Move · Videos · Pilates · 14 min

14-Minute Standing Barre Workout for Legs and Glutes with a Chair

14-Minute Standing Barre Workout for Legs and Glutes with a Chair — video by FitLara Barre & Pilates Play · 14:15

Video by FitLara Barre & Pilates on YouTube · Open on YouTube

A certified barre and Pilates teacher trainer leads a short standing barre class at a chair, timed to upbeat music: pliés, bent-knee glute lifts, hamstring curls, relevés and grand plié pulses, then a squat finisher with a few small jumps to bring the feet together.

  • 14 min
  • All levels
  • Moderate impact
  • chair
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Step by step 8

Tap a time to watch that step in the video.

  1. Feet together at the chair: bend and stretch the legs, weight in the heels and inner thighs squeezing. 0:23
  2. Right leg: bent-knee lifts from the glutes, standing leg bent and hip bones facing the chair, then pulses. 1:22
  3. Extend the right leg back and curl the heel toward the seat, adding point and flex if you like, then pulses. 2:45
  4. First position: relevés with all ten toes pressing down, then small knee bends, heels pressing forward. 4:13
  5. Grand plié: sink lower with the back upright, then hold low and press the knees out, with optional heel lifts. 6:44
  6. Left side: bend and stretch, then bent-knee glute lifts with the hips square and pulses at the top. 7:59
  7. Left leg: extend back and curl the heel in, optional point and flex, then pulses with the leg long. 9:56
  8. Finisher: squat pulses alternating parallel and turned-out feet, with small jumps to bring the feet together. 11:16

The steps are a summary in our words, checked against the video — the coach shows every move.

Form cues from the coach

  • Keep the standing leg bent and both hip bones facing the chair as you lift
  • Lift from the glutes, not by arching the lower back
  • Press all ten toes down with knees tracking toward the big toes

What it works

Tap an area for more videos that work it.

Joints it uses 3 takes load

  • Hips takes loadbent-knee glute lifts, hamstring curls, plies
  • Knees takes loadplies, grand plie pulses, parallel squats
  • Ankles & feet takes loadreleves, heels-up plie pulses, small hops
  • Jumping or hopping. Impact goes through the ankles, knees and hips.

Easier option from the coach: Skip the ankle flex-point; hold the chair throughout

A guide to the joints this video’s moves load, from what the coach does — not medical advice. This video was harder to rate from its talk and pictures, so treat it as a rougher guide. Some ache is normal; stop if a joint hurts sharply. How joints are rated

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Video by FitLara Barre & Pilates; the summary, steps, cues, body areas and joint notes are Notbroken’s, written from what the coach actually does in the video and checked a second time. Warm up first, take the easier options until a move feels easy, and stop if you feel sharp pain, chest pain or dizziness. General instruction, not advice for your body. About & safety