Lower Body Barre Workout for Killer Legs

Get ready to sculpt your lower body with a muscle-toning barre workout from 21 Day Fix creator Autumn Calabrese! Today, she’s taking over Beachbody HQ to show you how to tone your quads, hamstrings, calves, and booty. All you need to follow along is five minutes and a sturdy railing or bar.

Autumn didn’t just pull these moves out of thin air—she was a dancer before she took the fitness world by storm with 21 Day Fix, 21 Day Fix EXTREME, The Master’s Hammer and Chisel, and Country Heat, her new country danced-inspired workout program. But for today’s Lower Body Barre Workout, it’s all about small, precise movements that will help you sculpt sleek, sexy legs.

The first move is the tippy toe squat chair, which will make your calves, quads, and booty burn right off the bat. Next, you’ll focus on your inner thighs with a few reps of water skiers. After that, you’ll go into full ballet mode with arabesque lifts, raising your leg behind you. They might look pretty, but they’ll kick your you-know-where if you’ve never done them before. Flip around for front leg lifts, raising your leg as high as you can in front of you. The relevé plie will take you back to ballet basics, challenging you to stay as low as you can. Finally, show some spunk with the back attitude lifts. This move is similar to the arabesque lift, but it works the booty in a slightly different way because of the bent leg.

Once you’ve completed all six quick moves, you’re done! But don’t forget to take some time to stretch your legs at the end—you’ll need it, and they’ll thank you. The more you do this barre workout, the easier it will become. As it gets easier, increase the number of reps you perform for each move so you can continue to challenge your muscles and sculpt a leaner, stronger, sexier lower half.

Schedule for Today’s Barre Workout

Tippy Toe Squat Chair (0:36 mark)

Find a bar or railing that you can pull and push on to complete the exercises. Standing about arms’ distance away, hold the bar with your hands shoulder-width apart. Bring your feet all the way together, abs drawn in, shoulders back, and rise up onto your toes while keeping your feet as close together as you can. From here, you will sink down as low as you can before coming three-quarters of the way up. As you rise up, squeeze your butt and keep your abs in tight. Repeat a total of 10 times as you feel the burn.

Water Ski (1:09)

Get as close to the bar as you can, holding it with your hands shoulder-width apart. Adjust your feet so your heels touch and your toes turn out. Rise up onto your toes and lean back like you’re waterskiing. Next, bend you knees in a plie while letting your pelvis push towards the bar. As you straighten your legs into a relevé, be sure to squeeze and keep your shoulders drawn back, so you target the right muscle groups, your leg and booty muscles. Repeat a total of 10 times.

Arabesque Lift (1:55)

Stand facing the bar roughly legs’-distance away, and grasp it with your arms fully extended and your hands shoulder-width apart. With your feet directly below your hips, draw your abs in so your back is flat and lift your right leg straight behind you with your toe pointed. Pulse your leg upward, squeezing your butt at the top of the movement for 10 reps. Switch legs and repeat.

Front Leg Lift (2:42)

Stand placing your back against the bar with your hands grasping it on each side of you, feet at hips’ distance apart. Place one leg in front of you, pointing your toe like a ballerina. Lift the leg up to about hip level while keeping your shoulders back and abdominals in. Lower the leg to complete the move. Keep your movements controlled for a total of 10 lifts, switch legs and repeat.

Relevé Plie (3:24)

Stand perpendicular to the bar at arm’s length, gripping the bar with one hand. Hold your other arm out to the side. Plant your feet wider than your hips with your toes turned out, draw your shoulders back and sink down into a plie, then lift your heals in a relevé. Lower your heels to complete the move. Keep your ribcage closed as you repeat the movement for a total of 10 reps.

Back Attitude Lift (4:00)

Stand facing the bar and grasp it with both hands shoulder-width apart. Lean in and turn your leg out, pointing your toe. Lift your leg to about hip level, bend your knee and lift your leg toward your butt. Pulse upward 10 times. When you are finished, switch legs and repeat the movement.

Hamstring Stretch (4:37)

Stand facing the bar at about a six-inch distance. Lift your leg up onto the bar in controlled fashion. Point your toe and reach toward your ankle, stretching your hamstring and inner thigh. For an added inner-thigh stretch, lean forward toward the bar. Release your leg—again, using control—and repeat the movement on your other side.

Want even more workouts from Autumn? Log on to Beachbody On Demand to start 21 Day Fix EXTREME today! As a Beachbody On Demand member, you have complete access to the program in the Member Library, as well related fitness content. Haven’t joined yet? Visit here for your FREE 14-day trial membership.