3 Barre Moves to Try at Home (Until You’re Back at the Pod )
Whether you're traveling, short on time, or just missing the shake and burn, these three home barre exercises will keep you connected to your strength, breath, and form until you're back with us at the Pod. As always, you don’t need a barre or fancy equipment to get started… just your body, a bit of space, and your breath!
These movements are inspired by our signature podBARRE programming and are designed to fire up your core, glutes, and stabilizers. Let’s get into it!
1. Bird-Dog Crunch (on your back) Targets: Core, obliques, spinal stabilizers
Set-Up:
Lie down on your back. Bend your knees to 90 degrees and stack them directly above your hips. Extend your arms straight up toward the ceiling.
Movement Pattern:
Inhale: Extend your right arm past your head and your left leg long, hovering just above the ground.
Exhale: Draw both back to center, arm to the ceiling, knee back over hip.
Alternate sides with each rep.
Form Tips:
Keep your back glued to the mat, and imagine zipping your ribcage together.
Move slowly and with control; avoid momentum.
Connection to Breath:
The exhale engages your deep core. Think of hugging your belly button to spine with each return to center.
2. Glute Bridge (with optional March)
Targets: Glutes, hamstrings, core
Set-Up:
Lay on your back with knees bent, feet hip-width (or slightly wider), planted firmly under your knees. Toes can subtly turn out.
Movement Pattern:
Inhale: Drive through your heels and lift your hips toward the ceiling. Squeeze your glutes at the top.
Exhale: Lower your hips with control back to the mat.
Optional Add-On:
At the top of your bridge, try a glute march: drive one knee to your chest, return the foot to the mat, and repeat on the other side. Keep hips lifted throughout to light up your core.
Form Tips:
Avoid over-arching your back, engage glutes, not low back.
Knees should track in line with your second toe.
Neck and jaw stay soft; gaze up, not back.
Connection to Breath:
Inhale to energize your lift; exhale to stabilize your descent. Each breath grounds and supports the movement.
3. Tabletop Kickbacks (aka the Glute Burner)
Targets: Glutes, hamstrings, core
Set-Up:
Come onto all fours. Hands are under shoulders, knees under hips. Spread your fingers wide and gently draw the belly in and up.
Movement Pattern:
Extend your right leg straight back and bend the knee to 90 degrees so the sole of your foot faces the ceiling.
From there, pulse the foot up 1–2 inches for tiny, controlled squeezes.
Repeat for 20–30 reps, then switch sides.
Optional Add-On:
Try extending the leg long for straight-leg pulses or add a bird-dog variation by extending the opposite arm forward.
Form Tips:
Keep your hips square, don’t let one side dip.
No wild swinging—these are tiny, intentional pulses.
Connection to Breath:
Inhale to prepare, exhale as you pulse. Let each squeeze be a breath-backed microburst of power.
Ready to Feel the Real Burn?
These home barre exercises are a great way to stay connected to your practice—but let’s be honest, nothing compares to the energy, support, and shake-you-to-your-core vibes of a full podBARRE class in person.
Come shake with us in person, and book a class and reignite your strength:
You. Belong. Here. 💙