I have to admit something:
I got owned by the Barre last night.
Although I left that barre n9ne class practically wimpering (thank you Julianna!!), I just couldn’t wipe the smile off my face as I walked out the door of the studio last night.
I distinctly remember looking around the room and all I saw was power, strength, sweat and a whole helluva lot of sheer willpower.
At one point, I looked down at my legs while we were in Julianna’s new favorite move at the barre – in this plie move with one leg in front of the other, on our tippy toes (as if in a pair of stiletto heels) doing those teeny tiny up/down movements I’ve mentioned that are at the very crux of barre style workouts. I looked down at my legs and then glanced at my neighbor’s legs, and kept on going down the barre. It was just so very cool and amazing to see every single one of us working as hard as we possibly could…if for no other reason than to not give up.
And then it hit me – THIS is why I love barre/non-barre workouts at barre n9ne so very much. It forces me NOT to give up.
So even though that barre totally and utterly owned my a$$ last night, I did NOT give up. If you could’ve seen the look on my face – my face all scrunched up in determination, eyes shut at some points of the class, exhaling during the “working” part of every move.
I was struggling, sure.
But I did NOT give up.
Owned. Yes. But not a quitter.
Case in point: I’ve secretly been dying to get through the killer shoulder series at the beginning of the barre n9ne method class (this series also appears in fusion, lean & tone…basically every single class I take at barre n9ne except for long & lean legs!). And guess who owned that shoulder workout tonight?? Yep, that would be me. Owned it!! Got through the whole shoulder series without stopping!
So my two questions for you today? When was the last time you were utterly owned by a workout? (felt awesome, didn’t it?). Conversly, when was the last time you owned a workout (and felt equally awesome as a result)?
Because BTW, it’s show and tell day at EatDrinkBreatheSweat. So please, share away, please. 🙂
EatDrinkBreatheSweat 
Love this post!!! I totally felt the SAME way last night (duh) walking out of class and ya know? that NEVER happens in any other class but barre n9ne, no joke. Who does that?? Ya know? I ALMOST owned the whole shoulder section, thisclose. Next time for sure. Yesterday’s run pretty much owned me but I struggled through it and felt like I conquered it by the end. Show and tell, wheee!
I had like a goofy grin on my face after we left, I’m sure people thought we were nuts since that was a particularly killer barre method class (love it). You’re right, I’ve NEVER ever felt that way after a fitness class (maybe a run, but never a group fitness class). It’s an amazing experience, so hard to describe – we totally need to take pictures that give a better view into how this thing works/feels/kills! 🙂
I’m really proud of you for conquering that run yesterday even though you felt “owned” by it. That’s progress, sis!
What you described, “feeling owned by a workout” is pretty much what running a marathon does to you, but when you cross the finished line you know you’ve taken it back. It’s all about digging deep, finding heart and never giving up! And I find that it’s quite addicting! 🙂
I seriously still don’t have a clue how you get through marathon after marathon after marathon. The mileage scares the pants off me – even though I LOVE feeling “owned” by a workout, a marathon still seems so daunting. You are incredible.
You girls ROCK! You should be so proud of your stick-to-it ness! (new word!). 🙂
The last time a workout owned me: last Wednesday during the virtual barre! I was in agony afterwards, I swear! 🙂
Last workout I owned – cardio sweat session on Sunday!
Oh I love the word, I’m totally stealing it. 😉
LOVE that the virtual barre class owned you – can’t wait for it to own you again this week, wahoo! 🙂
Love that feeling of pushing through and feeling so incredibly badass at the end (even if you are a puddle of Jello).
Precisely – it’s that puddle of jello feeling that hurts so good. Haha.
I’d imagine your spin class yesterday left you feeling kinda “owned” coming off of a killer leg workout the day prior, yeah? crazy girl 😉
I was totally owned by my Saturday run — it was hot, hilly and I was gasping! But I felt SO awesome for getting out there and doing it (and for seeing 5 miles tick by!) Like you, I did not give up. And that felt great (once I got to the end!)
I think in part the confidence to finish it came from my Friday weights session, when I kicked ass. So I was feeling pretty great over the weekend! Good to be reminded actually, as I’m feeling a bit “meh” today. I must cash in on last week’s successes!
I love that you didn’t get up, gasping and all, that is awesome!!
Harness that “I feel great” feeling all week this week. That is an ORDER! 🙂
Amazing! I love this – NOT giving up when every ounce of your body is screaming to stop. That’s when you become so much stronger – physically and mentally. I’ve been going to some advanced yoga classes, and while I’m anything but advanced, I give it my all, I modify when necessary, but I never give up!
It is the best feeling, isn’t it?? So proud of you for nailing an advanced yoga class – I’m totally impressed!!
I know exactly what you mean. It feels so good once you’ve persevered and stuck it out through a particularly hard class! I tried a new class on Monday -one of the hardest classes I have ever taken. Non-stop for 90 minutes. Will be reviewing it on my blog soon! I was staring daggers at the instructor throughout class but afterwards I felt so awesome and can’t wait to do it again!
LOL “staring daggers” – what a riot. I *may* have done the very same thing during Monday’s class, too. And you kept going for 90 minutes, holy crap! Way to rock it out!
I LOVE this post, and I love that you OWNED that shoulder series! It is killer and you should be SO proud of yourself!!
seriously, I think that shoulder series is like 10 minutes long…or at least it feels like it’s that long!! I was DYING to get through it for once and am so proud that I did. And for the record? I did it again in last night’s lean & tone class too. 😉
Nice work, Jess!!!!!!!!! Tough workous are the best ever. I taught Group Power last night for the first time in 3 months and it totally owned me. My shoulders are ridiculously sore today!
Nicely done on Group Power – it must have felt good to get back into teaching mode, right? That and the fact that you could put sneakers on again after your injury and all. Go you!
These types of workout challenges are the BEST – It makes such a difference to be in a group setting, too, with someone telling you that you can keep going! That’s why I love the Ryders’ classes – in theory, I could strength train on my own, but I’d so much rather have someone push me to my absolute limit Every week, helping me realize that limit isn’t there. 🙂
Totally – you can always ‘revise’ that limit even if you don’t think you can, you TOTALLY can. So true.
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