Trim and sculpt your body. Celeb Style!

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Bodyfit Book Jan 2012 JimQx_1-17 copy!!!!qx copy 23/01/2012 09:41 Page 28 MEET EPERT RAISING BARRE Trim and sculpt your body Celeb Style!

With a following including Madonna, Drew Barrymore, Natalie Portman and Kelly Osbourne, barre training has been a hit across the globe and now it s come over to the UK thanks to fitness guru Emma

1 Bodyfit Book Jan 2012 JimQx_1-17 copy!!!!qx copy 23/01/ :41 Page 28 MEET EPERT RAISING BARRE Trim and sculpt your body Celeb Style! If those dreams, as a child, of pirouetting across a stage in a tutu were never quite fulfilled, now s your chance to get your ballet groove on. With a following including Madonna, Drew Barrymore, Natalie Portman and Kelly Osbourne, barre training has been a hit across the globe and now it s come over to the UK thanks to fitness guru Emma Newham s BarreConcept workout. Combining the core strength, control and precision of Pilates with the positions, moves, grace and technique of ballet plus the alignment of yoga and the strength from sports conditioning BarreConcept provides a challenging routine to stretch and sculpt your muscles whilst burning fat. It s low-impact but uses small isometric contractions integrated with interval training to give you a cardio burn in the process. The result is a realigned and rebalanced body that works harmoniously and efficiently. To ensure the muscles are re-lengthened, stretches are performed after each strength section so you can really sculpt and redefine your entire body in super-fast time. Founder of Pilates Union UK, Emma Newham, has been in the fitness industry for over 15 years, teaching mind-body holistic exercise. She is the author of eight Pilates training manuals and has produced her own Pilates DVDs. She also runs MyBody Studios in the North East of England visit barreconcept.co.uk for further details. Ballet training is the hot, new way to get fit and anyone can do it! HOW ROUTINE A typical BarreConcept workout consists of a warmup, barre work, resistance training and motor skills, floor work and final cool down stretches. As BarreConcept has a specific way of working the muscles in order to give maximum benefits and results, a typical exercise would go like this: 10x slow repetitions 20x small pulses 10 second static hold Another set if required Immediate stretch for the muscle group being contracted 28 Bodyfit

Externally rotate legs out from hip socket resulting in the heels being together and toes apart. Arms: Arms are held in front of body below shoulder height.

1 Second Position Legs: From First position, feet are on the same line but with a distance of about one foot between the heels.

Your wrists are lower than elbows. Spine and neck are long. 2 3 Third Position Legs: Legs are externally rotated out from hip socket as in First position.

Arms: Arms work in opposition to the legs (i.e. left arm is raised if right foot is in front).

4 Fourth Position Legs: The placement of the feet is similar to the Third position but the feet are apart.

Arms: As for Third position, the arms work in opposition to the feet.

2 Bodyfit Book Jan 2012 JimQx_1-17 copy!!!!qx copy 23/01/ :41 Page 29 BASIC BALLET POSITIONS First Position Legs: Stand in a parallel stance with knees and feet together. Externally rotate legs out from hip socket resulting in the heels being together and toes apart. Arms: Arms are held in front of body below shoulder height. Elbows are soft and arms form a soft arc shape. Spine and neck are long and shoulders relaxed. The fingers are soft yet long and not quite touching each other. 1 Second Position Legs: From First position, feet are on the same line but with a distance of about one foot between the heels. Arms: From First position open out your arms laterally, keeping elbows below shoulder height. The elbows are soft and the arms form a wide arc shape. Your wrists are lower than elbows. Spine and neck are long. 2 3 Third Position Legs: Legs are externally rotated out from hip socket as in First position. However, in this instance, one leg is crossed directly in front of the other with the heel of your front foot touching the middle of the foot positioned behind. Arms: Arms work in opposition to the legs (i.e. left arm is raised if right foot is in front). Raise left arm up (not directly above the head but slightly in front) whilst opening out your right arm to the side and level to your navel. 4 Fourth Position Legs: The placement of the feet is similar to the Third position but the feet are apart. Your front leg moves forward about one foot distance apart an open position like Second position. Arms: As for Third position, the arms work in opposition to the feet. Raise your left arm up (as for Third position) and bring your right arm in front of the body, level to navel (as for First position). 5 Fifth Position Legs: One leg is crossed directly in front of the other so that your feet are therefore running parallel with each other in a turned out position (i.e. the heel of the front foot touches and is level to the toes of the opposite foot and vice versa). Arms: From First position, raise your arms up (not directly above your head but slightly forward), maintaining the same soft arc shape, with your elbows soft and fingers long. The palms face inwards and are approximately six inches apart. Bodyfit 29

Bodyfit Book Jan 2012 JimQx_1-17 copy!!!!qx copy 23/01/2012 10:25 Page 30 COMMON BALLET TERMS EXPLAINED Demi plié a half knee bend Elevé and Relevé to rise.

The working leg slides away from First or Fifth position to Second or Fourth position without leaving the floor.

Once the position has been reached, it then returns to the original starting position.

so the knee is higher than the foot.the arm on the same side as the raised leg is held above the head whilst the other arm is extended out to the side.

Keep one hand on the barre and your other hand in first position. Alternatively, face the barre with both hands on the barre (as shown).

3 Bodyfit Book Jan 2012 JimQx_1-17 copy!!!!qx copy 23/01/ :25 Page 30 COMMON BALLET TERMS EXPLAINED Demi plié a half knee bend Elevé and Relevé to rise. Rising up onto pointe or demi-pointe from flat feet onto the balls of the feet. Elevé is a relevé without the plié Tendu to stretch. The working leg slides away from First or Fifth position to Second or Fourth position without leaving the floor. The legs are straight and the heel leaves the floor, but the toe does not and the instep is stretched. Once the position has been reached, it then returns to the original starting position. Prone face down (usually lying face down) Attitude standing on one leg whilst the other is lifted back with the knees bent at 90 degrees and turned out so the knee is higher than the foot.the arm on the same side as the raised leg is held above the head whilst the other arm is extended out to the side. Double Relevés Stand upright in a parallel stance with legs and feet together. Bend both knees into a demi plie. Keep one hand on the barre and your other hand in first position. Alternatively, face the barre with both hands on the barre (as shown). Action: Inhale to prepare and lengthen your body and move your arm out to Second Position. Exhale and engage core abdominals and relevé onto both tip toes. Inhale to lower back down onto your heels again. Quads, abs, soleus, gluteals CELEBS LOVE IT! FITtip It is helpful to use a mirror to check your alignment while performing these exercises CELEBS LOVE BALLET WORKOUTS! 30 Bodyfit

IT! Bodyfit Book Jan 2012 JimQx_1-17 copy!

(left foot crossed in front), facing the barre with both hands on the barre.

right leg backwards to come to the attitude position.

Exhale to flex the knee, bringing the heel towards the buttocks, whilst maintaining

hands, shoulders and hips are all in alignment.

Action: Exhale and engage your core abdominals then tendu your right leg backwards

4 IT! Bodyfit Book Jan 2012 JimQx_1-17 copy!!!!qx copy 23/01/ :41 Page 31 Hamstring Curls Stand upright in Fifth position (left foot crossed in front), facing the barre with both hands on the barre. Action: Exhale and engage your core abdominals, lengthen up tall and tendu your right leg backwards to come to the attitude position. Inhale to extend your knee, maintaining the position of the knee in space. Exhale to flex the knee, bringing the heel towards the buttocks, whilst maintaining the position of your knee in space. Exhale to extend your leg again. Repeat with the opposite leg. Abs, hamstrings Superman Stand upright facing the barre with both hands on the barre, arms length away. Hinge forwards from your hips to bring your torso into a horizontal position so that hands, shoulders and hips are all in alignment. Keep your feet in a parallel position. Action: Exhale and engage your core abdominals then tendu your right leg backwards and lift it up as high as a stable pelvis allows. Both hip bones should remain level. Ideally your foot should aim to be around hip height. Inhale to prepare. Exhale to isometrically contract your gluteals and raise your leg no more than one inch in a small pulsing motion. Your leg should remain in a parallel position throughout. Repeat with the opposite leg. Abs, hamstrings, gluteals Bodyfit 31

arms length away. Move feet back a good distance behind the shoulders (as far away as good technique allows you to perform the exercise well).

Action: Inhale to bend the elbows and bring your chest towards the barre, whilst maintaining spinal stability.

Abs, anterior deltoid, pectorals, triceps Table with bent leg Come to an all-fours position with knees bent directly under hips and place hands on

Exhale to engage core abs, stretch right leg along the floor until fully straight and then lift it up until level with spine or as high as a

5 Bodyfit Book Jan 2012 JimQx_1-17 copy!!!!qx copy 23/01/ :41 Page 32 Press-ups Stand upright facing the barre with your feet in a parallel position and both hands on the barre, arms length away. Move feet back a good distance behind the shoulders (as far away as good technique allows you to perform the exercise well). Your heels will leave the floor if your feet are too far away from the wall. Action: Inhale to bend the elbows and bring your chest towards the barre, whilst maintaining spinal stability. The deeper the bend the more challenging the exercise. Exhale to straighten your elbows, pushing the body away from the barre. Abs, anterior deltoid, pectorals, triceps Table with bent leg Come to an all-fours position with knees bent directly under hips and place hands on the floor directly under shoulders. Exhale to engage core abs, stretch right leg along the floor until fully straight and then lift it up until level with spine or as high as a neutral pelvis allows. Bend knee at a 90 degree angle so that foot is flexed and sole of the foot faces the ceiling. Action: Inhale to prepare. Exhale to engage core abs and squeeze glutes, pushing sole of foot upwards a few inches towards the ceiling, maintaining a 90 degree angle at the knee. Inhale to lower back down until knee is once again level with hip. Inhale to lower leg back down again until heel is level with bum. Repeat with opposite leg. Abs, hamstrings, glutes, scapula stabilisers 32 Bodyfit

Rehabilitation 2. The Exercises

Rehabilitation 2. The Exercises Rehabilitation 2 This is the next level from rehabilitation 1. You should have spent time mastering the previous exercises and be ready to move on. If you are unsure about any of the previous exercises