There are trends in fitness, and there are phenomena. Barre workouts—which are similar to sculpting ballet warm ups—are the latter. There are close to 700 studios throughout the United States, with 100 more to open in the coming year.

I don't know about you, but I've been known to admire dancers’ bodies. Actually I'm sure a lot of you have too! Well barre is a combination of ballet moves, yoga and Pilates which will give you beautiful, lean, sculpted muscles – without injuries endured by dancers.

Another, just as important, part of barre, is the focus which is demanded. This focus you have as you workout – stays with you for the rest the day, giving you calmness and an air of confidence. What a great way to start your day!

That being said - The barre is a prop used to balance while doing isometric strength training exercises. This involves keeping your body still and at the same time contracting specific sets of muscles. This is combined with a small range of movements. Also, classes may use light hand weights to bring the burning during the reps, also for targeting the core, they may be used.

So what is so popular about Barre? Let's take a look.

1. It’s an effective, no kick-ass workout

Barre classes, generally, effectively sculpt the body in a group format which is set to music—that’s a good combination for success.

One reason why the studios are popping up everywhere is due to the fact they have low overheads. Unlike gyms that have very expensive equipment, the Barre studios simply have flooring, railing, and a sound system, which means it is much more viable proposition.

3. Roots from ballet—and body—resonates with those who are looking for a workout regime that creates lean, long muscles. It's also, less intimidating because it is not a bootcamp. There are no high-intensity moves as in interval training and there is no muscle bulking. Also, when it comes to sweat, barre’s workout doesn’t necessarily require showering afterwards.

4. Like yoga, there is a lot of variety. The props are a ballet barre, free weights and a toning ball. The styles of Barre range from the Pilates and yoga-inspired Barre3, to the more interval--based, athletic, Flybarre. That way you can see what is more suited to you.

5. Barre has turned a lot of students into owners of their own business. A lot of studios have made use of a franchise model to expand across the country. Many of these studios are owned by those who began as students, who saw a way to have a satisfying career.

In order to sum up, whether you're focusing on creating your own studio, it might be time to buy a pair of quite grippy socks. Barre coupled with a healthy diet can tone you up and help in weight loss.