I've been doing Pilates workouts for almost a year now and I've found them to be a great way to build strength, while improving posture and coordination.
That's why I was intrigued by barre, a similar style of movement with small, controlled moves but inspired by ballet training. Like Pilates, it focuses on building strength but often with the addition of light weights.
Trainer Britany Williams recently shared a barre routine designed to target the entire body.
Most of the Pilates routines I do are equipment-free but this barre workout required two dumbbells. I decided to try it to see how barre compares to Pilates for building strength.
How to do Britany Williams' Barre workout
This workout only requires a pair of dumbbells since the movements target smaller muscles so you'll feel your muscles being challenged without the need for heavy dumbbells. I used a pair of 2kg dumbbells.
To complete the workout, do each exercise for 30 seconds (on each side where applicable) with no rest in between. Perform two to three rounds, resting for 30-60 seconds between rounds.
My experience trying Britany Williams' barre workout
The first few exercises in this routine focus on engaging the lower body. Moves like the shiva squat and step-out squat pulse effectively engage the quads and glutes—I felt the burn after only a few reps.
This highlighted a benefit of barre for me. While I enjoy Pilates for core and upper-body strength, I find it doesn’t engage my lower body as much as weight training does.
This workout also required good posture and coordination, offering similar benefits to Pilates. By the end, my heart rate was up and my muscles were burning, so I'd definitely consider barre again for building strength and improving fitness.
I might choose barre over Pilates when I want a tougher workout, but I'll still turn to Pilates for days when I want low-impact, effective movement.
