GO EXPERTS - RAISING THE BARRE
—Monica Pommier Grubin
Monica Pommier Grubin,
OWNER OF PURE BARRE NEWPORT BEACH, MISSION VIEJO, IRVINE AND HUNTINGTON BEACH Monica Pommier Grubin is a fitness guru with an emphasis on barre. As an innovative and safer form of exercise, Pure Barre is a lifestyle that helps shape not only the body, but also the mind. Monica advocates for positivity and permanent healthy lifestyle changes. Find out how she stays so fit and healthy all the time without the pain of a strict diet.
PHOTOGRAPHED BY: NOBLE ANDREWS
Q: Will you tell us a little about Pure Barre and the physical ability it requires? Monica Pommier Grubin: Pure barre is a type of workout you can do almost every day. It is optimal for weight loss and building strength, and it’s a combination of strength training and highintensity interval training (HIIT), which is why you see fast results. Yet it’s still nice and easy on the joints deriving from how dancers are trained. Our teachers can work with any shape, size, weight, issue, and any injury. You can even do it during pregnancy, so it’s very user friendly. It gives you great results without causing more pressure or damage to pre-existing injuries or your joints. Q: What sparked your interest in barre workouts? MPG: I played college water polo, in addition to high school soccer swimming, and field hockey. We always did high intensity cardio workouts, so I was strong, but bulky. The idea of leaning my muscles and still getting this great workout was something foreign to me, so the first time I tried it, it was very hard. I was completely inflexible. But once I let myself learn the technique and stick to taking a few classes, my body completely changed. I was eventually able to do the splits. It was a great workout for getting a strong but non-bulky body. In addition to that, I also worked in orthopedics. My focus was total joint replacements, so doing research on how much impact people put on their
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joints, I was looking for something that would protect mine in the long run. Q: What were some initial challenges you faced at Pure Barre or with the ballet barre in general? MPG: For me, I wasn’t flexible. So it took a little bit for me to get flexible. I’m not good at letting myself be a beginner, so I really had to work to stay with it to see the results. Once you see the results though, you definitely feel like you want to keep going. I have been taking classes for over eight years now and try for four to five times a week. When I do that I am most happy with my body. My posture is better, my mind is more clear and I feel strong. Q: Who or what inspires you to stick to this kind of lifestyle? MPG: My clients and my staff are amazing. I love going into the studio every day. When [I’m] working out in a studio, [I] receive positive energy from the people around me. The instructors are highly motivational as well. They push you. That’s what they’re there to do. You have to keep challenging yourself to get stronger, but the instructor helps to make it easier to take your workout to the next level. Q: Can you describe the Pure Barre community? MPG: Everything we do in the studio is positive. Our cues, the way we run the class, we keep all negativity outside the front door. Our culture is very uplifting; we strive to help empower clients to reach their fitness goals, whatever it may be.
MODEL: LUBA VITTI OF WILHELMINA MODELS, www.wilhelmina.com
“You have to keep challenging yourself to get stronger.”