Q: Gina, What is your opinion of the “bar method” style of stretching a muscle right after a set of heating it up?
A: It really depends on what your goals are. I am all for the bar method if you are focusing on elongating your muscles, looking for a great stretch and moderate fat burning. It has a great way of sculpting your body and actually changing its overall look and shape of your muscles. Your muscles look longer and more defined and your body has the ability to appear leaner and more slender, and with better posture. If your goal is to elongate, lengthen, just like yoga or pliates, this may be a great supplement to your program or be that perfect program you are looking for. If you are looking to add size or muscle, this wouldn’t be the best workout to focus on.
Regardless of your goals, I suggest always changing things up. I believe a perfect combination of weight training with yoga, bar methods or pilates is a great combination. If your goal is to tone, lengthen, the majority of your workouts can be yoga, bar methods or pilates but still incorporating a day of resistance training. If your goal is to increase size and muscle than shift your ratio towards more days of resistance training. I am all for the classes that allow for flexibility and lengthening, while performing intense resistance programs to keep your body limber, flexible and not overly bound!
Unlike Yoga, The Bar Method focuses exclusively on fitness (rather than mind, body and soul). It strengthens, stretches and aligns all major muscle groups resulting in power, physical grace, stamina, and significant body change. If you are looking for more of a mind and body workout, maybe yoga is best but for more of a physical lengthening, Bar Methods may be best for you!
