A few weeks back, I checked out the kind of bar that is definitely not my strength at Define London.
Booked onto their lunchtime 30 minutes express class I wondered if it would feel enough of a workout…
Five minutes in, I realised I was oh so wrong. Let me tell you, the burn was real.
Define London is the concept from Ashley and luckily enough she was taking today’s class so I got to experience Define exactly how she saw it. That girl had all the energy and enthusiasm, as well as humour to make every second enjoyable, no matter how painful it felt. And don’t worry, it’s not the cringeworthy attitude that makes you roll your eyes and wonder if you’ve signed up to an 80s workout video.
What is Define exactly?
A boutique barre studio whose workouts are based on barre, created by Ashley Verma, designed to strengthen stabilising muscles and improve posture.
According to their website the DEFINE Method “uses an intense mix of isometric moves while incorporating cardio infused sequences throughout the class to keep your metabolism high”.
Each class is different, depending on the trainer and also the style of classe:
- Define:Barre – Define’s signature barre class.
- Define:Mat – Their take on mat pilates
- Define:Power – Cardio driven session using hand weights, jumping and barre work. Apparently you’ll need to bring trainers for this one.
- Define:Stretch – 3o minutes of stretches to increase muscle control, flexibilty, range of motion and to aid muscle recovery.
- Define:Arm & Ab Express – 30 minutes of Barre doing exactly what it says on the tin.
- Define:Barre Balance – Their signature Barre classes using a Bosu Ball to work on body imbalances.
So… Why am I doing barre alongside barbells?
Well, it’s about those postural muscles for me to help lessen my lordosis and learn how to stand properly.
Where is it?
About a couple of minutes off Oxford Street on Great Portland Street.
82 Great Portland St, Fitzrovia, London W1W 7NW
Do I need to bring a towel?
Mats, towels and all the equipment you’ll need for the session are provided. There’s also a line up of activewear to browse (and I think a smoothie bar from what I can remember?).
Sweat Level: 6.5/10. It’s barre so you’re not going to sweat as much as you would in a Barry’s class, but you still work up a fair few beads on your forehead. Also, if you’re new to barre, you will feel the burn for a few days afterwards as you’ll be working muscles that sometimes get missed in your usual workouts.
Value: 9/10. They do introductory offers on 2 classes for £28 and a 7 day pass of unlimited classes for £49 for starters. For a one off it’s £28 which is a little pricey but then it seems to be the going rate for barre classes around London. For the price however you will have a decent level of attention from the instructor so it really is invaluable.
If you can’t quite fathom spending £28, the lunchtime Express classes are £10 for 30 minutes which is a great deal for what you get. So, sack off that extravagant Pret lunch and you’ve got money well spent (obviously bring a packed lunch, I don’t mean starve!).
Facilities: 9/10. After going to BXR and 1Rebel I can’t really give anywhere else 10/10. It has everything you need and is very much a boutique studio working well with the space it has, small but perfectly formed, much like studio goers will be. Everything has clean lines and it’s a really decent place to work out with really hands on instructors.
