10 Barre Moves You Can Do Without a Barre {total body barre workout}

Join the barre craze with this at-home, total body routine that will strengthen, lengthen, and tone. These 10 barre moves you can do without a barre are exactly what you’d see in my class at the studio. 

With benefits like a stronger core and leaner legs, the barre trend continues to attract women into boutique fitness studios across the country.

The downside, you won’t find a barre studio in rural fitness centers. And if you are located near a studio, you still have to foot the bill as classes can run on the upside of $20+ per sweat session. The solution, this completely free, yet seriously effective routine you can do in the comfort of your own home {or your friend’s apartment in Seattle}. 

These 10 moves are exactly what you’d do in the arms and legs section at the beginning of my class at Haute Barre Studios.

Each exercise requires core engagement and targets both the large and small, stabilizing muscles in your arms and legs. Layered with some large range of motion movements, like the chair squats with overhead raise, to elevate your heart rate.

Not that I don’t love my jump squats, burpees and plyometrics in general, but sometimes your body needs a rest from high impact routines. And these 10 Barre Moves you can do anywhere are the perfect way to maintain an intense, yet low impact, total body workout.

This was the perfect vacation workout to supplement my usual Friday morning barre class while I was in Seattle this past weekend. I subbed the light dumbbells for a medium resistance band {much easier to pack than dumbbells}. 

{music: can’t stop the feeling — justin timberlake, get more songs currently rocking my workout playlist here}

the workout: 10 Do-Anywhere Barre Moves

Complete 12 repetitions per exercise and repeat the entire routine x 3 sets. All you need is a light set of dumbbells; I recommend between 2-10 lbs {I’m using 5 lb dumbbells in the video above}.

• Chair Squat + Overhead Raise
• Chair + Straight Arm Tricep Pulse
• Reverse Lunge {right leg back} + Tricep Kick
• Isometric Lunge {right leg back} + Overhead Tricep Extension
• Airplane {right leg back} + Back Fly
• Chair Squat + Overhead Raise
• Chair + Alternating Arm Pulse
• Reverse Lunge {left leg back} + Lateral Shoulder Raise
• Isometric Lunge {left leg back} + Front Shoulder Raise
• Airplane {left leg back} + Back Fly

see video above for complete workout and proper exercise form.

chair squat + overhead raise – 12 reps

Modify: Eliminate dumbbells and perform the movement with your bodyweight. You may also shorten the range of motion. 

Make it harder: Add a jump at the top of your squat; exploding through the bottom of your feet and reaching upward with your arms overhead as you leave the ground. 

chair + straight arm tricep pulse – 12 reps

Modify: Use lighter weights or eliminate the weights and perform bodyweight arm pulses.

Make it harder: Relevè up onto to your toes or balls of your feet; while squeezing your knees together to create inner thigh engagement. 

reverse lunge {right leg back} + tricep kick – 12 reps

Modify: Lighten or eliminate the weights and shorten the lunging range of motion. 

Make it harder: As  you stand up out of the lunge to tricep kick, simultaneously raise your back, right leg to add additional glute work and balance challenge.

isometric lunge {right leg back} + overhead tricep extension – 12 reps

Modify: Drop your back, right knee to the ground or perform the tricep extensions in neutral standing position, removing the lunge altogether.

Make it harder: Increase your weight and relevè up onto to your front toe for additional balance and leg engagement. 

airplane {right leg back} + back fly – 12 reps

Modify: Keep both feet firmly planted on the ground as you hinge slightly forward at the hips and perform a back fly.

Make it harder: Relevè up onto the toe of your standing leg to create a difficult balance challenge. You may also add a leg lift on your rear, right leg with each back fly repetition for additional glute work.

chair squat + overhead raise – 12 reps

Modify: Eliminate dumbbells and perform the movement with your bodyweight. You may also shorten the range of motion. 

Make it harder: Add a jump at the top of your squat; exploding through the bottom of your feet and reaching upward with your arms overhead as you leave the ground. 

chair + alternating arm pulse – 12 reps

Modify: Use lighter weights or eliminate the weights and perform bodyweight arm pulses.

Make it harder: Relevè up onto to your toes or balls of your feet; while squeezing your knees together to create inner thigh engagement. 

reverse lunge {left leg back} + lateral shoulder raise – 12 reps

Modify: Lighten or eliminate the weights and shorten the lunging range of motion. 

Make it harder: As  you stand up out of the lunge to lateral shoulder raise, simultaneously raise your back, left leg to add additional glute work and balance challenge.

isometric lunge {left leg back} + front shoulder raise – 12 reps

Modify: Drop your back, left knee to the ground or perform the front shoulder raises in neutral standing position, removing the lunge altogether.

Make it harder: Increase your weight and relevè up onto to your front toe for additional balance and leg engagement. 

airplane {left leg back} + back fly – 12 reps

Modify: Keep both feet firmly planted on the ground as you hinge slightly forward at the hips and perform a back fly.

Make it harder: Relevè up onto the toe of your standing leg to create a difficult balance challenge. You may also add a leg lift on your rear, left leg with each back fly repetition for additional glute work.

the outfit: adidas pure boost + vsx 

adidas pure boost x {old, similar linked here}

lightweight vsx sports bra {old, similar linked here}

garmin vivosmart

the workout: 10 Do-Anywhere Barre Moves

Complete 12 repetitions per exercise and repeat the entire routine x 3 sets. 

• Chair Squat + Overhead Raise
• Chair + Straight Arm Tricep Pulse
• Reverse Lunge {right leg back} + Tricep Kick
• Isometric Lunge {right leg back} + Overhead Tricep Extension
• Airplane {right leg back} + Back Fly
• Chair Squat + Overhead Raise
• Chair + Alternating Arm Pulse
• Reverse Lunge {left leg back} + Lateral Shoulder Raise
• Isometric Lunge {left leg back} + Front Shoulder Raise
• Airplane {left leg back} + Back Fly

do you barre? tell me why or why not in the comments below!

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