Pumping up at Pure Barre!

Courtesy of Pure Barre Waco

The first studio I tried this week was Pure Barre, located in downtown Waco. As I was researching to find out information about it, I found that Pure Barre focuses on small movements to tone the body. Everything from booking a class to getting set up was super easy and convenient. One nice perk is that your first class is free.

My instructor was Ginnie, super informative and encouraging throughout the workout. Before the class started, she guided me through the equipment we would use and taught me the basics. Even though there were seven other women in the class, she was very attentive and gave helpful corrections to everyone.

There are about three different sections of the class. First, you start with a warm-up, to get your muscles loose. You hold a 90-second plank, which they call a “pure barre plank.” In this plank, you change the type of plank. For example, you go from a regular center plank to holding a side plank and rotating.

After the warm-up, you go into strength training. You use light weights, no more than five pounds, and do tiny movements. One part of the class I noticed is that they make you stand on your tippy toes for many exercises.

Then you go to the bar and work on your legs. My first impression of the bar was that it would be easy, but I was proven wrong. After each exercise, my legs were shaking. The final part of the workout is the cool down, stretching out on your mat.

The class was 50 minutes long, but it went by very fast. There were lots of quick changes throughout the class. It was much more challenging than I anticipated, and I was sore the next day.

After the class, Ginnie walked me through the different packages they offer. Depending on how much one plans to go would determine the value of each deal. First, you could buy a pack of classes, up to 20 classes. The catch is they do expire in 180 days. The total cost of the 20 classes pack is $340. If you were to sign up for individual classes, it would be $20 per class. The unlimited package is $149 a month, so I recommend that if you plan on going multiple times every week. Ginnie recommended that class if you plan to go more than three times a week.

Overall, I loved my experience at Pure Barre. The location is close to campus, it is straightforward to book, and the instructor was very knowledgeable. It is a bit pricey, but membership is worth the money if you plan on consistently going. As for the workout, I enjoyed it. At Pure Barre, you control your workout, but the instructors encourage you to push yourself. One aspect I noticed was the community. Most people in the class knew each other, and the ages varied. There were some Baylor faculty members and fellow students in the class. The others taking the class were very welcoming and told me it takes a couple of times to get the hang of it.

I recommend Pure Barre to others for the workout, community, and convenience of campus.