One minute you’re happily pulsing up and down at the barre, the next you’re suddenly struck by a strange phenomenon…the shakes! You try to ignore it, but the longer you lift your heel, the more the tremors grows. But don’t panic, whilst it may be unnerving, that foot trembling actually isn’t a bad thing.
So what causes your muscles to shake in barre?
During a barre class, you perform small, high-rep movements to target specific muscles - including smaller stabilising muscles and muscles that you don’t use as often.
To produce these muscle movements, groups of muscle fibres work together as units.
Fast Twitch Fibres - are used for explosive power and strength — they help you lift heavy weights or sprint really fast, however, because of this, they tire very quickly.
Slow Twitch Fibres - don’t produce as much power but they fatigue less quickly, so can keep working for longer. They’re used to help maintain our posture and during endurance activities such as long distance walking or running.
In barre, the pulses and isometric holds (where you’re holding a position under tension, such as a single leg balance) are designed to work your muscles to exhaustion.
However, the groups of muscle fibres within the muscle, will not necessarily all tire at the same time - some groups will stop contracting or producing power, more quickly than others. So to keep the muscle working the body will start to send signals to switch on more units of slow Slow Twitch fibres, which tire less easily.
As your muscle rapidly switches between these groups of fibres, the muscular contractions become more irregular which results in the muscle shaking - the more fibres that are switched off and on, the shakier the movement feels!
So should you embrace the barre shake?
While it might feel a little strange, it’s nothing to be embarrassed about! Even the fittest members of the class and pro-athletes experience muscle shakes — it signifies that you’re challenging your muscles effectively, which will help…
1. Strengthen and tone
By working your muscles to the point of fatigue, you’re encouraging them to grow stronger and more resilient. This principle, known as progressive overload, is essential for building strength and endurance.
2. Target smaller, underused muscles
By focusing on small, controlled movements you can precisely target muscles that may not get much attention in other workouts. For example, you might strengthen your hip abductors, inner thighs, or TVA in your stomach — muscles that play a crucial role in balance and stability.
3. Improve muscular endurance
As your muscles become familiar with the exercises and being worked to exhaustion, they will become more resistance to fatigue, helping you perform exercises for longer periods.
4. Build a strong core
Many barre exercises emphasise core engagement, which helps stabilise your body during movements, maintains good posture and therefore helps reduce the risk of injury.
Shake it off
So whilst the shakes are normal, it’s important to remember that if the shaking becomes too intense, it’s okay to take a rest - shake or stretch out your muscles and rejoin when you’re ready. Make sure to listen to your body and distinguish between discomfort and pain - if you feel a sharp pain or a twinge, stop and let your instructor know.
It’s also key to stay hydrated and fuel your body with adequate protein and carbohydrates to provide the energy your muscles need to perform at their best!
From shakes to strength
Over time, as your body becomes used to the specific exercises, the activated muscles will strengthen, their endurance will improve and signals will becomes more efficient - and so the shaking might start to reduce.
But the beauty of barre is that you can always increase the challenge - squat a little lower, lift the heel a little higher or hold the position a little longer. It’s by pushing past your comfort zone, that you’ll really start to see the effects of barre!
So remember, the next time your legs start trembling during a pulse or or hold, don’t be embarrassed — embrace the shake!
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