On May 27^th, 2013 I committed to Pure Barre for one month only, with their New Client Special.  A little over six months later (and with 6 inches less of me) on December 6^th, 2013 I took my 100^th class.  Here are the top 10 reasons/people/things that kept me shaking and burning to number 100.

1.  My husband.

Having a wife that sometimes works over 100 hours in a week isn’t easy for my husband, to put it mildly.  Then, to have him support me spending some of the little free time I do have taking these classes just exemplifies how selfless he is, and how lucky I am.

2. The workout.

I am officially ADD.  I fast forward movies because they move too slowly, I can’t fill out any sort of paperwork from start to finish, and if I’m not doing 3 things at once, I’m “bored”.  Pure Barre combines the perfect combination of both predictability and variability.  The overall structure and flow of the classes are the same: warmup, upper body weights, thigh section, seat work, abdominals, and cooldown.  The great thing about this predictability is that I can really focus on the muscles being worked instead of constantly wondering what is next.  On the flip side, the individual exercises within each section change each and every workout.  No two classes are exactly the same, I am constantly challenged and never bored.

3. Fun workout clothes.

Now, anyone who knows me knows that I can easily find a reason to buy new clothes.  But, buying barre workout clothes taps into my inner little girl who always wanted to be a ballerina.  In what other workout can you wear a fabulous draped top with a cutout in the back and a pair of leg warmers?

4.  My classmates.

I love it when you are in the middle of a killer thigh section, and you and your neighbor share that look of “oh my gosh, how much longer?!?!?”.  Any of you who have taken Pure Barre know what I’m talking about.  And if you haven’t taken a class yet, I encourage you to do so.  You will quickly find out …  and your thighs will thank me later ;).

5.  The 100 socks.

Seriously.  In my first class, I saw one of my classmates wearing socks with the big red 100 printed across them.  I asked her about them, and that is when I first heard about the 100 club.  And, as someone who feels the need to try and get into any and every club possible, I knew I had to have them.

6.  The music.

It’s loud, it’s fast and I can lose myself in it.  I hear Chris Brown and Lil Wayne sing, “I can transform you”, and I know that I am transforming myself, with Pure Barre’s help.  The music is current and fun.  It’s harder to dwell on how badly your abs are burning when you hear “What does the fox say?” come over the loudspeaker!

7.  The knowledge that I can do anything for 10 times.

When I was a resident, it was a pretty common sentiment that you can do anything for a month, which is how long many of our rotations were.  Annoying attending?  Terrible co-resident?  Didn’t matter, you can do anything for a month.  This same mantra is applicable to Pure Barre.  Your legs are burning?  Your seat is shaking?  No worries, I just heard “final ten”.  Those are the magic words.  Once I hear those two words of saving grace, I know I can’t quit, I know I am in the homestretch.  Because, I can do anything 10 times.

8.  Constantly updating my goals.

Another great aspect about Pure Barre for my ADD self is that there are so many components of the workout for me to improve upon.  A goal for one class may be to get my leg perfectly straight and closer to the barre during the abs section.  Or, it might be to not let my arms drop at all during the weights series.  Or, to get my upper leg off the ground during side planks.  The list goes on and on.  There are always to many points during the entire class to keep myself interested and challenged throughout.

9.  The instructors.

The instructors at Pure Barre Carmel are awesome.  They are supportive, encouraging and challenging.  They get to know your name, and give personal attention and technique advice during each class.  In the middle of a tough push-up series, it is so great to hear an instructor telling you personally, “Great Job” or when your thighs are shaking beyond what you thought was humanly possible to hear, “Beautiful technique, we are almost there, hang onto it!”.  Even outside of class, the instructors are equally friendly and enthusiastic.  I work in a field with almost entirely men.  I am the only full-time academic female surgeon in my large 1000 bed hospital.  I have begun to look forward to my time at Pure Barre, not just because of the incredibly effective workouts, but also for my “girl time”.  The chats about our husbands, our kids, what foods broke our diets the night before, etc probably don’t sound like a big deal, but to me this is much needed time with other females that my daily life usually lacks.

10.  The results.

I could come up with another 50 reasons as to why I love Pure Barre, but the bottom line is that the results are indisputable.  I have muscle definition I haven’t seen since high school.  And virtually for every month I have been taking classes, I have lost an inch off my body – from my hips, my waist, my arms, and my thighs.  This is by far the most effective exercise program in which I have participated.  You do the workout, you get results.  And, the best part is, because it is low impact, I can do this everyday without worrying about any overuse injuries.  I have had 3 knee surgeries, and when I started this, I was concerned about how frequently I would be able to take a class.  I can only run about 4 times a week because any more than that, my joints start to revolt.  Pure Barre, on the other hand, I have taken up to 6 times in a week with absolutely no joint pain.  In fact, all the strengthening of my core and thigh muscles have made my knees noticeably stronger during my runs.  These results have not only resulted in a smaller jean size, but a huge boost in body confidence.  Is my body perfect?  Absolutely not.  But it is smaller, toned, and most importantly, I’m proud of all the hard work that has gone into it.

I have now burned, shook, and tucked my way to 100 classes, thanks to reasons #1 through #10.  Now, the only question I have left is, is there a 500 club? 😉

of note, I have not been paid or reimbursed by Pure Barre in any way.  This was written purely out of appreciation for Pure Barre and how it has affected my life!