How to Maximize Your Weekly Workout Schedule, Explained

If you haven’t had a regular exercise routine for the past one year, start with 2 WeBarre Fundamentals classes per week for the first week or two. “In the early stages of building a workout schedule, exercise should be slowly introduced it so it’s not a big shock to the system! Give your muscles ample time to recover,” says Anabel.  “Trust me, you’ll be aching for days after your first class!”

Once you’re getting the hang of it, to try to mix in WeBarre Signature Multi-Level classes and work towards 3-4 classes a week for best results. With dedication and consistent effort, you’ll not only feel the results, you’ll be able to see them too!

If you’ve been pretty active, and are already exercising regularly, try mixing WeBarre Fundamentals and WeBarre Signature Multi-level classes and start with 3 classes a week for the first two weeks, then build it up to 4 classes.

“If you have time for a fifth class in the week, I highly recommend the WeBarre Stretch & Technique class to help you lengthen and stretch out all the muscles you’ve worked, increase flexibility and core control,” says Anabel. “Not many might know, but flexibility and strength goes hand in hand!”

“If you’re an athlete planning on cross-training with barre, look no further than a lethal combination of our WeBarre Fundamentals classes to work on core strength and endurance, WeBarre HIIT to maximize your VO2 max and anaerobic fitness and a WeBarre Stretch & Technique class once a week or bi-weekly for recovery and injury prevention,” recommends Anabel.

Aim to do 2-3 classes a week and challenge yourself with heavier weights and higher resistances. Try taking advanced options in classes to really find that challenge that you need to cross-train!

“When we exercise, and especially in strength training, what happens is that our muscles are constantly stretched then torn (this is not a bad thing!), and then they go through a process of repair and muscle growth,” explains Anabel. “The muscles need time to repair and grow. Strength, power, speed and muscle mass increase during resting periods. So if you’re looking to get some serious ab definition or feel an increase in your performance, you want to pay attention to this.”

You might’ve heard the phrase “I’m only human”, which is pretty accurate, considering we are not machines. Human bodies need to rest! Giving your body at least one day of rest each week helps prevent injuries. When muscles and joints go into overdrive from overuse, injuries are bound to happen.

HIIT exercises are based on a simple principle, “Minimum time, maximum results”. What makes HIIT so appealing is that you only need to do it for short amount of time, and not every day. They are designed to be intense, a challenging workout that brings your muscles into overdrive mode. After the workout is done and during your recovery stage, your muscles are still working extra hard – the reason why you continue burning calories long after the workout is over – to restore your body to pre-exercise levels.

“How long this recovery period is depends on how hard you’ve worked,” explains Anabel. “If you’ve pushed really hard in class, the recovery period is longer, averaging 1-3 days of recovery.”

If you don’t give your body the recovery it needs, you’ll be looking at injuries, stagnation of fitness goals and fatigue. Results will also be less noticeable. “Less is definitely more when it comes to HIIT,” says Anabel. “Aim for 2, maximum 3 times of HIIT workouts per week and your body will thank you for it!”