Channel your inner dancer at the popular, new fitness class, barre. Designed to lengthen your muscles, barre is a fusion of pilates, dance, and yoga choreographed to music and done at the ballet barre. This all over work-out will lift your butt, carve your abs and tone your legs and arms. Be prepared to use balls, bands and weights to achieve ultimate results. Before you know it, you’ll be wearing that bikini with confidence at M Street Beach this summer.
Q&A With C2 Fitness Co-owners Carolyn Stuart and CC Martin
How long have you been involved in fitness?
CC – I grew up in a very athletic household. I’ve worked out my entire life and love to compete, train hard and push limits. I began personal training and teaching group fitness classes in college.
Carolyn – My love for fitness started in my later years of high school and beginnings of college. I did not grow up with a strong push for fitness in my family. I started to really experience the overall benefits of exercise and working hard in college… and I really loved it. I believe that led me to my path to become a physical therapist initially and then to pilates.
What are the benefits of pilates?
CC – There are many benefits to pilates, be it to lengthen and strengthen muscles, create core strength, create more flexibility, rehabilitate from an injury or balance your body – pilates is an effective challenging full body low impact workout.
Carolyn – Pilates is positively life changing! Coaching a client to achieve their connection in their body is by far the most rewarding. What I love about pilates is the way it helps people tap into their deep, internal connection and strength like no other exercise. Pilates provides a system for everyone to follow and work with and allows you to tune into body awareness. Because of pilates I am stronger. I had herniated a disc about 14 years ago and was out of commission for over a year. Pilates was the only form of exercise that got me back and strong enough to now do any form of exercise without limitations. I use my pilates with everything! It even helps with upper body strength. I never would have dreamed I could do pull ups, but now I can… because my core and connection help. I was thrilled because I was able to do the monkey bars for the first time ever at 40! This really reinforced the fact that you should always keep trying new things physically. Physical accomplishment helps the psyche :)
What are the benefits of barre?
CC – Barre is a high energy, low impact, highly effective workout. Clients will experience a full body workout utilizing small weights, balls and bands and be challenged with cardiovascular exercise. Barre workouts burn calories, build long lean tone muscles, tighten and tone legs, butts, arms and abdomens – touching on all of the elements within one hour. Each workout is choreographed to music. Participants leave invigorated, energized and feel worked out, but in a positive feel good way.
Carolyn – I truly love barre because our program is pilates based – it’s both functional and fun! Moving to fun music and pushing your endurance and strength with a whole group is motivating and exhilarating! Barre focuses on more than just toning your thighs, arms and midsection – it promotes the whole body working together as a supportive unit, co-activating for strength and balance, and importantly- flexible strength. Because it moves, it’s a fast intense hour!
What’s the best exercise to get bikini ready?
CC – No one exercise can get you bikini ready, but a combination of pilates, barre, core (an hour with a medicine ball) and clean eating will get you there.
Carolyn – Though this is different for everyone, my advice is do the exercises you love and make you feel good, drink a lot of water and eat healthy and then it’s all and upward spiral! That and C2 Barre and pilates – because it targets the main bikini ready areas!
Who goes to C2 Pilates?
CC – We represent every body at C2 Fitness, be it in the pilates studio or BARREroom. We have all ages, fitness levels and have many individuals with limitations. We work hard to accommodate all types, safety is a major priority and we are proud to say we have developed safe, fun effective workouts.
Carolyn – C2 is for everyone! That is the beauty of pilates, our philosophy and our amazing instructors! We are ready for you when you are…when you are ready to feel more connection and strength in your body!
Any specials or promos that CIS readers should know about?
CC – The best $11 you’ll ever spend at the bar(re) will be at our studio! We welcome all new guests to try our classes for $11 and try us out for an unlimited month for $99.
Carolyn – I love the $219 for 4 private sessions deal – It is the best, most effective way to learn about the benefits of Pilates specific to your body. It even helps with barre classes!
Favorite song to work out to?
CC – I have so many favorite songs! Right now “Beautiful” by Mariah Carey to warm up and Selena Gomez “Come and Get It” for legs. I also like “People Everyday” from Arrested Development for abs.
Carolyn – “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk, “Anything Could Happen” by Ellie Goulding, “I Love the Way” by Ariana Grande and of course “I Love it!” by Icona Pop (my daughters favorite song)
Best exercise to do on vacation and you don’t have access to a gym?
CC – Lunges, planks and pushups no doubt! These three are very effective with no props needed.
Carolyn – Core work- planks with single let lifts, pushups, side planks, triangle pose with rotations. Also, lunges, squats and our favorite- plyometrics!!!! It’s also critical to make sure and truly unwind on vacation.
C2 Pilates
840 Summer Street
(617) 686-1395
http://www.c2pilates.com/
