Feel the Burn at the Best Barre Classes in London

Barre has a multitude of benefits – here’s how to get started with the best barre classes in London

If you want the long, lean limbs and sculpted body of a ballerina (but don’t have the coordination of a dancer or the desire to wear a tutu) then barre is the workout for you. The classes use small holds and isometric movements to tone your bod and improve your posture.

Barre, which borrows its name from the bars in ballet studios, is a workout that comprises movements inspired by ballet. As we know, ballerinas are very (almost deceptively) strong as ballet requires a tremendous amount of strength to perform, so barre is an excellent form of strength training. Expect lots of considered reps and core engagement that will leave you really feeling the burn.

Much like Pilates, barre has exploded in popularity lately – and it’s not just because of the rise of ‘balletcore’ aesthetics. It’s mostly thanks to social media (more specifically, TikTok), where people have been sharing their experience of barre and how it has completely changed the way they work out. Also similar to Pilates, barre is much harder than it looks. While it involves a lot of slow movements that appear to be easier than the exercises in a HIIT class, for example, they are highly effective. Fancy flexing your muscles? These are the best barre classes to try.

Check out our recs on the best HIIT, spin, pilates, boxing, weights and yoga classes too.

Barrecore

Barrecore is probably the premier barre studio in town, thanks to its signature method of interval training applied to each major muscle group. As well as a warm up and stretching throughout, the classes have sections for the thighs, the seat and the abs – it’s like legs, bums and tums on steroids.

Chelsea, Mayfair, Wimbledon, Chiswick, Kensington, Hampstead, Wandsworth, Notting Hill, Kensal Rise, Islington & the City
barrecore.co.uk


BLOK

You’ll really feel the burn at a BLOK barre class, where there’s a constant flow of movement from one exercise into another, challenging your balance, coordination and stamina and building muscle endurance. Here the trainers focus on strengthening the back, shoulders and chest to counteract the effects of sitting at a desk all day but BLOK classes also involve the use of ankle weights to give your legs a killer workout too, so you really do get a full body workout.

Clapton & Shoreditch
bloklondon.com


The Refinery

This Hackney studio is putting the boogie in barre with its range of classes, like Barre Fit, with high-energy tunes; Ballet Rebels Buns & Guns, which focuses on firming the bum and sculpting the arms; and Barre + Body Conditioning, which adds pilates into the mix.

Hackney
therefinerye9.com


FRAME

FRAME is all about mood-boosting classes that make you smile as well as sweat and this barre class defo delivers on both fronts. The 45-minute workout includes classic barre exercises, including arm weights, side planks and leg work at the barre, all to a bangin’ playlist, and they switch up the choreography every eight weeks so you’ve always got fresh moves and fresh music coming.

Shoreditch, King’s Cross, Angel, Victoria & Hammersmith
moveyourframe.com

Loading...