Low impact, minimal equipment and an addictive burn - it's easy to see why living room workouts such as pilates and barre are blowing up on TikTok RN.
Emily Chadwick-Vint is the barre instructor on the EvolveYou app (the global fitness platform co-founded by fitness entrepreneur Krissy Cela) and credits the form of strength training for transforming her life. She recently shared in a social post, "In my opinion, NOTHING strengthens the core, challenges the muscles and is as fun, empowering or as confidence building as barre."
Emily has built up a community of fans thanks to her game-changing routines and we can confirm, that despite using 1kg dumbbells(!), her workouts will make your muscles CRY. In a good way, of course.
We caught up with Emily atEvolveYou festival 2022 where she shares how her barre journey started, her tips for beginners and what it's really like being part of a global fitness brand…
Hey Emily! How did you first get into Barre?
I used to be a professional dancer; I was a dancer in the industry who didn't necessarily look like a dancer in the industry. This meant I was punishing myself with exercises that I didn't like and when I was training in New York in 2015 I just stumbled across a Barre class on ClassPass.
I went in thinking it was going to be ballet and I was like, "I can do this, I'm a dancer, it'll be fine!" But it was not fine, the burn was so real! I was humbled straight away. There was just something about it and getting lost in the rhythm of it it was just so different to everything I had tried before.
For the first time in my life, it didn't feel like a punishment, it felt like I was moving in a way that felt so good. It was empowering, it was uplifting and something clicked, it was like a mini epiphany. I think people think barre is ballet and it's totally not. I stumbled across it, fell in love and I thought, 'It burns so much, it has to be life-changing' and that was it, I got hooked.
What are the benefits of barre?
Honestly, the benefits are absolutely endless! For me, I don't bang on about aesthetics because my fitness journey has taken me to a way deeper place then that. The physical aesthetics are incredibly powerful and transformational though, you're essentially turning your body into lean muscle. The power of barre is breaking down muscle to regenerate longer, leaner muscle so you're turning your body into a metabolical machine, which basically means you're lean, strong and your metabolic rate increases. So, it's very powerful physically, you're getting all the benefits of high intensity without barely moving.
You improve your posture, you improve your balance and mobility, your coordination. But the biggest thing for me is the mental transformation. You become so resilient. If you can get through that barre burn, you can face whatever comes at you during the day. The resistance you build on the mat translates to everyday life.
What are your top tips for anyone starting barre?
I would say to go at your own pace, release expectations and don't compare yourself to anyone else. The beautiful thing about barre, which I love is that it was created by a woman and I think it really celebrates the female form. Each individual is going to look different doing it, your barre journey isn't going to be like anyone else's. You're never going to look like your friend when you're in these positions. So my advice is to just take it slow, enjoy the journey and embrace the challenges because there will be challenges, but there is always space to grow. So enjoy it and just keep going!
What does your current week in workouts look like?
Barre has become such an organic, joyful part of my life that I wake up and have my breakfast and then I do a 30 minute barre workout - that's the only form of training I do. I probably do it five days a week and I do a lot of swimming and cliff walks. I just like mixing up different workouts and muscle groups, but barre five times a week is what I usually do to train.
Which fitness influencers do you like to follow online?
I mean, I've got to say the EvolveYou girls right?! Honestly, it's such a dream training with these girls and I feel like there aren't many women in the industry who are doing this from a way deeper place that goes way further than aesthetics or what it looks like. Every girl on the app has got their own story and background and it's such an honour to stand by their side. Everyone is so real about sharing their passion for moving with the community - from a place of joy and to feel good and strong. The app is taking giant leaps towards a healthier relationship by working out and doing it to empower ourselves.
How were you scouted for EvolveYou?
It was during the lockdown period and I was doing live barre workouts online. Then I set up my own online community because barre is brilliant in that you can do it anywhere. You can do it at home in your pyjamas with two baked beans cans!
I had a whole group of people doing it with me every morning for a year and a half which was so incredible. But my community only had 75 women in it and it was really cute and intimate but I thought, 'This needs to blow up! This is special.' I asked the universe because I needed someone to have faith in me to do this on a bigger scale. Then Krissy [Cela] slid into my DMs literally a week after I had my moment of 'let's level up' and it was a dream come true.
What are your go-to beauty products for working out?
I try not to wear foundation when I work out - you sweat so much when you do barre you don't want to be wearing heavy make-up! I love theAmanda Harrington Bronzing Face Mist, it gives you the most beautiful, fresh summer glow. I love a bit of MAC Mineralise Finishing Powder and Laura Mercier Setting Powder, which is a classic. I also like to brush my brows up with a good brow gel or use a bit of edge control. Then I'll add a bit of lip gloss and I'm good to go.