<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"  Photo: Kathryn Wirsing For most of us, beautifully sculpted, toned arms don&amp;#039;t exactly come naturally. Since perhaps no part of the body is visible in the summer more often than arms, we thought it would be nice to find out what it really takes to get the deltoids and triceps of our dreams. The answer came during the very first class at Xtend Barre in Brooklyn Heights, the brand&amp;#039;s only New York outpost (so far). About 10 minutes into the workout, my muscles were on fire. But I wasn&amp;#039;t about to give up that quickly. If you can work through a little pain and a lot of burn, your efforts will be nicely rewarded with this program. Here&amp;#039;s the full scoop on the workout you need to try now. (FYI, it&amp;#039;s not just arms, it&amp;#039;s a total body workout.) Plus, moves you can do from anywhere, developed exclusively for ELLE.com, in case you can&amp;#039;t make it to the studio anytime soon. The workout: &amp;quot;The Xtend program is a barre workout, but really an integrative total body workout. Other barre programs are very much about isolation and repetition, which is totally valid, but it&amp;#039;s called Xtend for a reason. There&amp;#039;s lots of emphasis on lengthening, control, creating resistance, precision, and just working the body as one unit holistically,&amp;quot; says owner Kristine Storie. Related: The Four Week Workout to Crop Top Worthy Abs The vibe: Intimate. Storie and her team of teachers pay close attention to every student and make helpful adjustments throughout the class. The classes are usually between 10 and 15 people so you don&amp;#039;t feel like you&amp;#039;re just part of the herd like you do at other kinds of studios, which is especially nice. The clientele: Everyone from 20-somethings to 70-somethings, all levels welcome. &amp;quot;You should not be able to do the entire class your first time, that would be ridiculous,&amp;quot; warns Storie. &amp;quot;You have to check your ego at the door and know when to pull back and just constantly work at your threshold. We encourage lots of breaks during the class and we give alternative options if you are tired.&amp;quot; Related: The Best YouTube Workouts Best class to start with: They&amp;#039;ve just added a technique class that is technically all-level, but especially great for the beginners and involves a little less choreography. Note: they&amp;#039;ve also added several new classes to the schedule this spring, including a mommy-and-me barre class and Pilates fusion class. When will you see results: &amp;quot;The magic number is four times per week. There is such a difference between going two to three times and three to four. Three is great if you are doing other things like cycle, yoga, running, etc.&amp;quot; The Moves: These signature Xtend Barre sequences will not only sculpt and chisel the arms, but the incorporation of lower body movement provides an element of balance, coordination, and cardio. 1-2 lb hand weights can be used, or use your own body weight to create resistance (increase reps if you are not using weights). Focus on utilizing the proper musculature and bringing the arms into full (but not hyper) extension. Sequence 1 \u2013 Arabesque Arms  Set Up: Legs are in 2nd position, heels slightly wider than shoulders, and toes turned out. Knees are bent and tracking over 2nd toe. Arms are in 1st position, in front of the chest, palms face each other. Extend the legs, float the left leg off the floor, split the arms and slightly rotate the torso to the right. Return to deep 2nd position pli\u00E9 as you hug arms back to 1st position (8 \u2013 16x).  Hold the last one up, maintain a softness in the standing knee and a straight lifted leg, and pulse the arms up by flexing the wrists (16x).  Circle the left arm forward 8x and back 8x, taking a pause in arabesque position every time you complete a circle. Repeat on other side (right leg lifts) Sequence #2 \u2013 High/Low Series  Set Up: Legs in 1st position, heels together toes turned out, knees are soft. Arms are in 1st position, in front of the chest.  Lift one arm up to a high (overhead) 5th position and the other to low 5th position (8 sets) as you rotate the wrists in opposite directions.  Increase the tempo, decreasing the range of motion between 1st position and high 5th position only (2 sets of 8).  Return to normal tempo, and take both arms from 1st position to high 5th overhead position as you internally rotate both wrists and flip the palm to face out (8x). Hold arms up overhead on last rep and turn palms in to prepare for High to Low flow.   High to Low: Bend knees and reach arms to a low 5th position underneath the thighs. Straighten legs and return back to start. 8x with heels flat and 8x adding a relev\u00E9 at the top of the motion.   Hold the last one up and squeeze arms in towards each other 8x.  Extend arms up towards ceiling (small range of motion) 8x. Sequence #3 \u2013 V-Press with Rotation  Set Up: Legs are in a parallel hip distance stance, knees are soft, arms are extended out to the side, palms facing front. Lift arms to a high &amp;quot;V&amp;quot; position and return to starting position 4x.  Add a torso twist to the right as arms lower and palms rotate to face down 8x.   Add a diagonal step back to 2nd position pli\u00E9 8x. NOTE: palms should be facing front in starting position.  Hold the last one in diagonal 2nd pli\u00E9, and with palms facing back, lift arms up 8x.  Press arms back 8x. Alternate between lift and press 4 sets. Repeat to the left and then repeat with the palms facing front. Sequence #4-Mirror Tricep Sequence (weights recommended)  Set Up: With feet parallel and hip distance, bend both knees and hinge at the hips, extend right leg back behind you and lift both arms up behind the hips, palms facing the body.  Lift and lower straight arms and straight back leg 8x slow and 16 up-tempo pulses.   Keeping the elbows behind the ribs and the back knee behind the hip, bend and extend both arms and back leg 8x slow and 16 up tempo.  Holding your balance, circle the arms in towards the body 8-16x and then reverse your circle 8-16x. Finish with an 8-count hold, getting longer and deeper. Repeat with opposite leg back, with palms facing up towards the sky. For more information on Xtend Barre Brooklyn Heights, 147 Remsen Street, 2nd Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201. (718) 522-2580. Xtendbarreworkout.com "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.elle.com/beauty/health-fitness/news/a25975/arms-of-steel-workout/>