn’t expect it to be too challenging.  Don’t get me wrong – I expected to sweat and breathe heavily – but I just expected it to be a day of moderate cross training.  So I had lifted weights the day prior.  Because, you know, I’m up for a challenge.

A few minutes into the class, I realized how much of a challenge I was really up for.  My legs were literally shaking ten minutes into the pliés and relevés.  And then they had us pick up small weights for some upper body exercises.  Because I clearly hadn’t learned my lesson yet, I opted for the heaviest weights (a whopping three pounds).  I’m a girl who lifts real weights.  I’m a far cry from a bodybuilder, but when you regularly do bicep curls with fifteen pound weights and you’re given the options of one, two, or three pound dumbbells, you tend to assume you can handle the three pounders.

Wrong again.

The next day I could barely move.  Every muscle in my body was on fire, and I was stiff for at least seventy-two hours.  This is quite an accomplishment.  I’m a distance runner, I spent four years practicing taekwondo on a regular basis, and my cross-training of choice is an intense spinning class.  The only time I ever feel sore after a cardio event is the day after a half marathon race.

Correction: the only time I ever feel sore after a cardio event is the day after a half marathon race and the day after a cardio barre class.

Congratulations, cardio barre.  This may be one of the greatest all-around workouts I’ve ever experienced.  I’ve returned every week since that class and don’t plan to stop anytime soon.  Cardio, strength, and flexibility are all covered, and while right now I know I flail around like a particularly ugly duckling, I can’t wait to see the ballet swan I will become by the time I hit the advanced classes.

A girl can dream, right?