As a barre instructor, there are many factors that can make or break your barre class, but at the top of the list are the words you say to keep your class flowing, educational, impactful and fun. We're sharing with you a bit of what we teach during our barre certification program, shhhhh don't tell, as we review our 5 step verbal cuing guide. Start applying these tips NOW to take your barre classes up a notch.
STEP 1: ADVERTISE WHAT'S COMING
One of the only ways to get your barre class from the exercise they're currently doing to the exercise you want them to do next, WITHOUT STOPPING MOVEMENT, is to give them a brief explanation of what's to come while still doing the current move. We like to call this advertising. Take a look at what we're talking about.
STEP 2: MAKE THE SWITCH
As Nike says, Just Do It. Say what's coming next and DO IT. No extra set up or fluff. Spend 7 seconds or less on your transition when you can't keep seamless movement flowing. We understand sometimes you have no choice but to walk to the barre, lie down on the mat or grab a prop. Start your set up with a verb "walk to the barre" "lie on your mats" "grab your weights" to make the verbiage as short and direct as possible. Don't wait for everyone in class to get in to position before you cue the movement; they'll get there eventually. Those that aren't sure exactly what they're supposed to do will follow the person next to them and you'll be able to quickly follow up with form during step 3.
STEP 3: CUE THE BODY
Now that you have them moving, immediately follow up with alignment. Talk about the spine, the shoulders, the hips, the knees, the toes. In order to make sure you check all your boxes, start from the head and work your way down to the toes, cuing alignment at every check point. Wondering about some basic alignment principles? If you attended our barre certification then you know what we're talking about. If not, don't worry, we have our five main Barre Intensity alignment principles located at https://now.barreintensity.com and search "alignment".
STEP 4: CUE THE MIND
Barre is a mind and body workout. After we have participants working safely, we need to get them working EFFECTIVELY so they can feel the barre burn we promise every single class. Talk about that internal resistance each person should create in their own bodies, put them in a place where they imagine their legs reaching longer in to the center of the room, educate on the muscles that should be engaged during each exercise so they can put their mind to those muscles and work with control and purpose rather than momentum. Get them FEELING the exercise. This is where you really put your barre training to the test.
STEP 5: BE MOTIVATIONAL
Because as if our jobs as instructors wasn't hard enough - we've got to be performers as well. Putting on a show each and every class, being motivational, and having FUN. Our class feeds off of our energy and during a Barre Intensity class every person in the room will need some extra energy. Save your motivation towards the end of a series. Your class is fatigued and let's be honest, you've run out of words to say. Now is your time to, in your own words, ask them to push a little bit harder, dig a little bit deeper, finish out the series for themselves and walk out the doors feeling accomplished. Need some inspiration? Self has 25 inspirational fitness quotes to share.
Repeat steps 1-5 with each and every move/series you execute and you're well on your way to crafting a more seamless, effective, and fun class.
For full length Barre Intensity classes and barre training clips like the ones just viewed, visit Barre Now at https://now.barreintensity.com/.