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Fashion Voyeur

People will stare, make it worth their while.

Categories: Lifestyle

Fitness Series: Training with an Invisible Illness

My journey back to fitness was never going to be easy, I’m one of those people plagued by invisible illness discrimination because from the outside I ‘look fine.’  Internally my Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and fibromyalgia beg to disagree and they make exercising a little more tricky than it might be for a person who actually is fine.

The one thing I have on my side is that for the most part, I refuse to be beaten.  I have days where I can barely get out of bed but I will not let this define me – this attitude is both a blessing and a curse, for years I’ve dragged my sorry ass to the gym, to boxing sessions, to fitness classes and to The Barre and in those environments I’m met with a “Hell yeah gurl!” but when I’m knocking down my GP’s door begging for a prescription for pain relief, I’m met with a resounding “you look ok to me”.  In a nutshell, if you think you’re bossing it, you might be sealing your own fate in terms of medical care because in my humble opinion, the people who are the worst discriminators of invisible illnesses are medical professionals within the NHS and I can say that with inside knowledge having spent most of my working career working in senior management positions within the Health Service.  Anyway, that’s a whole other post that I promise I’ll write….

So, you know my starting point as outlined in this post and by now I’m sure you know the principles and fundamentals of a Barre class.  Based on that, I’d made the decision that any fitness activity I was going to throw myself into had to be low to zero impact, light weight and consistent.  Heading back to The Barre was a no brainer so I signed myself up for a month on month training schedule which would give me 24 classes every four weeks to use around my schedule.  At a cost of £125 per month it’s definitely not cheap and it requires a degree of both financial and time commitment as there’s a minimum sign up term, but then it’s not your average class either.

“The Barre is about feeling good and strong, being healthy and happy and spreading that around as far as you can.”  The Barre Workout

The beauty of The Barre for me is this: there are no surprises.  If you’ve taken a class, then every time you take that class it will be identical (save for the occasional tweak).  You learn to know your position within the Barre hierarchy of classes, whether you’re a 1st Barre beginner or an intermediate 2nd Barre and beyond, your class is steady, consistent and executed with military precision every single time.

Pixie Tenenbaum at The Barre Workout, Newcastle

For someone like me that’s a safety I never knew I needed.  The thought of working out with a trainer and not knowing what’s coming next is hell for someone with a chronic pain condition and a stress that, well, you just don’t need.  Working out in a structured format is an absolute no brainer and once you’ve been training at The Barre for a while (or in my case a million years) your Instructor gets to know your niggles, your restrictions, injury limitations and yes, invisible illnesses.  Even better, they actually believe you.

“Winning isn’t about beating someone else, it’s about never quitting until you are better than you were.”  The Barre Workout

I’ve had a chronic trapped femoral nerve in my left leg for eight years now, meaning that it’s remained in that position causing constant pain for what now feels like forever.  Yes sure, there are things that I can’t do as a result of that and that’s frustrating.  Very frustrating in fact, especially given that they’re very simple things, but with modifications specifically for me, I’m able to participate fully in my favourite classes at The Barre and that’s because there’s nothing so fast that my joints lose that element of control required to keep them stable.  Even a Barrdio class – think regular Barre, on speed – takes up two slots per week in my calendar which I supplement with The Barre’s core regime of Barre classes to strengthen, condition and tighten those accessory muscle groups that enhance joint control – perfect for a hypermobile client who might suffer from a ‘gym hangover’ post training.

Barre Merchandise available to buy in the studio
Barre Threads
New improvements made to the barre studio over christmas 2017 including this beauty station
Close up on the styling station at the barre workout

Training was a bit of a bust in January due to the studio’s extended Christmas closure and lots of travel on my part but I did manage to squeeze in a couple of classes and came back to discover some improvements to the studio including some fancy new Studio 54 style disco lighting and a shiny new Beauty Bar(re) jam packed with styling tools and products perfect for post class beautifying.

Despite not being able to cram in as much training as I would have liked, one of the biggest changes I’ve noticed is in my mindset.  Having something like Fibromyalgia means that whilst your body isn’t always switched on or ready for exercise, your mind can be and that’s half the battle right?

Pixie xo

Fancy trying out a Barre class for yourself?  Visit the website to book online.

Categories: Lifestyle, North East

Fitness Series: Month 1 Back at the Barre

You know from reading this post that I’ve thrown myself back into training at The Barre.  The workout itself consists of several different classes including the original Barre class, Brawl, BRX and Barrdio which make up the Barre regime, supplemented by some shorter, condensed express classes: ReFlex, Re-Ab and Rear-Arrange, which complete the full repertoire.

A picture of the reception wall of the Barre Studio in Newcastle at Christmas

New clients start with First Barre (mention me and you’ll grab your first two classes for the price of one) and work up from there adding in supplementary classes as advised by your instructor.  I’m definitely not new to Barre, in fact I’m a disciple, the studio is my church and I worship at its altar – it’s fair to say I’m a fan.  My first class back after a bit of a hiatus was early December and I was welcomed back by my Barre Tribe (props to Fi, Jade, Karen, Sophie and Julia) – that’s the thing about Barre, whilst new recruits sign up to find out what all the fuss is about, the majority of original clients remain, meaning that the studio just gets buzzier and buzzier with people preaching and demonstrating the benefits of this awesome workout.  Before a class when we hang out in the waiting area, nobody is unhappy, miserable or lacking in motivation, the whole Barre Gang is psyched and that attitude is contagious.

A picture in The Barre Newcastle looking down the corridor towards studio 2 and the locker area
A picture of Pixie Tenenbaum straight after an open Barre class at The Barre Workout in Newcastle

I started off on a high, your first class back after a break is always way easier than you imagine, it’s the second and third that make you question your very existence.  Once you get past that barrier though, the only person you’re competing with is yourself.  I worked first on regaining my stability, balancing on your tip-toes might sound like child’s play but throw in a gazillion isometric quad contractions under the watchful eye of your instructor and it’s more tricky than you might imagine.  The Instructors at The Barre all read from the same script, they constantly call out cues for you to tighten your core, knit your ribs, connect your abs and lift your heels and if you’re struggling to visualise it, they’re on you pointing at exactly what it is you need to change or realign.  Barre eyes miss nothing and that’s a fact.

Pixie Tenenbaum at the Barre Workout selfie mirror in newcastle

December is usually a tricky month for fitness, what with Christmas and New Year on the horizon it tends to be a time for relaxing more than flexing muscle but I took advantage of the quieter classes and maxed out between November 15th (when I signed up) to December 15th (when the studio closed for the Christmas break).  In those four weeks I managed to squeeze in 24 ass firming classes and by the time December 15th landed I was on a roll and gutted to discover the studio would close for three weeks over the festive period.

I was feeling the benefits of the dreaded C-Curve, despite having to sit much lower to avoid sitting right on top of my ischial femoral impingement – that’s a trapped nerve in my left hip and thigh in regular talk – I could feel my long forgotten six pack starting to talk to me again, albeit from under a layer of stubborn fat.  My triceps were visible again after just three weeks of flat dips, half plank push ups and super light weight cuff combos.  The signs Voyeurs, were looking good.  You might think that the regime sounds easy, and I’d agree, but until you do it, you can’t understand how focussed and intense it is to take the Barre.  Sure, we all have off days and sometimes there are things that are more difficult than others, but the pack mentality and sheer determination required to take The Barre mean that for a lot of us, it’s the only hour in a day where we get to totally switch off and focus on ourselves.  That’s a feeling I’ve really missed and when you have it, you realise just how important it is.

One thing’s for sure, I’ve found my groove and I’m looking to the new year with new found optimism and motivation in abundance.

Pixie xo

Looking to try The Barre for yourself?  Head to The Barre’s website to get the lowdown on how to book a class.

Categories: Lifestyle

Charity Barreathon September 26th 2015

On Saturday September 26th at 2pm, a strong team of Barre Enthusiasts (myself included natch.) will assemble at The Barre HQ on The Quayside to take on their toughest challenge yet.  I’m not talking The Joker, I’m not even talking Ultron.  This, guys and gals, is the Ultimate Barreathon.

Masterminded by Barre Addict Charlotte Currie in her quest to raise funds for The Roy Castle Charity Foundation, the Barreathon is a thing of torture.  It requires serious dedication, focus and sheer willpower to get through the literal marathon of sets and reps.  Want to know what it’s all about?  Of course you do…..

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The Barre method takes the principles of ballet and strips them back to the base mechanics.  There’s no dance, no floating gracefully though the air and no beautiful looking lifts. No.  This is hardcore, short, controlled isometric movements which push your muscles to the point of exhaustion forcing those tiny accessory muscles to kick in.  It’s not pretty and nor should it be, if you take The Barre you leave looking like you’ve worked out. Hard.

So, why a charity Barreathon?  Well quite simply because it’s hard work.  We want you to sponsor us and we want you to sponsor us good so to make it worth your while and your hard earned cash, we’ve put together the most gruelling schedule of exercises we could dream up and we’re going to nail each and everyone of them as a team.  If you’re familiar with The Barre regime then you’ll know that the ones we’re doing are the most intense ones out there, if you’re not familiar then take a look at this and use your imagination.  There are a LOT of reps in there and we’re going to make every single one count for something because we believe in this amazing cause….

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The whole thing will be recorded and stored in a guarded vault somewhere as evidence of our amazing feat (maybe), but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t come along to the studio and get involved.  There will be regular non-torture-tastic classes running throughout the morning and early afternoon as well as a bake sale and I can vouch personally for the quality of our master-bakers.

We’re running an awesome raffle and we’d love for you to help us out by just taking part in this – you may even win a completely aces prize and everyone loves winning right?!  From Barre classes and magnums of Prosecco through to restaurant meals and Neals Yard goodies, local businesses have done us proud and united to offer up some great prizes so please, drop in to see us and please give what you can, if you can.

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If you’d like to sponsor #TeamBarre (and you absolutely should) as we undertake our Barreathon, then we have a Just Giving Page set up and at last count we were still a little short of our £500 target so we’d love for you to take the time to get behind this momentous feat for a super worthy cause.

If you can’t make it on the day but are interested, then keep up with our progress on social media, we’ll be posting to Twitter, Instagram and FaceBook throughout the challenge with live #TeamBarre updates.

So, maybe we’ll see you Saturday, I’ll be the one with the pink hair and the game face…..

Pixie x

Categories: Lifestyle

Barre Birthday Bash

I’ll bet by now you’ve seen the Barre method crop up in more than one glossy mag by now and if you’re not already an addict, you’re probably barre-curious….

let me explain, Barre is far more than a fitness fad.  As exercise crazes come and go, Barre is here to stay and with studios opening all over the UK (we’re late to the table, trust me), if you’re interested in fitness then this is one regime that should be on your radar.  With celebrities from Jourdan Dunn to Kate Middleton dabbling in a spot of Barre, it seems everyone wants a piece of the fitness trend that’s really having a moment.

The Barre is a 60 minute total body workout that shares its DNA with the resistance training found in classical ballet. Stripping back the most effective movements to their base mechanics using short intense targeted movements to push your muscles into a fast burn before lengthening and stretching them out again – you’ll see and feel the results fast: A toned, lean strong body of a dancer without the dance. The Barre’s progressive training and instructors will always challenge you and push you to your edge. – Natalie Catlah, Founder and Primary Instructor.

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If, like me, you happen to be in the North East, then you’re in luck!  We have the best dedicated barre fitness studio in the UK right on our doorstep; named simply The Barre Workout, you’ll find this exercise haven at 56 The Close, on the Quayside in Newcastle Upon Tyne offering three levels of Barre classes and several other variations of Barre combined with TRX and cardio sequences for the more advanced.  If you’ve never taken class before, there’s a real treat in store for you this weekend…

To celebrate its birthday, on Saturday July 4th, The barre will throw open its doors to invite existing clients and barre-curious peeps along to participate in free sessions, classes and events.  If you’ve never thought about trying it but I’ve piqued your interest, then there will be New Client Taster Classes running at 1:00pm and 1:45pm – and the best bit?  They’re all free!  Instructors will be on hand to talk through issues, concerns, injuries or just to give you a pep talk over a glass of fizz.

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If I haven’t managed to persuade you, then how about this…. the gorgeous weather we’re having is set to turn stormy tomorrow so what better way to spend a rainy day than working your butt off, quite literally?!

So what are you waiting for?  See you at the Barre…

Pixie x

People will stare, make it worth their while

Pixie Tenenbaum

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