Standing Barre Workout (30 Minutes, Full Body)
Build lean muscle and deep core strength with this all standing barre workout. We’ll sculpt and strengthen every muscle in the body through a combination of barre sequences and cardio intervals, all done from a standing position. This fusion-style workout combines strength training and barre, with modifications for every level.
This workout combines the best of barre and strength training, and has been highly-requested — it’s done in an all standing format.
This standing barre workout is designed for you, no matter your fitness level. It’s a fusion-style class that combines moves from my early days as a barre instructor to my current focus on functional strength and mobility.
We often talk about the “barre burn” that you typically get from holding a pulsing squat or arabesque. While barre exercises naturally engage the lower body, this standing barre workout will challenge your core and upper body strength as well.
If you tend to skip past pilates barre classes, I’d encourage you to try this one. This dynamic workout combines fluid movements, cardio bursts, and has a serious focus on posture and alignment.
It’s barre fitness meets strength training, and it’s all done from a standing position.
Barre Class At Home (All Standing)
Strengthen, sculpt and tone at home with this all standing barre workout.
A full body workout targeting every muscle group in the body: the lower body (quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves, and thighs), upper body (biceps, triceps, back, shoulders, and chest) and core.
Add barre workouts like this one to your home workout plan 1-2 times per week to build and maintain strength.
Workout Instructions:
Follow along with the guided Barre Workout on YouTube, led by certified personal trainer and barre instructor, Lindsey Bomgren.
Your Workout Looks Like This:
- 30 Minutes of Full Body Barre Exercises
- Sequenced Flow (moving naturally from one series to the next)
Workout Equipment:
Light Dumbbells. I recommend between 2-15 lbs depending on your fitness level. We used 5-15 lb dumbbells in today’s workout. Optional chair for balance support. Note: you can perform each exercise with no equipment, just your bodyweight.
Workout Outline
- Warm Up
- Chair Pose Exercises
- Chair Sequence
- Pliè Squat Sequence
- Cardio Intervals
- Lunge Sequence
- Standing Core
- Cool Down and Stretch
5 Standing Barre Exercises
1. Chair Squat and Bicep Curl
Targets: Legs, glutes, quads, inner thighs, biceps, abs and core muscles.
How To Do A Chair or Narrow Squat and Bicep Curl
- Start in a narrow squat position, feet under hips. Hold your dumbbells at your sides, palms facing out away from your body.
- Lower your hips down into a squat, curling the dumbbells up towards your shoulders as you sit back.
- Press through your heels to stand tall, lowering the dumbbells back to your sides.
2. Relevè Rear Leg Lift or Arabesque
Targets: Glutes (gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus) and core.
How To Do A Rear Leg Lift in Relevè or Arabesque
- Start standing on your left leg. With a soft bend in your left knee, hinge forward. Option to rise onto your toes, finding a relevè position. Gently rest your fingertips on a chair, countertop or ballet-barre for balance support.
- Then, extend your right leg behind you, leg straight and toes pointed. Keep both hips square to the ground.
- Squeeze your glute to lift your right leg, performing a leg lift. Keep a soft bend in your standing knee.
- Slowly and with control, lower your right toes to tap the mat, returning to the starting position.
3. Second Position Pliè Squat and Single Arm Arnold Press
Targets: Glutes, quads, hamstrings, inner thighs (adductor muscles), shoulders, upper back and core.
How To Do A Second Position Pliè Squat and Single Arm Arnold Press
- Find second position by stepping wide, heels in, toes facing out towards the corners of the room. Hold one light weight in your right hand in front of your face at eye level, palm facing in towards your face.
- Slowly lower your hips, imagining your back is pressed against a wall. Slide your back down the wall, lowering into a wide “squat” position. Tuck your tailbone (anterior pelvic tilt) to engage your core.
- With control, drive through the heels to stand tall. As you stand, slowly raise the weight in your right hand overhead. As you raise the dumbbell, rotate your wrist so that the palm of your hand is facing outward (away from the body) when your arm is fully extended.
- Then slowly lower back down into a low squat position as you reverse the movement, rotating your wrist as you lower the dumbbell to return to the starting position, palm facing in towards your body.
4. First Position Overhead Tricep Extensions
Targets: The long head of the triceps and all the stabilizing muscles in the shoulders, core, glutes and lower back muscles.
How To Do Overhead Tricep Extensions in First Position
- Start standing in first position, heels together, toes out in a “V” shape.
- Hold one dumbbell or two light dumbbells vertically overhead and activate your core by squeezing your glutes and abs to protect your lower back.
- Bend your elbows to a 90-degree angle, bringing the dumbbell(s) behind your head. Think ‘hide the dumbbell, show the dumbbell’ if you were watching yourself in a mirror. Keep your elbows close to your ears throughout the entire movement (don’t let your elbows flare out as you fatigue).
5. Standing Oblique Crunch
Targets: Upper abs, lower abs, obliques, transverse abdominis, and hip flexors.
How To Do A Standing Oblique Crunch
- Start standing, feet wider than hips, core engaged. Transfer most of your weight to your right foot, kick-standing your left toes. Option to gently rest your right fingertips on a chair, countertop or ballet-barre for balance support.
- Crunching through your left obliques (left side of the torso), bring your left knee and left elbow to touch at approximately waist-height.
- Then, return your left toes to the floor with control as you send the right arm overhead.
LET’S GET STARTED
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FAQs
What Are The Most Popular Barre Exercises?
Classic barre exercises were inspired by ballet dancers, and include the plié, relevé, first position, second position and arabesque. Barre is also known for its deep core strengthening exercises.
Can You Lose Weight Doing Barre Workouts?
Barre workouts offer an excellent way to sculpt, burn calories and get in shape. Barre fitness focuses on improving core strength, building strength in stabilizing muscles, and increasing flexibility, balance and posture. That said, weight loss takes time and a combination of consistent factors will ultimately contribute to fat loss. Following a well-rounded workout plan, eating in a calorie deficit, and increasing your resting metabolic rate are also important if your goal is weight loss.
Can Beginners Do Barre Workouts?
You don’t need to be a professional dancer or a regular exerciser to do barre workouts. A barre class is suitable for any fitness level. I recommend starting with an all standing barre workout like this one. Focus on form and follow along with modifications as needed.
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