Is it possible to obtain lean muscle without being a trained ballerina? With Barre Workouts it is absolutely possible. Barre promises to not only help you develop a ballerina body with long, lean muscles, but it also promises to improve balance. The best part is that anyone- no matter the age or fitness level- can see results. Even if you have no idea what the heck a pliéis. Dancers, help me out... why the accent over the e?

So what is Barre? I know some of you might secretly be hoping you can sip on something special while working out but actually using context clues you can determine that you use... well... a ballet barre. Most of the moves are actually based on basic ballet positions. It's no surprise that barre was developed by German ballerina Lotte Berk in 1959. She created the fad and raised the "barre" for celebrity workouts by training glamorous public figures such as Joan Collins and Barbara Streisand. A student of Berk's brought barre to the States in 1971 where it has developed from a workout for nimble dancer-types to the workout of choice for people of any fitness level.

Despite barre having its origins in dance, the two left feet types should not be concerned. There are no tap shoes or pointe shoes required. In fact, there is no fancy footwork involved, you absolutely do not need ANY dance experience. A basic class is as follows: you'll start with basic body moving exercises such as side to side movements and overhead arm movement. Next, you'll launch into a series arm exercises, and then continue to the bar for a lower-body section that works your thighs and glutes. Finally, you’ll finish with a series of core-focused moves at the barre or on the mat. Each series is divided into a series of stretching, which helps to lengthen the muscle.

The gear for barre is typically body-weight alone but small weights are usually encouraged (anywhere from 2-4lbs) for your arm series. As for the lower body series, a soft exercise ball or block is used to help target small muscle groups. Most studios even let you go barefoot!

So what's the difference between Barre and let's say Crossfit? Rather than performing a hefty series of compound movements such as squats and shoulder presses, barre uses tiny, one-inch increments called isometric movements. Common instruction to hear at a barre class is "Down an inch, up an inch."

For someone who's used to HIIT workouts, this concept may seem like an ineffective workout; however, this is not the case. The one-inch increments create a killer workout because they are enough to make the muscle fire but not enough to cause it to tear.

The isometric movements are an incredible way to target very specific muscle groups. By performing small movements, you can perform more reps, which will fatigue your muscles in a completely different way than they're used to. The concept of high-rep low-weight exercise series helps build endurance. Targeting fast-twitch muscles through strength training increases power and speed. Think of it like this: barre helps you win the marathon but not the sprint.

Perhaps one of the most incredible aspects of barre is that it can help strengthen muscles without straining ligaments and tendons. This lowers the risk of injury in comparison to traditional strength training. As someone who suffers from knee pain and damage, barre has been the perfect fit for my workout regimen because it is a low-impact but killer workout.

Another advantage of barre is that you'll target multiple muscle groups simultaneously through one move. A typical barre move is the "diamond waterski." This move occurs while holding onto the bar with one hand. Your legs are in a diamond-shape, with heels raised and torso angled (think of a water-skier leaning back.) This move works your quads while also targeting your calves, hamstrings, glutes, abs, and upper-back muscles. Here's the best part: when working out all these muscle groups, your heart rate is raised.

However, exercise experts say that if you're trying to improve your cardiovascular health, barre is not the best way to do so. This is because even though you may do some low-cardio work at the barre, you're typically working at 40 to 50 percent of your maximum heart rate. However, there is an advantage to this. You can head straight to dinner after class without showering!

The solution to this is to incorporate barre into your workouts, but keep it diverse. Make sure you hit all the major "food groups" of workouts: cardio, yoga, strength training. Now just add in what I like to call "dessert," barre! Barre is an incredible way to challenge yourself to be at the best fitness level you can be!