BarreAmped is located at Classic Pilates studio on 3303 Lee Parkway Suite 105 where barre and Pilates classes are offered every day of the week. (Courtesy of Class Pilates)

If you are looking for a class that will burn calories and tone your arms, upper and lower legs, butt or stomach, BarreAmped might just be the perfect excerise for you.

Offered at Classic Pilates, a boutique studio in Uptown, this intense class will leave your muscles shaking.

While there are many methods of barre, Classic Pilates chose BarreAmped because they feel that it best embraces their philosophy: “to provide authentic forms of movement true to their roots.”

This workout is simple and focuses mainly on form.

To achieve proper positioning, the class is centered around a barre and incorporates both classical and modern dance along with some Pilates, yoga and stretching movements.

While barre may seem like a new trend in exercise, it dates back to the late 1940s when a famous European dancer, Lotte Berk, developed the method.

Berk danced in several ballet and modern dance companies throughout Europe and unfortunately was in a car accident where she suffered from spinal injury.

To heal, she created her own method of exercise for rehabilitation by utilizing her dance background.

Eventually she went on to teach it to others and because her students had such great results, she opened a studio in London in 1959.

The Lotte Berk method focuses on strength and flexibility training while targeting specific areas of the body, mainly working from the core.

An American woman, Lydia Bach, studied under Berk for a year.

In 1971, she brought the Lotte Berk Method to the United States and opened her own studio in New York City.

Bach kept the main core exercises and added in her own combination of dance and yoga to further enhance this workout to provide strength, sculpting and flexibility all in one.

The studio was a huge success.

In 2005, the New York studio closed and many of the key teachers went on to develop their own barre programs.

One of these teachers, Suzanna Browne, created BarreAmped after doing more than 10 years of research and observation.

In order to obtain maximum results with BarreAmped, one must come often to improve on form because having precise form is key for this class.

Co-owner and senior instructor of Classic Pilates Rachael Lieck Bryce recommends that her students come three times a week.

So, what can you look forward to for your first class?

Bryce said, “You can expect to shake and be sweaty. Socks are not required and we have everything you need including cool lavender towels when you are done.”

Depending on your body, she says that during one class, you can burn on average 450 calories.

However, just because you will get a great calorie burn from this workout, you still have to eat a clean diet if you want to see optimal benefits.

“Eat nutritious dense foods like your super greens and fruit, lean sources of protein and lots of water,” Bryce said.

If you try this and it is not for you, Classic Pilates also offers a classical mat classes, some with weights and magic circles for all levels as well semiprivate sessions on the Pilates equipment.

The first month for all classes is $65 unlimited.

Get amped for your barre practice. You will not regret going.