My New Adventure- Becoming a Barré Instructor

It’s a new chapter in life… teaching a class I have learned from and enjoyed since I started as a member in November 2017. I joined MUV Fitness of Columbia, SC in October because it was very cost-efficient and included childcare! Two hours of freedom to get fit was a dream to a newly stay-at-home mama.

I hadn’t worked out in almost 4 years (since I had been pregnant with Mackenzie) so the process was a bit daunting. My body had been a vessel for two humans for four years. The late nights, the constant bouncing, the years of breastfeeding, and the weight gain of two pregnancies had taken its toll. I wasn’t severely overweight, but I was severely out of shape.

A trusted mama-friend told me that she had recently started taking Barré classes at a studio in Columbia and she loved it! She said that it was low-impact enough to do during her lunch hour (not super sweaty), but that it targeted all those “mom” areas that had gone to hell in a hand basket after babies. Areas like thighs, arms, booty, and mid-section. I was intrigued. So I started pricing out a few Barré studios and WOW. It was out of my budget and only one offered childcare which was an additional expense.

Then I found out MUV Fitness offered MUV Training, a program that included specialized group fitness classes that were geared towards more for personal training elements. It was only an additional $40 a month and had Barré classes.

My first class I took the instructor, Meredith, welcomed me warmly and informed me of what to expect during the session. “Focus on form. Don’t focus on your range of motion or how many of the moves you can do- get your form right and everything else will fall into place.”

I survived my first class. It was extremely challenging, but in a way that I was determined to keep coming. I knew if I stayed consistent it would bring the results I needed.

I took a Barré class once a week for the next two months and then in January I didn’t do it at all. In February, Bryan and I joined Orangetheory Fitness and did that once a week each. I got back to Barré. Within just 2 months I noticed a significant difference in my body and the strength I had. Both classes complimented one another in a way that pushed me and made me feel empowered.

In April, MUV Fitness posted they were holding Barré instructor auditions. I thought “Hmmm…. how cool would that be?” So I talked it over with Bryan and he said I should go for it.

My audition was nerve racking, but I got thru a warm-up and was decent enough that the director told me to plan to come to training in August.

We had an online training for two weeks prior to the in-person training and it was a heavy focus on anatomy, postures, cues, and timing. It was tough! Due to my education owning a Curves franchise, I was familiar with muscle groups, but it had been several years. And y’all know… #mombrain.

I passed the online exam – barely – but I did pass! Hurray! And before I knew it, the Saturday came for in-person training. 8 AM. And then we did a 6-hour Barre class. We were instructed on form, timing, proper voice projection, the elements of music, etiquette…. all while holding our booties and quads at the Barré. It was INTENSE. At one point I felt like I couldn’t lift a 3 lb weight. I pushed past it and carried on.

The one thought I kept thinking was “There are mamas like you who need this. You needed this and look at you now.”

Our second day of training we had to do about 4-hours worth of a work out and teach an entire class to a classmate. I love public speaking and being the center of attention but I was so nervous! Anxiety of saying and doing the wrong thing plagued me.

I co-taught my first class the day after our in-person training. MUV requires that we co-teach 5 classes and do 5 classes on our own before becoming certified. And y’all…. I was sick before my class. All day I couldn’t even eat. I was so nervous.

Once I started it flowed easier, but at one point I completely froze and realized that I did have support and I turned the class over to her. “Her” being Meredith, my very own dear instructor.

Little factual tidbit- during our classes, Meredith reminds us that we are doing this to look fabulous in our “white skinny jeans”. A few weeks ago, Bryan photographed me wearing white jeans and snapped one from behind. I sent the photo to her and thanked her for all that she had done for me…. it was working!!!!! I had a “shelf”! (A defined booty!)

To have her as my co-instructor was somehow God telling me that this was the right place for me. And even if I froze or went blank or said the wrong thing, I would have the grace and time to improve.

I can’t wait to continue on this chapter and impart this same passion to other women in my community. So, who’s ready to meet me at the Barré? 🙂

Xoxo, Brandí