Why do we shake during a barre class and how can this benefit the body?

06 November 2022

If you’ve been to a Barrecore studio class or worked out from home with our BarreLIVE or On Demand workouts, you’ll know that a Barrecore class can give you a highly efficient, low-impact, full-body workout. Our intention with every online session is to exhaust your muscles with intelligent movements that cause your muscles to "shake". The more you shake the more calories you burn and the stronger your muscles will become. This shaking sensation can be found throughout the body and is a sign that your muscles are changing for the better, and fast so suddenly you’ll feel inspired to wobble your way through class!

WHY do we shake in barre classes?

Shaking is normal and is the key to getting stronger muscles as it’s an indicator that you are working them harder than they are used to. In all Barrecore classes you often perform repetitions of the same movement and isolate different muscles, to exhaust them more quickly than in other forms of exercise. This causes quick muscle fatigue and burn-out, and the shake is a sign that this is happening in the body as you are pushing your muscles past their comfort zone. No matter how fit you are, it’s an incredibly challenging workout and everyone should be aiming for the burn and shake in each movement in order to maximise results!

HOW does the shake benefit the body?

Traditional resistance training moves such as squats, push-ups and hamstring curls move your joints through a full range of motion. Although we do use these types of movements in each Barrecore workout, we focus mostly on tiny isometric contractions in which the joint barely moves, allowing us to exhaust specific muscles. This type of contraction also activates slow-twitch muscle fibres (involved in endurance exercises) and when you work these for an extended period of time, the shake happens! These fibres are far more effective when it comes to building muscle tone than fast-twitch muscles fibres, which are activated through more explosive movements such as sprinting or when performing HIIT exercises.

WHEN to find the shake in your Barrecore class?

The bottom line is, that if you're trying to get stronger, it's time to embrace the shake! It’s important to push past your comfort zone to try and get deeper into positions and stay in them for longer. As Barre incorporates core strength, balance and flexibility to help stabilise your entire body, you are getting a total body workout! So it’s important to really work to your maximum throughout the entire class.

Explore our studio and BarreLIVE timetable or take a look at our On Demand memberships to access Barrecore classes anywhere, anytime.