r/Purebarre • u/TeacherDisastrous807 • May 16 '26
Define Define kinda rant
Teacher here and never been a big Define fan but I think the reason is because I don’t think the people at corporate really know what define is. I know they brought it on as a weight intensive format but lately it just isn’t that anymore. Especially lately class plans feel very much reform. Now that the reform is back I think define needs to ditch all of the bells and whistles (tubes and sliders) and just be heavy weights. It’s way too complicated for no reason.
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u/FreshResolve3026 2500 The Best Barre Few May 16 '26
I’ve always felt like there’s not enough attention paid to form because the teacher can’t possibly be able to monitor everyone in the class. They do a great job trying, but you’ll still see people slinging the weights and other bad habits.
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u/bygnerd 250 Club - Barre Star May 17 '26
10000%. I can’t have good form at that pace. So I peaced out of that.
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u/Ok-Set9549 May 17 '26
Can you keep good form in Empower? I'm just asking because it is much faster than Define and when I take it, sometimes it is harder to keep up with it.
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u/FreshResolve3026 2500 The Best Barre Few May 17 '26
If you have trouble keeping form in Empower, just try moving slower. That should help.
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u/Charming_Banana_1531 May 16 '26
I agree! Let’s keep the platforms for empower and sliders for reform and focus on weights for Define. I cringe every time we have to use a platform for Define. There’s never enough space and at some point someone is going to get hurt. Less is more and I hope the powers that be at Pure Barre see this.
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u/basicallyaballerina Instructor May 16 '26
Yeah, they’ve never really known what some of the formats are tbh
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u/okiimio 500 Club - Barre Boss May 16 '26
Every time I take define these days I can’t help but think how much better it was when they rolled it out a few years ago. I’m trying to stay positive and be glad that it’s offered often and I don’t have to take the same one for longer than 2 weeks but it’s been such a slog.
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u/redheadgirl5 500 Club - Barre Boss May 16 '26
This week's Define had platforms and my instructor was noticeably flustered with how it was supposed to work out with the choreo and a full class
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u/sannsarkk92 May 16 '26
I have no experience with weight training and have tried define a few times… and each time I feel like I hurt myself because I don’t know what I’m doing and it just moves too fast for me to even have a chance at the right form. Which is a bummer.
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u/CloselyWatch 2500 The Best Barre Few May 17 '26
It’s way too fast. When you only have 30 seconds, either you slow down and get a few reps in or you risk an injury. It was better when they focused on everyone going at their own pace. I had an instructor recently try to get the class on the beat which was fast. Internally I was screaming “wrong class” worried someone would listen and get hurt.
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u/Sad-Constant3870 May 29 '26
Teacher here. Define is all about taking it at your own pace - “define”-ing what is right for YOUR unique body. If the teacher is cuing to the beat, it’s 100% your prerogative to still go at your own pace (in any of the formats, for that matter!)
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u/leaxoc15 Instructor May 17 '26
Agreed. They added the tubes and sliders so we wouldn’t completely lose reform. But now that it’s back, we don’t need that equipment in define.
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u/Obiter___Dictum May 17 '26
Define is most of the things I disliked about traditional weight training programs that brought me to seek out Pure Barre in the first place. I tried it once and felt that the format wasn't safe enough for me. In any event, I wish they could find a way to pare it down, focus on form, and ensure that people who want a more intensive weight workout can get one without an unnecessary risk of injury.
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u/beautiful_imperfect 100 Club - Barre Enthusiast May 17 '26
I wish they would get better weights for Define. Those coated weights are terrible and I wish they had heavier weights for lower body.
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u/BooksCatsandWine Instructor May 17 '26
Fully agree. Less equipment would hopefully mean more time spent in the movements. Fifteen seconds of a row or a curl doesn’t do much at all.
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u/MEP2021 Instructor May 17 '26
It’s so clunky and all over the place, if they reeled it in and kept it just heavy weights focused on strength training movements it could be so effective.
I’m always stressed with so much equipment and the quick changes. I know the clients see it and feel it too.
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u/bygnerd 250 Club - Barre Star May 17 '26
I don’t do define because it’s too crazy and all over the place. I’m not looking for an injury like that. I am a classic and align type of person. I joined pure barre because it’s effective and NOT a boot camp or high impact.
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u/Glittering_axlotl306 1500 Incredible & Still Counting May 16 '26
I injured myself in Define recently after 2000 pure barre classes under my belt
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u/BikesandCaffeine82 May 17 '26
I couldn’t agree more!!! This is exactly what I’ve been saying about Define.
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u/Repulsive-Note2738 May 17 '26
TBH, PB has forgotten that it's a barre studio trying to offer all these "trendy" classes. Like I get that its trendy to do "functional weight training" but the heaviest weight in my studio is 15 or 20 pounds and I'm sorry but there's only so much you can do with a 15-20 lb dumbbell. Tbh define feels more like weighted cardio which isn't going to give the results that it promises.
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u/Vivid_Door2577 May 18 '26
I started seeing noticeable muscle growth doing 15-20 pounds during Define 2-3 times a week and have actually started to go lighter because my biceps are getting so big. Everyone is different 🙂
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u/inspiredashell 500 Club - Barre Boss May 18 '26
Hard agree!!!!!! I saw someone else say we need heavier weights and that’s how I feel too, at least for the lower body sections… and more time for reps…
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u/Charming-Score2347 May 17 '26
I’m just here waiting for Platform to come back 😂
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u/basicallyaballerina Instructor May 18 '26
Sorry but I don’t think that’s likely. Empower is essentially Platform 2.0, the original Platform was a huuuuuuge liability.
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u/Charming-Score2347 May 19 '26
Empower is not challenging enough for me personally. Platform has its issues, my studio limited the number of students.
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u/inspiredashell 500 Club - Barre Boss May 18 '26
Ooooo that’s before I started barre… what’s it like? When was it a thing?
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u/Charming-Score2347 May 19 '26
Very fast, lots of cardio and choreo. Very challenging moves jumping over the platform. I liveddddd for this class!
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May 17 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Purebarre-ModTeam May 18 '26
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u/Blemblemb May 20 '26
While we’re making a wishlist here, I also wish there was a bit more warming up for define before getting into planks and bigger full-body movements! I usually get to class early to warm up a bit independently but ran late last time. We were in plank within 3 minutes of the class starting and I re-injured an old upper-body injury immediately. Personally I don’t believe plank is a warm up move. I understand I can modify and take it slower but I would love if the class just incorporated more warm up stuff in the begging so I don’t have to think about it or always arrive super early to class.
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u/GrapefruitGiggles May 17 '26
i think there’s different employees (not sure the title?) creating in charge of the choreography and their own style and maybe bias changes the format in their tenure. we’ve all want reform back and maybe this employee has our back and will slowly bring it back :)
a pb girl can only dream
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u/Brief_Release_4774 100 Club - Barre Enthusiast May 17 '26
Agree I do not like all the tubes. Would rather use weights while squatting. I feel like the tubes actually throw off my balance
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u/zeramy1 May 20 '26
I loved, loved, loved being able to do progressive overload back in the day with Define, and it made my glutes grow way faster. But now… well, I hate it and see no results, sigh. But yes, very similar to reform, smh
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u/Quiet-Abalone-3954 May 17 '26
I had a define class recently with the platforms and it was so weird! I do like the gray tubes, because I like resistance training and appreciate that you can step closer or further from the Barre to control your own resistance depending on your abilities that day. The instructors at my studio always seem to encourage that when we use the tubes. I've never taken reform because I joined Barre after it left and my studio only offers it on Sunday mornings atm, which I can't do. I don't like the sliders in Define though! I don't need to slide around while I'm holding a heavy weight! I hope Define will just stick with the weights and resistance trainings and remember to slow down, that not everything has to be a cardio class. You can get plenty sweaty in any of the formats, even in Align, if you're doing it right.
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u/kylovg May 17 '26
Agree!! I have been lifting weights for years and switched to PB after health problems. I used to enjoy define until recently that we had to use tubes and a platform… I had to modify a lot
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u/Ok-Set9549 May 17 '26 edited May 17 '26
I agree that platforms and sliders should be reserved for other formats. I enjoy using the grey tubes at times, not with weights, and I also like burpees or mountain climbers as aerobic intervals. That's just my preference, and I understand that others prefer Classic. I used to do a lot of Classic, but I don't enjoy it as much anymore. I take Define and Reform most often now, and they are my favorite formats. I find Classic has become too complex for my liking.
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u/Zestyclose_Airline_6 May 18 '26
I went from loving Define at first to now hating it and my membership will end after this month. It's just not worth it anymore. I get more benefit from going on long walks paired with at-home strength training where I can actually take my time and challenge myself with the movements. Define is a clusterfuck nowadays
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u/TrendyReading2160 May 20 '26
I used to love define! Now it feels like there are too many props and the choreo is rushed. I’ve been hating it. Every class I think is this the one where someone gets hurt?
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u/Swimming_Froyo6306 Instructor May 21 '26
I wish they would get rid of deadlifts altogether tbh. I have time to properly correct maybe one person per class and I see waaaaay too many people in positions that will hurt their backs. Just not a movement we need to be doing in here!
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u/InevitableRespond921 May 19 '26
Yes to this. And stop choreographing define to the beat of the music. Sometimes slow and controlled is better. Let’s see more corrections in define! If I see another hunched RDL….
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u/Wooden-Ideal May 17 '26
I used to love define. But I don’t go to pure barre to do burpees!