Cardio Barre is another 10 minute workout from Popsugar. The full title of this workout is Cardio Barre Workout for the Best Full-Body Burn Ever–which is a totally inaccurate title. I was expecting much more from this workout than what it delivered. It is not full body and it did not give me any cardio. It didn’t even give me the usual barre burn. I will not be returning to it. I did find one Cardio Barre workout on Amazon but I am not inspired to check it out.
This 10 minute workout is led by guest trainer Gabby Sansosti, an instructor at Cardio Barre. Anna Renderer is present. You need a chair and a mat for this workout. You start standing on your mat, your chair at one end and facing the back of the chair. The warm up is called “ballet barre” and it is 1:30 minutes long (I think). It consists of “tendu”–which is very quickly, from first position, tapping toe to side then bringing heels together again; you do several variations of this tapping tendu. Then, still in first position, you will raise and lower heels. I’m not sure exactly when the warm up ends, but I think it ends after the heel raises. There is no stretch but she does have you stand at the end and take deep breaths.
- Point toe out behind you and to the side; raise leg and pulse; repeat on other leg
- Waist Work: get into a plie squat and do torso twists in this position w/ different arm variations;
- Extended body crunch (all of these moves are done very fast): get into a sort of forward leaning squat w/ one hand on the back of the chair; bring outside knee in and out fast while raising and lowering same side arm, bringing elbow to knee; turn to face the front, standing up straight and raise and lower knee w/ same arm motion; same move just turn knee/leg out to side but keep raising and lowering, same arm movement; squat and lean forward and tap outside leg in and out; while in a squat, tap heel in and out in front of you with same arm movement; step further away from chair, but with one hand still on it, raise outside leg and push foot/heel in and out; straighten leg and while holding leg high, do small raise and lowers; repeat all of this on other leg
- Mat work (all of these moves are done fast): get rid of chair and get down on hands and knees on mat, place left forearm on mat and with right leg in hydrant, raise and lower hydrant leg fast; keeping leg bent in attitude, bring leg behind you and continue raising and lowering; raise leg higher, still in attitude–straighten and bend knee while holding leg high behind you; keeping leg straight and raised high behind you–pulse leg; repeat all of this on other leg.
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