Bar Method: 10 Months!

Image from: blog.beauty-goodies.com

I can't believe it's been 10 months already since I started Bar Method!  Everything is still going well, I love the classes and teachers and continue to go about 4x a week.  I have to admit there have been a few weeks when I do 3x a week, but for the most part it's been 4x/wk and that amount feels right to me.  As I sit here, I feel soreness in pretty much every muscle.  Despite the constant muscle soreness (which varies in intensity depending on the class), I've never experienced an actual injury doing Bar Method so I'm not too worried.  

One thing I've come to realize is that the class is sneaky.  It's structured into arm, thigh, butt, ab sections but even when you think you are just targeting one area, the only way to do each exercise properly is to work the other parts too.  So for example, when you do the pretzel you are supposedly targeting your butt.  But you also end up torturing your obliques and your arms and since posture is emphasized throughout the class, you are always working your back muscles.  Actually, that's probably the correction I get the most - "Open your chest" "Engage your back muscles" "Draw your shoulders back."  It's awesome though because now I have great posture.

Still using the same weights, but they still feel challenging so oh well.  I might be ready to move up from the 1 lb weight for the one arm lift/lunge exercise though.  Wish there were half step weights, like 1.5 lbs.  My main goals when I started this was to improve strength and flexibility and I think I've done both, although there are still many things to work toward.  There's one girl who is in my class sometimes that I love watching because she's crazy flexible so all the positions look beautiful and graceful when she does them.  I'm not sure I'll ever attain that level of flexibility, but one can try!

Bar Method : Seven Months

Bar Method Portland! (from oregonlive.com)

The last couple of months have been extremely busy, with holiday travel, work travel and a flurry of work-related stress in general.  But I've been able to keep up with it all, in large part because of BM.  I know the way I rave about this class makes me sound like a paid advertiser (I most certainly am not!), but it's really transformed my life not just my body.  People who exercise probably can relate to this general sense of well-being; for me this class is special because I hate exercise usually and would never be able to stick to anything else.  General thoughts:

• I am always sleepy when I shuffle off to BM in the mornings but the class really wakes me up and I feel good when I leave.  Very important in these gloomy wintry days.
• I love having these times to myself where I'm not thinking.  My personality tends toward obsessive and over-analytical (good traits in a scientist, not so great in daily life), but it's amazing to give it up 4 hours a week and just do however many lifts and tucks I'm told to do and trust that it'll work.
• At a work conference last week, my friend who has not seen me in a year said: Wow you look amazing, what have you been doing?!  Last year she said: Omg are you eating why are you so thin!  Since my dress size has not changed at all, I am sure BM had something to do with my change from sickly thin to healthy thin.  
• I am still sore pretty much all the time.
• I no longer need the strap for round back!  I still grab it just in case I'm stiff that day but I've been doing the exercise without it more and more.  It's tremendously exciting because this was one of my goals when I started.  Now if only I can make a vertical leg...
• Someone commented recently about how flexible I was.  This really really surprised me.  I'm still probably the least flexible person in class, but when I consider that last year I couldn't even touch my toes and now I can almost flatten my palms to the floor, I have to admit a big improvement in this area.

Bar Method Five Months

www.blog.barmethod.com

By the time I realized that I had forgotten to post my four month update, it was close enough to five months that I figured I'd wait.  So here I am again with another progress report.  Actually, I don't really have any concrete progress to report, so here are some musings:

• I'm still on the same weights and using the strap for round back. I thought I'd be able to move up by now, but I'm sticking to the same weights because they're still challenging.  The interesting thing is that while I definitely feel stronger, my form during exercises got a bit better with time and so the same exercises  feel harder.  Small adjustments in position really make a difference.
• It's incredible how challenging the class is still.  In my previous attempts at exercise, I might be sore for the first week or two but then my body adapts and the soreness subsides.  This is not true at all for bar method.  I am always always sore after a class and sometimes remarkably so, considering how long I've been going.  I'm not an exercise person so I have no idea if this is typical, but it makes me feel great that my body is still responding to it and reshaping.
• I'm not going to lie, it is really hard to go to class in the mornings now that it's so cold.  I'm still going four times a week, but this week and last week I only attended three times/week...Still, that beats last year's exercise record by a million and I must say, once I manage to get to class, it feels awesome and I'm proud of myself.  The instructors are also always full of energy and super encouraging, which generates a great atmosphere.
• Since my last update, I've been trying very hard to push on through tricep dips and I'm getting better! Sometimes I still have to collapse for a moment, but it's better than before.
• One of the nice things about bar method is the constant stream of instruction.  The only decision I have to make is getting myself there, but once I'm there I just follow orders.  Considering how many decisions I have to make at work and in my life in general, this is actually really relaxing.  

That's all for now.  As I write this, my butt, arms, legs and abs are all sore from this morning's class.  Crazy.

Bar Method Three Months

Image from blog.oregonlive.com

I just realized that I'm a couple of weeks overdue for my three month update so here goes.  My Monday/Wednesday/Friday/Sunday routine is working extremely well; I get enough rest between classes and when I go I am not too sore or tired.  Maybe sometime I'll try five times a week again but for now I'll stick to this schedule as best as I can.

My progress since last time is small and steady, but there is still progress!  

• One of the instructors thought I might be almost ready to stop using the strap during round back, which was very exciting to me.  I think it's due to a combination of better flexiblility and improved leg strength.  Perhaps by next month I can do away with the strap altogether.  
• For the time being, I'm not trying as much to lift both my legs during flat back (I really hope I'm naming these exercises properly, I'm not certain), because I felt it was straining my back and neck when I did so.   Instead I just focus on exhaling as sharply as possible and hope for the best.  At the same time, I find this a pretty restful part of class so it probably means I'm not working hard enough...
• Eventually I would like to stop doing modified pushups at the bar and do some on the floor, but maybe I'll try it out at home first and see how it goes.  
• Tricep dips are the bane of my life.  I think I need to make stopping just non-negotiable from now on and see how that goes.  I'm too used to giving up midway during this exercise perhaps.  
• Abs are better than previous! 

Compared to most of the other people in class (not that I'm really comparing), I'm not very strong, but I'm doing better than I was when I first started.  Of all the half-hearted attempts at exercise I've tried (jogging, yoga, gym), this is the only thing I've stuck with for so long and have seen the most improved results.  My size is the same I think, but I can see subtle changes in shape and tone, which is very encouraging.  After very little mulling, I recently signed up for the 6 month package instead of renewing for just 3 months, and am looking forward to continued improvements!

Bar Method Musings on a Sunday Morning With Earl Grey

Image taken from Bloomspot

I am back from a Sunday morning class and am nibbling on a chunk of challah toast smeared with some tasty cheese.  And of course a morning mug of Earl Grey.  Morning classes are the best (not that I've taken classes at any other time, since they don't fit into my lab schedule well) because I feel productive and awake after them.  My muscles are a little sore and endorphins are rushing about and it's just a great feeling.  While it's harder to go to class now that it's dreary and cold, I think BM will keep my spirits from sagging under winter blues.

Some things:

• I can hold myself fast through thigh and butt sections of class, no matter how much I burn and shake, but I can't consistently go through the tricep dips and ab sections without breaking.  Today's ab section felt especially killer for me, so I was constantly taking little breaks.  I hope to do that less in the future.  I AM proud of being able to go through more tricep dips than I could manage when I first started though.  Perhaps I am growing some muscles.
• During each section of class, in addition to trying to stay in the right position, I am often thinking about my goals and what I'd like to work toward.  I think I look fine generally, so my goals are things like: work up to 2 and 3 pound weights, be able to do the leg lifts without straps (and eventually managing a vertical leg), be able to lift feet during flat back, touch nose to knee during bar stretches.  Stuff like that.
• The other women in the class are really inspiring.  That's one thing I like about the studio here anyway, the people who come are committed but it doesn't feel unfriendly or competitive.  I never feel bad that I can't do the things that other people can do and am inspired to see women of all ages.  Keeping an eye on my fellow students also helps me to correct my own position and form because I can see what I'm doing wrong or right and I also push a little bit harder since everyone else is working so hard.
• I've scaled back from my 4-5 times a week to just 4 a week.  I don't think I'm at the point where I can keep on going to two classes in a row all the time (Last week I was hobbled by two different twinges).  So at the moment, it's MWF and Sun and I think my muscles are appreciating the rest in between classes.  Next week will be a little irregular because of my schedule, but this is the BM routine I hope to keep to, until I am stronger.

As for Earl Grey - I bought a canister of loose tea leaves from Whole Foods a few weeks ago and have been making cups whenever I am tired of my green teas.  It's a nice tea, especially now that I've finally realized that the water really does need to be boiling when I add it to the leaves.  The water from my electric water pot just isn't hot enough.  So I have to forgo a little convenience, but that's fine.  Leftover tea leaves of course, go to my worms.

Bar Method Two Months

I've been doing this for a little over two months now (minus my 10 days away in San Diego) and still really liking it.  It's become part of my routine.  This morning when I woke up to go to class it was JUST starting to grow light outside though, so I think the winter classes will be more difficult.  Especially once I have to throw on layers just to go outside.  But I love going to class and I definitely think I'm in the best shape I've been since I was 16 and running cross country.  Granted, that's not saying a lot...but I'm still proud of myself for going to this consistently.

The schedule I've set up for myself since returning from San Diego is 2 days of classes followed by one day of rest.  Some weeks this ends up being 4 classes a week and others 5.  I think that's a reasonable balance.  My progress since my last update has not been dramatic, but it's noticeable to me.  All the improvements are small and gradual.  I'm still on the 1 and 2 pound weights, but they are getting a little easier.  My flexibility is improving and I can put my leg on the bar easier.  I'm not shaking as much during the thigh exercises so I think I need to start going a little lower.  All in all, slow but steady!

Bar Method: One Month

So I'm 5 weeks into my BM classes and everything is still going great.  So far, I've established a schedule of 4 times a week, although I think I will bump it up to 5 times the next few weeks since I'll be going to San Diego for 10 days in September.  After some slight mental struggle, I decided to go with the monthly unlimited package (3 months) instead of buying a pack of discrete classes.  In a way, it's been better for me because the thrifty part of my nature forces me to go more often to get the price/class down to reasonable levels.  It's only tricky when I have to travel.  It sounds crazy, but when I was away last weekend I really missed taking classes!  Perhaps I've gotten addicted to exercise endorphins.  So, in anticipation for my next trip, I will buy a dvd to take with me so I don't lose everything during my 10 days away.  And it might be a good exercise to do with my aunt and mom while they are there too.  My aunt used to be a big runner and tae-bo person but she had to stop due to back injuries, so I think she will really like BM.

I've taken classes with three instructors so far and it's interesting to go through the same sets of exercises with different people.  Creature of habit that I am, it took me about two classes to get adjusted to each new-to-me instructor, but I like everyone so far.  The morning classes are fantastic for me and each class gives me energy all day.  The drawback is I do end up lounging longer at home after class than I probably should.  For instance, here I am blogging and eating muffin and coffee instead of going to work.  Overall I can see little changes in myself, mostly harder and a little more obvious (to me) muscles.

Progress:

Still on the 1 and 2 lb weights.

Thighs still shake uncontrollably but I can make it through the sets without breaking.

Flexibility in legs gradually improving although I am always still the least flexible person in class by far.  

Am starting to get a better hang of the tucked position (it still feels weird).

Ab exercises kill!  I must have a very sorry core.

Enjoying the classes, still not in the least bored.

Bar Method

I started taking classes at the Portland Bar Method two weeks ago and I'm totally hooked. Please note that I am not usually a fan of any kind of exercising besides walking.  And unless you are over 75, walking is hardly exercise.  When I was in grad school, I would go to the gym sporadically, usually because my friend made me go, but since moving to Portland almost a year ago, I've done very little.  There was some light jogging early on, but then the weather and my natural laziness put an end to that.  I've also never been one for exercise classes because scheduling my life around them seemed like such a chore; the most I've done in that front was a few yoga classes, again usually when my someone (my sister) dragged me.

I don't remember exactly how I heard about the Bar Method, I think it was a combination of having walked by it a bunch of times and also maybe reading about it back when Black Swan first came out in theaters and everyone was talking about ballet-style exercise classes.  In any case, once I decided I could benefit from more activity and that self-discipline wasn't cutting it, I decided to check it out.  I've always been really thin, but also really weak.  My goal obviously was therefore not to lose weight, but to gain strength and flexibility and tone up generally.  

The classes were brutal the first week and I was pretty much endlessly sore for the first week and a half.  The last few days have been better; while my muscles definitely feel tired after class, subsequent soreness was not as intense.  More, a pleasant reminder that I exercised.  The classes themselves run through the same basic sequence of exercises each time (with little variations here and there), which would seem boring except you have to concentrate so hard to maintain proper posture and alignment that it's actually really interesting.  And since I find them so challenging, they really require all of my focus.  The classes are an hour long but the time goes by in a flash.  I'm really enjoying it so far and actually look forward to my class days, which seems unbelievable for someone like me.  My morning classes always gives me such a little lift to the rest of the day. So far I'm going 4 times a week, but I can see stepping it up to 5.  The classes themselves are spendy, which is the main drawback, but I think it's enough of a benefit that it's worth the money for me.  I highly recommend it!