Get Out There (Again), Part 3
Pure Barre Main Line does something that I haven’t seen in any other studio or gym. They offer a free Foundations class to every person that is new to the studio. It’s a method that other studios should take notice of because it’s super successful as an intimidation-free way to get new clients into the studio and started with the Pure Barre workout.
Pure Barre is a different kind of barre class. So even if you know barre, this Foundations class is still a good idea for someone new to a Pure Barre class.
Liz Patterson (my friend who is eager to leave her home gym after two years of only working out squished between her kids’ toys) was curious about Pure Barre after my suggestion to try the Foundations class. Liz had tried barre before but never at Pure Barre.
Nina Harper is the new owner of Pure Barre Main Line. She has done wonderful things for the studio since she took over this past fall. She was a Pure Barre junkie, turned instructor, before she bought the studio. She explained to our Foundations class that she hated working out until she found this workout, which completely changed her own feelings about exercise. Nina says Pure Barre improved her back problems and she successfully lost weight doing only this low impact workout. Nina now teaches all of the Foundations classes, and she is the perfect person to do so because she is so relatable. You can immediately sense her love for the workout and her enthusiasm for welcoming newbies into her studio.
Nina offers the Foundations class one Saturday (in the late morning) a month. And because of its popularity, February had the Foundations class on the schedule twice. The class that Liz and I joined was well attended. I was surprised to hear that almost every person in the room had never done a barre class before. A few admitted to hating to work out and were in search of a workout they actually enjoyed to get them moving.
So what is the Foundations class? It’s an abbreviated version of a Pure Barre class with an explanation of terms and fundamentals. There is a brief description about every segment of the class, and then a run through of a truncated version of that segment. It’s an opportunity to learn exactly what to expect when you attend an actual class. Nina explained that Pure Barre classes are different every time but are always music driven (to distract you from the pain… jk… not really :-) and a total body workout.
The “Classic” class will have a plank segment; some light weight work for upper body; time at the barre working the booty and the inner and outer thighs; and some floor core work focusing on the different layers of the abdominals. Each muscle group work finishes with a stretch. Nina explained that this method works to fatigue the muscles with small but effective movements. This is what causes those incredible results, especially in the booty!
So Liz, tell us what you thought of Pure Barre Main Line… “I loved Pure Barre and Nina, specifically.” Liz said that Nina “really explained the movements well” and she felt like she got a “great full body workout.” Liz had been to other “beginner” barre classes at other studios and no one had ever explained to her that the shaking is good and is supposed to happen when you fatigue the muscles! I saw Liz have that ah-ha moment in Nina’s class, which made me feel like a proud mama!
If this sounds good to you, mark your calendars now. Foundations is being offered on March 5 and March 12 at 11 am next month. And sign up for your free class here.
The Edge Fitness Clubs (locations are springing up all over- Wayne, Media, Plymouth Meeting- just to name a few in our area) offer “The Edge Strong Foundation” as their version of an introductory class. The description boasts that “this class is for anyone who has not worked out previously, and who wants to start building up their fitness fundamentals.” The idea is to introduce basic strength training moves and equipment in a “fun and simple way.” It sounded great for this project, so I signed up me and Liz for this one.
This class is offered three times a week at the Wayne location (Monday and Friday at 6:30 am, and Wednesday at 5:30 pm). Liz and I signed up for the 5:30 pm class because Liz does not do early morning workouts (I applaud her for knowing her body and picking a time that will bring her more success). The Edge Strong Foundation is held in a separate training room. Thank god because I do not recommend going there at the time we went, especially if you are new to the gym environment. It’s very crowded with lots of “kids” roaming around the floor. It was loud and very overwhelming. I am told that it’s a much different scene there at any other time of the day.
Class is 45 minutes and lead by a one of the club’s trainers. The structure of the class was circuits— 8 exercises, repeated 4 times. Most exercises were done with body weight but some included light dumbbells and kettlebells. The instructor showed the class each exercise before we started and some modifications were offered. In between the circuits, two cardio bursts were mixed in.
In the midst of the workout, the group played a little game of hangman to guess the exercise of the day. It was a cute way to educate the group about a certain exercise but it fell short. The answer to our game was Romanian Dead Lift. The class didn’t know what a RDL was (I guessed the answer) and the instructor didn’t show the class or incorporate the exercise into our workout. It was very odd. There was good potential for this idea and an opportunity for a teaching moment that just didn’t happen.
Liz and I came to the same conclusion: that this was not a class suitable for a true beginner. Liz didn’t feel that her form was really watched or corrected. She didn’t learn much about the muscle involvement or purpose of each exercise, which you would expect in a beginner class. And while Liz thought the workout was good and effective she did not think the actual class met the description. And I would have to agree. I had high hopes for this class, and it failed to live up to the expectation.
The Foundation class is good for someone who has had some experience with exercise and who wants to work out with others at their level. The group of six people who took this class were “regulars”. I got the impression that they were comfortable in this environment with this instructor. I wouldn’t recommend it for someone who has never worked out before because there wasn’t enough personalized attention or instruction.
Here is another kicker about The Foundations class — it’s not included with your gym membership. The “personal training clients” (those that pay extra for personal training) can take the class as part of their membership package. Otherwise, you have to pay $59 a month to be able to take this class. But, it may still be worth a look if this class interests you because membership to this gym is very cheap (as low as $10 a month) and there are always specials going on.
The gym itself was clean and well lit. There is a “women’s only” cardio area for a less intimidating space. I would have loved to have seen it and the rest of the gym but I never got a tour (despite the fact that I arrived a half an hour early for a tour- and it’s not an easy task for me to leave my house at 5 pm on a Wednesday night!). A word of caution- if you aren’t a fan of spam emails or texts, don’t give the Edge Fitness Clubs your information because you will get hit up multiple times a day until you unsubscribe. Unfortunately, they have made it pretty hard to avoid giving out your contact information — you can’t even view the schedule now without submitting your email address. Overall, I was not a fan of this gym, the class or the overall experience for someone just starting out. And I think Liz agrees.
So that completes our little project. I hope you got something out of it or passed along the information to someone who might want to get out there… again!
(And, thanks Liz for all of your help with this one! I had a lot of fun working on these articles with you.)