Barre Blend Beachbody Workout Program Review

Since trying my first Beachbody program a few years ago, I’ve tackled a lot of workout programs from home. Mom life doesn’t give me much time to go to a gym solo. But I’ve always been intrigued by the fascination with Barre. Could it REALLY be a hard workout?

When Beachbody On-Demand released Barre Blend, I figured why not try it? The workout was low impact (perfect for my Legg Calve Perthes hip) and couldn’t be too hard since we don’t use heavy weights, right? Perfect for exercising while balancing the stress of coronavirus quarantine. Like yoga, but with a ballet flair. Or, so I thought.

I committed to doing the program start to finish– all 60 days of it. And I finished! Woohoo!! <Queue the celebration>

So here’s the breakdown of the Barre Blend basics:

• It’s led by creator Elise Joan
• You need only two 1-5 lb weights, a yoga mat and a chair or something sturdy
• You can stream the programs through Beachbody On-Demand, so you can access the workouts from anywhere.
• There are 5 workouts a week
• There are 40 unique workouts (you do not redo the same workout twice)
• Workouts are about 35-50 minutes.

Everything above you can learn online. Below is my honest review and feedback of Barre Blend after going through the entire program:

• Whatever the time says it is, add a few minutes. 30 minutes? Nope, 34. 40 minutes? Nope, 43. They must not realize every minute matters when you have children.
• As the program progresses, the pace is quicker and the workouts get longer.
• I significantly underestimated how hard this program would be. As long as you don’t phone it in, it is hard work.
• Her cast is primarily professional ballet dancers, and she constantly reminds you of that. Even the modifier (showing low impact, beginner versions of moves). I had to regularly reality check my capabilities versus theirs.
• Elise is SO positive. It’s borderline encouraging, borderline extremely annoying because she tells you to smile when you want to cuss at the screen but can’t because she’s so darn nice.
• Elise’s muscles and her strength are more motivating than anything she says. When she wears shorts, her leg muscles are INSANE.

• Barre socks with the grips on the bottom make SUCH a difference.
• You don’t need to buy your own set of motivation cards. She brings one up at the start of each workout.
• Elise talks incessantly, which was annoying at first, but then I realized it gives you something else to focus on besides your burning muscles.
• When on vacation, I used two water bottles instead of weights. I put them in the fridge first– quite refreshing 🙂
• The girls have fantastic outfits. There should be “click to shop” links with every workout because I would buy so many items!
• This program is for all skill levels. They have beginner, moderate and advanced moves for most items. Low impact with high impact versions.
• I was surprised just how much arm work I got in this program. 1 or 2 pound weights are enough!
• I was surprised by how much this program works your core. OK really, it worked my entire body!
• Do not do this workout near a mirror. These moves are SO humbling. Well, unless you’re a professional dancer of course.

If you can’t tell from the bullets above, I was incredibly surprised by this program. I remember thinking I’d lose arm strength from doing a program focusing only on legs. I was wrong!

My Barre Blend Results

One important note about my experience is that I did not complete it in 60 days… I started Barre Blend on June 29 and finished on September 26. Yes, it took me three months to do 40 workouts. But, due to working full time at home while quarantined with three kids, I regularly had days where I needed to be outside to exercise for my own mental health.

The amazing part is that even though I didn’t complete the program in the 60 days, I still saw results! I lost ~5 lbs, my core got tighter, legs more toned, my face got a little thinner and even my butt felt higher. Imagine how much better results I would’ve gotten if I had completed it in 60 days!

In closing, Beachbody On-Demand’s Barre Blend workout program was very challenging despite using “only” 2 lb weights and being “low impact.” It also gives me a HUGE appreciation for ballet dancers.

Have you done Barre Blend? If so, I’d love to hear about your experience! If not, I highly suggest you give it a try!

Thank you for reading!