A combination of Pilates, dance and ballet forms the workout offered at Xtend Barre Provo. The fitness studio, located at The Shops at Riverwoods, offers a variety of classes for all types of people with a unique way to work out.
Anne Capener, an illustration major at BYU, is enthusiastic and impressed with the Xtend Barre studio. “After over a year of going to Xtend Barre I have been thrilled with how much stronger I’ve become,” Capener said. “The mix of Pilates and ballet exercises change continually, and the instructors are fun and encouraging. I would recommend this studio to everyone!”
Although it’s a workout focused on dance techniques, participants don’t need any background or previous experience with dance, according to Xtend Barre instructor Alisha Hobbins. “You don’t need to have a dance background to do Xtend Barre,” Hobbins said. “People with little experience always get an amazing workout and are constantly improving.”
However, girls who do have dance or ballet experience love the class because they’re constantly improving their technique while getting a good workout in, Hobbins explained.
Chanelle Jacqueline, also an instructor at Xtend Barre Provo, explained why students should consider Xtend Barre as their routine workout. “All types of workouts will be beneficial, but Xtend Barre is especially helpful to tone the body,” she said. “It has a good combination of cardio and full-body exercise to help sculpt muscles without bulking them.”
The workout room is surrounded by mirrors and horizontal bars, as seen in typical ballet studios. The equipment used during workouts includes free weights, mats and exercise bands.
Xtend Barre Provo offers different types of classes. Xtend Barre is the traditional class that uses a mixture of weights, mats and the ballet bar. Xtend Barre Stick Fusion works solely with the exercise band hooked to the ballet bar. Piloxing mixes Pilates and boxing, providing a cardio-heavy workout.
For each class session the instructor creates a set routine, but the classes change constantly. No day’s workout will be the same as the next. Some classes focus more on different parts of the body (i.e. legs, arms, abs), but the classes typically give a total-body workout.
These classes are offered Monday–Saturday at various times in the morning and in the evening. According to store owner Nicole Strong, the first class is buy one, get one free.
Jacqueline encourages students to attend the classes before or after classes. “Xtend Barre is more challenging and unique than normal Pilates, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun workout.”
