Best Beginner Barre Exercises
Get ready to strengthen, tone, and stabilize your body with this barre workout, designed to challenge your core, improve balance, and build endurance. This session delivers a full-body sculpt through controlled, ballet-inspired movements that engage your abs, back, glutes, legs, and arms.
Each exercise offers two intensity levels:
Level 1: Ideal for beginners or those who prefer a more moderate pace, focusing on bodyweight and smaller movements.
Level 2: Perfect for those looking to deepen their practice with more advanced variations and greater muscle engagement.
We’ve carefully selected barre moves such as pliés, curtseys, kicks, relevés to challenge your strength, stability, and flexibility. You’ll be guided through each move with clear demonstrations, safety tips, and modifications to ensure proper form and prevent injury.
For a quick 15-minute session, perform each movement for 45 seconds with a 15-second rest between exercises. For a 30-minute workout, repeat each movement twice before moving on.
Warm up, pick your level, and let’s dive into this energizing full-body barre workout!
We also offer this workout in person at our studio—book your first class for free!
1st Position Plié with Arm Circles (Out)
Safety precaution
Keep pelvis tucked in, butt down
Main muscle groups worked
Quads, hamstrings, glutes, core, back, shoulders, biceps, triceps
Level 1 (Flat feet)
1st Position + Plié:
Stand with your heels touching and toes turned out to the sides
Your feet should form a straight line or a slight V-shape
Keep a bend in your knees (plié)
Arm Circles:
Stretch your arms out wide, making small circles backward
Level 2 (On your toes)
1st Position + Plié:
Stand with your heels touching and toes turned out to the sides
Your feet should form a straight line or a slight V-shape
Standing on your toes
Keep a bend in your knees (plié)
Arm Circles:
Stretch your arms out wide, making small circles backward
2. 2nd Position Plié with Arms Circle (In)
Safety precaution
Keep pelvis tucked in, butt down
Main muscle groups worked
Quads, hamstrings, glutes, core, back, shoulders, biceps, triceps
Level 1
Second Position + Plié:
Stand with your feet wider than hip-width apart
Turn your feet out so that your toes point to the sides
Keep a bend in your knees (plié)
Arm Circles:
Stretch your arms out wide, making small circles forward
Level 2 (On your toes)
Second Position + Plié:
Stand with your feet wider than hip-width apart
Turn your feet out so that your toes point to the sides
Standing on your toes
Keep a bend in your knees (plié)
Arm Circles:
Stretch your arms out wide, making small circles forward
3. Curtsy Lunge + Knee Drive (Right & Left)
*One side at a time
Safety precaution
Keep hips square to the bar
Main muscle groups worked
Quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves, core, inner thighs
Level 1 & 2
Starting Position:
Stand with your feet hip-width apart
Hands on bar
Curtsy Lunge + Lift on Toes:
Take a step diagonally behind you with your left leg, crossing it behind your front leg
Lower your body into a lunge position
Push through your front heel to return to the starting position
From standing, drive your left knee up toward your chest
As you drive your knee up, lift your body onto your right toes
4. 1st Position Plié, Squat, Relevé
Safety precaution
Keep pelvis tucked in, butt down
Main muscle groups worked
Quads, hamstrings, glutes, core
Level 1 (Hold the bar) & Level 2 (Off the bar)
1st Position + Plié:
Stand with your heels touching and toes turned out to the sides
Your feet should form a straight line or a slight V-shape
Keep a bend in your knees (plié)
Squat:
Lower your body to a squat
Relevé:
From the squat, raise your body on your toes
Arms:
As you perform your plié, arms create a circle around your body and raise up during the relevé
5. 2nd Position Plié, Squat, Relevé
Safety precaution
Keep pelvis tucked in, butt down
Main muscle groups worked
Quads, hamstrings, glutes, core
Level 1 (Hold the bar) & Level 2 (Off the bar)
Second Position + Plié:
Stand with your feet wider than hip-width apart
Turn your feet out so that your toes point to the sides
Keep a bend in your knees (plié)
Squat:
Lower your body to a squat
Relevé:
From the squat, raise your body on your toes
6. 90° Kick (Right & Left)
*One side at a time
Safety precaution
Keep hips square to the bar
Main muscle groups worked
Quads, hamstrings, glutes, core
Level 1 (Elbows on bar) & 2 (Hands on bar)
Starting Position:
lbows or hands rested on the bar
Standing on your right foot
90° Kick:
Kick your left leg back and maintain a bend in your knee
Pulse your leg up and down in small motions
*Repeat on the other leg
7. 45° Kick (Right & Left)
*One side at a time
Safety precaution
Keep hips square to the bar
Main muscle groups worked
Quads, hamstrings, glutes, core
Level 1 (Elbows on bar) & 2 (Hands on bar)
Starting Position:
Elbows or hands rested on the bar
Standing on your right foot
45° Kick:
Kick your left leg back and maintain a bend in your knee
Point your foot and leg outward at a 45° angle
Pulse your leg up and down in small motions
*Repeat on the other leg
8. 4th Position Plié (Right & Left Leg Forward)
*One side at a time
Safety precaution
Keep pelvis tucked in, butt down
Main muscle groups worked
Quads, hamstrings, glutes, core
Level 1 (Hold the bar) & Level 2 (Off the bar)
4th Position:
Start by placing one foot in front of the other, with the front foot about one foot’s length ahead of the back foot
Both feet slightly turned out
Plié:
Stand Tall: Begin in fourth position with your front foot placed ahead of the back foot
Bend your knees and lower your body toward the floor
Push through the heels and raise your body onto your toes
Arms:
As you perform your plié, arms create a circle around your body and raise up during the relevé
9. Back Kick with Straight Leg (Right & Left)
*One side at a time
Safety precaution
Keep hips down and square to the bar
Main muscle groups worked
Quads, hamstrings, glutes
Level 1 (Elbows on bar) & 2 (Hands on bar)
Starting Position:
Have both hips facing the bar
Have elbows and forearms resting on the bar
Kicks:
Kick one leg out as high as you can before lowering it back onto the floor
Keep toes pointed if possible
Keep the other leg slightly bent
*Repeat on the other side
10. Plié Flutter
Safety precaution
Keep butt down and tucked in, keep heels on the floor
Main muscle groups worked
Quads, hamstrings, glutes
Level 1 (Hold the bar) & Level 2 (Off the bar)
Starting Position:
Start off the bar in the first position
Have your hands on your hips
Pilé:
Slightly bend your knees into a plié
Bring your knees in towards each other then back out to the side
Pulse this motion
Great job completing the beginner barre workout! You’ve just powered through a full-body session that strengthened your core, activated your arms, glutes, and legs, and improved your balance and flexibility. Through controlled, ballet-inspired movements, you’ve built muscle endurance, enhanced stability, and boosted your overall strength.
Take a moment to cool down, stretch, and appreciate your effort. Keep up the amazing work, and we’ll see you in the next class!
If you’re looking for more variety or want to focus on different areas, be sure to explore the other barre routines available. We have plenty of workouts to keep you motivated and help you reach your fitness goals. Stay tuned for more exciting exercises and tips to keep your journey going strong!
Ready to join us in the studio? Book a class now—your first class is on us!
