Barre Fitness - by Fred DeVito & Elisabeth Halfpapp (Paperback)

About the Book

Become immersed in barre fitness with 100 exercises you can do at home, ranging from beginner level to complex maneuvers to improve strength.

Book Synopsis

Step up to the barre and strengthen your core with 100 at-home barre exercises!

Infused with elements of ballet, barre classes were introduced by Lotte Berk in the 1970s as a new way to combine dance with traditional exercise. Just about any barre class will involve a lot of reps of small, pulsing movements (lifting and lowering limbs a mere inch or two) at the barre, with a heavy focus on the legs, glutes, and core and emphasis on form and alignment.

Barre Fitness provides 100 at-home barre exercises from the fundamentals to more complex moves with a focus on building strength and improving technique--no barre required! Trained at the ground floor of the prestigious Lotte Berk Method NYC (where barre fitness originated), Fred Devito and Elisabeth Halfpapp bring first-generation teaching and training experience and the acclaim of the Core Fusion(R) brand to this guide to at-home exercise, geared toward your fitness goals.

This book breaks down the set ups, progressions, and sequences for all of the classic barre exercises to empower you to perform them at home with clear photographs and easy-to-follow descriptions and program routines. Each exercise explains the benefits and how they can be combined for different results. Learn how to integrate these barre exercises into your daily workout routine, while mindfully incorporating healthy eating and stress reduction habits, for living a healthier lifestyle regardless of your age or fitness level.

Whether you want to tone and shape your muscles (without gaining muscle mass), build your core strength, lose weight, increase flexibility, combat aging, rehab from injury, or supplement your current fitness routine (or any combination of these), Barre Fitness offers the solutions you're looking for.

Review Quotes

"Fred and Lis are not only two of the nicest people on the planet but also some of the most creative. I admire their commitment to health and fitness and it is something everyone should strive for. Their classes have kept me in great shape for many years. This is an amazing read for any barre lover! I could not be happier for their success." - Tara Lipinski, Olympic gold medalist in figure skating

"I gladly recommend Core Fusion to my patients, family, and friends, as it embraces all the important aspects of cardiovascular fitness: muscle conditioning, aerobics, weight bearing to improve bone density, balance exercises, and stretching to enhance flexibility. Personally, when I finish a workout, I feel energetic yet calm, and I have no doubt that it has improved my posture. I also love that it is safe for all ages as there is no jarring of the joints." - Erica Jones, M.D., Director of HeartHealth, Cardiovascular Prevention Program of the Dalio Institute of Cardiovascular imaging at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center

"I believe that knowledge is power and patient education is a crucial part of my protocols and treatment plans. Core Fusion founders Fred and Lis have gifted us with a book on the fundamentals of their method. I recommend that anyone who participates in Core Fusion or barre class in general, veteran or newbie, educate and familiarize him or herself with the technique to achieve healthy, safe, noticeable results. This book is a must-read!"- Christine Zic, M.S.P.T., physical therapist

"I'e been doing Fred and Elisabeth's exercises for thirty years. No excuses -- you just need your body and a wall (you don't even need a barre) -- so you can do them anywhere. The variations keep you from getting bored and keep your body guessing, so you don't get injured." - Vicki B. Goldhill, M.D.

"Thank you so much Fred DeVito, Elisabeth Halfpapp and Exhale Spa for Barre Fitness. Love the empowering core thesis of your philosophy that 'if it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you'--barre none, the smartest words to live by." - Mariska Hargitay, star of Law Order

About the Author

Fred DeVito studied at The College of New Jersey where he received a B.S. in Physical Education and Health. In 2000, a Lotte Berk student, Annbeth Eschbach, approached Fred and his wife with an idea to merge fitness classes with holistic spa therapies and energetic healing programs. In 2002 Fred and Elisabeth opened the award-winning Core Fusion program and its suite of classes including Core Fusion Barre, Core Fusion Yoga, Core Fusion Sport, Core Fusion Cardio and Core Fusion Boot Camp (exhale's proprietary fitness classes), which are offered in 20 exhale locations in the U.S. and Turks and Caicos.

As a lead trainer and fitness expert in barre, Fred regularly appears as a fitness expert on national TV including The Today Show, ABC News, Fox News, CBS Morning Show, Entertainment Tonight, and Dr. Oz. They have been featured in The New York Times, Vogue, Fitness Magazine, New York Magazine, Glamour, Prevention, USA Today, and Shape Magazine.

Elisabeth Halfpapp received her degree in Dance Education from the Hartford Ballet.

In 2000, a Lotte Berk student, Annbeth Eschbach, approached Lis and her husband with an idea to merge fitness classes with holistic spa therapies and energetic healing programs. In 2002 Fred and Elisabeth opened the award-winning Core Fusion program and its suite of classes including Core Fusion Barre, Core Fusion Yoga, Core Fusion Sport, Core Fusion Cardio and Core Fusion Boot Camp are Exhale's proprietary fitness classes, offered in 20 exhale locations in the U.S. and Turks and Caicos.

As a lead trainer and fitness expert in barre, Fred regularly appears as a fitness expert on national TV including The Today Show, ABC News, Fox News, CBS Morning Show, Entertainment Tonight, and Dr. Oz. They have been featured in The New York Times, Vogue, Fitness Magazine, New York Magazine, Glamour, Prevention, USA Today, and Shape Magazine. They share Core Fusion and yoga teachings with many charitable organizations regularly, including Mariska Hargitay's Joyful Heart Foundation and the American Red Cross.