notbarre

Reality check.

I don’t know about y’all but 2022 has been kicking my a** so far 😂 Due to a multitude of reasons I haven’t been as active on social media lately. And to be honest….. it’s been really nice. I made this pledge almost 6 months ago to really start investing time into this account to grow my business. So I went through the whole spiel- got a coach, made a content calendar, learned how to make reels, etc. Because at the end of the day- I want to work for myself and create a lasting career.

I’d been trying so hard, posting and engaging consistently, seeing my hard work pay off. But sometime during December I just hit a wall. Between work and life I was just tired of grinding like that.

So then, every time I’d get on social media I’d start to doubt myself… “I’m not doing enough, it’s not worth it, I’m lazy.” Comparison mode. ON. So then I just stopped doom scrolling and posting and doing anything on here altogether because it became too negative.

I’ve always had a small problem with investing so much of my time into social media for exactly this reason. And for contributing to this beast that you all consume as well. At the end of the day, instagram is not going to help you cut back your app usage so YOU have to do it yourself. We rarely talk about how social media has effected all of our lives. I can tell I’m much less distracted now and can barely sit down to watch a movie much less read a real book.

If you’re still reading, you’re the reason why I keep coming back. I love seeing all these women thrive and build their brands. THAT’s what I’m here for.

Have you had a reality check moment this year?

What do you do to keep things 🌶spicy🌶??

I’m all about a time saver. Nobody has time to sit around and plan out multiple classes a week! We have to be smarter🧐

Here are a few tips I’ve relied on over the years to spark up my class routine without spending hours choreographing new material.

What are your top 5 “musts” in a barre class?

Let me know in the comments ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️

SEXY BACK (yeah)

I’m not gonna lie, I used to loatheeee flat back exercises. They would kill my lower back and I would be sore for days after. But with time, they became less and less grueling. Building a strong posterior chain (back body) is so important. Not only to support good posture, but to keep your spine mobile as well!

Sound ON🗣
✨Flat Back -> Squat
✨Flat Back Squat —> Lift
✨Lateral Lunge
✨Rock and Push
Try 10 for 3 rounds.

Tips
👀I want you to think about being a clapperboard 🎬 Your hips are the hinge and your torso is the clapper that lifts down and up. Nothing bends, nothing curves. The device is controlled from the singular hinge on the side! I promise these will get better with time.
👀Pull up from your belly button, in with your ribs, and down with the shoulders. Find your alignment before you move.
👀Start small. Then build from there. Your range of motion might not look like mine. Who cares?? Do what’s best for your body!
👀If you feel a sharp pain STOP ✋🏻 Your back will definitely start to tire after a while but you should not feel anything sharp.

I’m teaching this Friday 8:30am at the studio and Sunday 3:30pm.

Yes!!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻

Abundance. It’s a word I really like. And it’s also one way I have made peace with food.

I used to have a rule: No sweets in the house. I thought “If I buy them, then I will lose control”. But the funny thing is, as I surrounded myself with foods I would have previously labeled “bad”, they lost their power. They became normal. They became old news and no longer threatening.

One of the most common responses I hear to intuitive eating is, “I wouldn’t be able to stop eating _____ (Oreos, ice cream, peanut butter, chips…).” But research shows that people will eventually get tired of eating the same food. This is called habituation.

❤️Think about the first time someone told you, “I love you”. It felt amazing and super exciting! But, years later when that same person says, “I love you,” it’s still special- but not in the same novel way.

Psychologist Daniel Gilbert explains habituation this way, “Wonderful things are especially wonderful the first time they happen, but their wonderfulness wanes with repetition.”

If you are a fan of leftovers (hello, not having to cook a meal 👏), you’ve probably experienced that day 3 or 4 of leftovers are much less appealing.

👉🏼Eating a food over and over causes it to be much less desirable.👈🏼

The point of intuitive eating and giving yourself unconditional permission to eat is not so you’ll get tired of particular foods and not want them anymore. Rather, the habituation process helps take out the novelty factor, so you can decide:

Do you actually want that food? or
Has it just been a forbidden/restricted food?

Over the past few years, our family has slowly put those “forbidden foods” back into the pantry. Sometimes it takes a while to lose the novelty factor. And then one day, I’ll be cleaning out the pantry and notice that these foods are either stale or still sitting there unopened. 🤯 It has been a very interesting process. Now, when I’m really wanting chocolate, I know it’s right there waiting on me and I’ll buy a new bar when that one is gone.

How have you experienced habituation? Does keeping particular foods in your house feel scary?

HEALTHY HIPS

Stop scrolling 🛑 Are you sitting down right now? I thought so. That means you need to get on the floor and do these moves ASAP!

Did you know that we hold stress in our hips? 😅 You need both internal and external rotation for good hip mobility! Let’s take a moment to stretch and breathe together on this Monday.

Healthy Hips
✨Windshield Wipers -> Hold
✨Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch-> Twist/Pull
✨Pigeon Pose
✨Pretzel
Hold for 1 minute each. Try it for 2 rounds. (Make sure you do both legs)

Tips
👀The most important thing you can do in these poses is BREATHE and RELEASE your muscles. You have to hold these for at least 20 seconds before your muscles get the message and start to relax.
👀If you feel a sharp pain STOP ✋🏻 Stretching can make you feel a little muscular pain but you should not feel anything sharp or pinching.
👀Find what feels good. If your body doesn’t look exactly like mine- who cares? The biggest thing is that you actually feel something and benefit from the exercises.

FULL BODY CARDIO

I love these moves because they’re easily modifiable and moldeable to fit what you’re looking for.

Full transparent moment- I’m just now realizing how funny this plant looks in the middle of the floor with this wide shot. 🤣 that’s what I get for trying to make things ~aesthetically pleasing~

Let’s go
✨Modified Burpee
✨2 Jumping Jacks -> 2 squats
✨Lateral Lunge -> Curtsy Lunge
✨Wide Second Pulse -> Rock
Try these for 30 seconds each. 3 rounds. (Make sure you do the second side on #3)

Tips
👀Don’t compromise form for speed. Complete each movement before you re-start it.
👀Breathe! This is essential to cardioRESPIRATORY activity!
👀The modified version is in each video above. Try both and see which one works for you!
👀Have fun! Put on your favorite playlist and move!

HIPS + GLUTES

Do not be deceived, the core and upper body is working hard as well!

Deets:
⚡️Lateral Reach->Knee to Chest
⚡️Single Arm Reach->Elbow Drop
⚡️Modified Version- Keep foot on the ground
⚡️Heels Kiss->Open, Close
10 reps, 3 rounds, each leg!

Tips:
👀Find your plank position first before you delve into these. Lift up and out of your shoulders and belly. Don’t sink into a cow back!
👀You can modify all of these! Leave your foot on the ground, do a push-up into of an elbow drop, try it standing! There’s no limit to how you can make this work for you!
👀Concentrate on each move, complete them with intention. If you rush through it, you aren’t getting the full experience!

ABS

Did anyone else used to do 10 crunches and then check the mirror to see if you had a 6-pack? Hopefully it wasn’t just me. 😅😂 I’m so glad I’m past that moment in history. Working your abdominals are so much more important than “getting abs.” Your abs are part of your core, your powerhouse, where every movement is initiated from. Abdominals help keep you upright, support your lower back, and help you do many every day functions- like twisting, reaching, balancing, etc. Let’s change how we think about ABS.

For these exercises, I want y’all to think about imprinting that low back on the ground. I don’t want any daylight between your back and the ground!! Think about scooping the tailbone up to the ceiling and pulling your belly button down to your spine. Start there. Exhale when you exert force. In through nose, out through mouth. This is especially important for abs! Think about breathing into your rib cage and not your belly!

Ab Series
✨Tabletop Taps
✨Chest Lift Hold-Tabletop Taps
✨Twist Straight Leg Reach
✨Twist Straight Leg Reach on Elbow
✨Scissors
✨Scissors->Criss Cross w/ Straight Legs
10 reps each. 3 rounds.

FULL BODY PUSH…

…with a focus on upper body. I used to be under the impression that if I lifted weights or did anything other than cardio, I would “bulk up” like the Incredible Hulk. 😂

I’m here to tell you that’s not true! I’m not sure why society has given women this narrative that if we do some resistance training, we’re going to look like the Rock. Lol. That’s just not going to happen. Yes, you might build a little muscle mass but is that not the point?

Resistance training has so many other benefits!!
💪🏻 Helps bone density
💪🏻 Boosts metabolism
💪🏻 Decreases risk of injury
💪🏻 Improves muscle endurance
💪🏻 Makes you stronger

And also.. what’s so wrong with looking like the Rock? Skinny doesn’t always equal healthy.

The Deets:
⚡️Push-ups
⚡️Push-up to Push Back
⚡️Knee Push-up to Child’s Pose
⚡️Single Leg Tricep Dips
⚡️Alternating Single Leg Taps
⚡️Superman to Row
Try 10 each, for 3 rounds

Let me know how it goes!

ABS ON THE BALL.

You can’t really tell in these vids but I was s h a k i n g the whole time. I’ve been doing a version of this series in most of my classes lately and it always killlllls.

Put the ball right under your shoulder blades. If you don’t have one, you can sit upright and tuck your tailbone when leaning back. Or lay flat on your back and reach up and across instead.

The Deets:
⚡️Upper Back Extension to Crunch
⚡️Criss Cross Variation
⚡️Upward Reach
⚡️Reach to Row
Try 10 each, for 3 rounds

Tips:
👀Keep tailbone tucked
👀Exhale while exerting force
👀Don’t stop breathing! It will help.
👀Don’t be afraid to really open your rib cage on the first one.
👀If this bothers your lower back, try lessening the range of motion or laying flat.
👀 Curve the chin to your chest, don’t jut straight out.

How do you feel about abs on the ball?