Bar Method: A New Way To Slim Down, Have Fun And Be Sexy

Interesting article from Reuters: 

http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/lifestyle/~3/A_sLNioeMZY/us-fitness-barmethod-idUSTRE7331BX20110404

There is a new body-sculpting system of exercises for women who want that whistle-bait figure with the right amount of muscle tone called The Bar Method. It delivers lithe dancer-type bodies with well-defined calves and thighs and toned lean muscular arms without the fearsome bulging biceps associated with body builders.

The workout targets the muscles that give bodies definition, enthusiasts say. A ballet bar is used to do the isometric exercises and interval training coupled with dance conditioning; all designed to tone and define the body’s curves. The director of marketing and communications for The Bar Method, Dannah Lewis says “You get this long, lean dancer’s body.” Further she says “It’s really specific, a very defined look. Near the office, I can pick all our clients out of a crowd.”

The Bar Method body exhibits flat abdominals, defined hamstrings, elongated muscles, firm buttocks. Lewis who has been a devotee for the last two years stresses reduced body fat, improved posture and relief from back pain as added benefits of The Bar Method.

A German-born dancer named Lotte Berk sought refuge in London in the 1930’s and developed the technique that is now known as The Bar Method. Needing rehabilitative therapy after injuring her back, she combined her rehabilitation with ballet bar routines which she called the Lotte Berk exercise system. In the 1990s, Berk follower Burr Leonard revised the exercises and streamlined the classes, assisted by a physical therapist.

At present, there are 37 studios all over the United States using the Bar Method brand and trademark, with a much toned 63-year old Leonard overseeing every aspect of the operation from music to the training of teachers. And it is not cheap or easy to join in; as an hour-long session can set you back as much as $35, with limited space for teachers need the elbow room to demonstrate the system, count strokes, and correct techniques.

"All classes are all set up the same way," Lewis explained. "The muscle definition is so much more than in yoga, but it's a feminine definition, not like body building," added Lewis.

Men are allowed, even encouraged to attend the lessons, but 95% of the devotees remain to be women because of the feminine definition. There are a number of seniors among the majority of younger attendees who find the isometrics and interval training demanding but fun.

According to Jessica Matthews an exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise, isometric movements are able to activate the small stabilizer muscles, and this leads to posture improvement and a wider range of motion. This is why The Bar Method movements are small movements, but focuses on core strength, helping people with lower back problems.

Many people have aversion for the gym and all those weights and contraptions, so Matthews thinks The Bar Method will be able to help these people to strengthen their muscles effectively without the weight-lifting they dislike. She adds that there are similarities to other exercises using body weight like Pilates and yoga but it is a good alternative for women who desires the toned body but are afraid of the bulky muscles that results from rigorous exercises.

Matthews says she is wary of the shape-changing claims, though. There are many claims about using Pilates, yoga or other systems to achieve a dancer’s body but she believes that genetics play a large part in it. There are people born with the predisposition to put on more muscle mass or fat than others; while some people are predisposed to eat more, according to her.

Matthews also said that people can have well-defined muscles, but they can be hidden by fat tissues, and will not be visible. So, diet is very important to maintain that dancer-type body.