Barre Tips for Beginners: Everything You Need to Know About This Ballet-Inspired Workout

Even if you’re a beginner with zero dance training, there's something extremely gratifying about doing a barre workout. Maybe it’s the sensation of engaging your muscles with precise, small-range movements. Or, it could be the confidence boost that comes from holding your head high (after all, posture is key in barre classes).

Plus, this ballet-inspired workout is convenient and effective. You don’t need a ton of equipment, most of the moves are beginner-friendly, and the classes work your full body in a relatively short amount of time. “Barre is low impact but high energy,” Peloton instructor Hannah Corbin says. "It will leave your whole body feeling strengthened, energized, and balanced.”

Below, we discuss everything you need to know to feel confident during your first barre class, including tips on how to prepare, what to wear for maximum comfort, and step-by-step instructions on how to do basic barre exercises.

What Is Barre?

Barre is a type of workout that blends cardio, strength training, flexibility, and balance using high-rep, low-weight (or bodyweight) movements designed to fatigue your muscles. Most classes feature ballet-inspired movements that incorporate light weights, small inflatable balls, and resistance bands, as well as bodyweight exercises that target specific muscles.

“We combine lifting, lowering, pulsing, and isometric holds that challenge us in all of the right ways,” Hannah says. Barre has less of a focus on how intensely you’re working and more of an emphasis on proper alignment and feeling the right muscles engage, adds Michele Olson, PhD, a senior clinical professor in the Department of Sport Science and Physical Education at Huntingdon College.

The Benefits of Barre Workouts

“Barre workouts will improve your balance and flexibility while also developing strength and muscular endurance, all of which translates really well into daily life,” Olson says. Here’s a list of some of the benefits you can expect from regularly doing barre workouts:

Barre workouts focus on posture, strength, and core stability, so expect to do a lot of exercises that engage your glutes, quads, hamstrings, inner and outer thighs, low back, hips, and abdominals, Olson says.  

Consistent barre training can also help you feel better as you power through daily life. Many barre exercises require you to move in a lot of different directions, which is great for daily functions such as twisting and reaching. Plus, doing high-rep movements increases muscular endurance, which makes it easier to do just about any daily movement, from lifting heavy grocery bags to sitting up and down in a chair.

Barre can also boost your mood and mental state, regardless of how experienced you are. In fact, beginners might surprise themselves in class by actually enjoying the low-impact movements. “Everything is challenging yet completely achievable,” Hannah says. “It truly is one of those workouts where you can step back and measure your success by how much fun you’re having.”

Although barre classes can benefit people of all fitness levels, from beginner to advanced,  those with pre-existing neck or low back issues should pay close attention to how their body feels throughout the workout. “Many barre exercises use a tucked pelvis position that can strain the muscles if your form is off,” Olson says. “If it hurts or doesn’t feel right, stop what you’re doing and talk to your doctor to be sure you aren’t aggravating any pre-existing injuries.”

Common Myths About Barre Workouts

Before we dive deeper into what barre is, let’s clarify what it’s not. Here, we dispel three of the most pervasive myths about this type of exercise.

Myth 1: You Need a Ballet Background to Get the Most Out of Barre

False! Barre is beginner-friendly, so even if you've never danced before, you can still enjoy it and get a lot out of it. In addition to all the aforementioned benefits, “it’s good to get out of your comfort zone and try something new,” Olson says. “Different types of movements and experiences allow your body and your brain to work in different ways.”

Myth 2: If It Doesn’t "Burn," You’re Not Working Hard Enough

There’s often talk of “feeling the burn” in barre workouts. That’s because the burning sensation we feel in our muscles is especially common with high-rep, low-weight resistance training, like barre.

“[The burn] happens when your muscles run out of their energy source and build up lactic acid,” Olson explains. The longer it takes to get to that burn, the more muscular endurance you’ll develop, she explains. 

Even if you don’t feel a burning sensation during barre class, it doesn’t mean you’re wasting your time. As long as you feel challenged and work your muscles close to fatigue—meaning it feels like you could only manage two or three more reps by the end of a set—you’re benefiting your body.

Myth 3: You’ll Build "Long, Lean" Muscles

People often associate “long, lean muscles” with a dancer’s body—and, subsequently, barre workouts. But here’s the thing: “Once you’re fully grown, the actual length of your muscles isn’t going to change,” Olson explains. So no type of workout can truly lengthen your muscles.

What you can change, according to Olson, is your flexibility, lean muscle mass, strength, and posture—all of which can help you stand taller, get stronger, and feel more confident.

Beginner Barre Tips

Before taking your first barre class on the Peloton App or heading to an in-person studio, consider these tips to show up feeling confident and prepared:

Fundamental Barre Exercises to Try at Home

Ready to try some barre exercises on your own? Here are some fundamental movements you’re likely to encounter in a beginner-friendly barre class.

1. Roll Down

This dynamic stretch wakes up your muscles and increases your range of motion, helping you prepare for the rest of the workout.

Muscles worked: Back, hamstrings, core

2. Grand Plié

This classic barre exercise can be both a dynamic warm-up and a strength move for your low body and core.

Muscle worked: Inner thighs, hamstrings, quads, glutes, core

3. Bent Knee Parallel

This exercise is great for working both the legs and glutes one side at a time. Remember to keep your pelvis slightly tucked and engage your glutes as you push your raised leg back.

Muscles worked: Thighs, glutes

4. Fifth-Position Arm Raises

Another nod to a ballet position, this bodyweight exercise sculpts your arms and shoulders. Focus on keeping your core engaged as you move your upper body.

Muscles worked: Arms, shoulders, upper back

5. Shoulder Circles and Rotation

Like many barre exercises, this one is much more challenging than it looks. If your form starts breaking down, drop your arms and shake them out. Once you feel ready, try again.

Muscles worked: Arms, shoulders, upper back

Barre vs. Pilates: What’s the Difference?

Barre and Pilates are both effective low-impact workouts designed to improve strength, muscle endurance, and mobility. They share an emphasis on alignment, proper form, and muscle engagement through high-rep, low-weight exercises. But the two training styles have some key differences, including:

The bottom line: Both barre and Pilates are excellent ways to challenge your muscles and improve your overall fitness level. You can choose the one that most appeals to you or try both. As Olson says, “Pilates can be a great complement to barre exercises and vice versa.”