bar method

Happy, healthy, and gearing up for a new season of HBO's True Blood, 28-year-old Anna Paquin (aka Sookie Stackhouse) can be found gracing the cover of Health's June 2011 issue. Inside the magazine, the actress talks about her go-to exercises for staying in shape, her thoughts on diets, and some of her favorites, including her workout motivators and fave workout song. Here are the highlights:

• On the areas of her life that are the healthiest, and not so healthy: "Well, I could probably drink less coffee and drink more water. I try to eat well, but sometimes you can be a little too obsessive. It's good to remember it's actually not the be-all and end-all, and if you're absolutely falling down with exhaustion, really, do you need to go to the gym?"
• On whether she owns a scale: "Truthfully, I'm usually happiest when I'm not going anywhere near it. But you know what size your body is. And if you're working out and have a lot of muscle, you're going to weigh more. I feel good when I feel like I'm really strong. And that's not necessarily when I'm at my numerically most gratifying weight."
• On workouts she's loving right now: "My favorite workout by far is boxing . . . I do The Bar Method. Then there's also this place called Hot 8 Yoga, and they do [Yoga Barre]. It's like The Bar Method, but it's, like, 105 degrees. It's psycho, but kind of awesome."

Barre-based workouts have become increasing popular thanks to Natalie Portman's dancer bod in Black Swan, the Tracy Anderson Method, and barre3; and Bar Method, a ballet-inspired sculpting program with studios across the US, is no exception. The method, which is taught as an hour-long class, focuses on isometric movements, light weight work, stretching, and subtle moves at the barre. It is also one of the workouts Kelly Osborne used to get fit. As someone who practices it weekly, I can attest it's a serious workout, so I was excited (and even a little scared) to challenge myself with the Bar Method Dancer's Body Advanced Workout DVD ($20).

Led by cheery and pretty-to-look-at-while-you-are-sweating Bar Method teacher and actress Marnie Alton, the DVD offers a variety of the method's staple moves. Like the class, it starts off slow with leg lifts, light arm exercises (it's recommended you use two- to four-pound weights), and then jumps into the method's secret sauce: intense leg work at the barre. They recommend you use a chair or portable barre, but I found a ledge in my living room worked just fine for the "water-ski thigh-work" and more balletic "arabesque" exercises, and the floor and my yoga mat worked swell for the abdominal "clam shell" exercises. The routine was tough, and like the last "Accelerated" Bar Method DVD the ab exercises were killer. I wish the DVD included a chapter showcasing a few of the moves that are easier to perform with a makeshift barre, but the chapters with form instruction made up for it.

Is this DVD good for beginners? Keep on reading for the answer and a video clip of the workout.

Actress Emily Blunt teamed up with Matt Damon, her co-star of The Adjustment Bureau, for the March covers of Women's and Men's Health. It's the first time that the two magazines have ever shared cover models, and they could not have picked a better pair. Here's what Emily told the magazine about getting in shape to play a ballet dancer for the film:

"I looked like an aerobics teacher. My shoulders puffed out, my back looked like there was a barrel of snakes in it and I had an eight-pack."

Emily is thrilled with the results — the actress feels toned, defined, and "muscle-ly." Benoit-Swan Pouffer, the film's choreographer, told Dance Magazine that he got Emily in shape by putting her through a boot-camp-style workout that included dance training with Pouffer and working with a Tracy Anderson Method trainer. On average, Emily worked out for almost fours hours every day during the month that led up to filming; once filming began, she continued her sessions with Pouffer and also hit the gym. Even though the training was exhausting, Emily pulled it off and transformed herself into a dancer for the film's three performances: a solo, a duet, and a group number.

Back in November when Kelly Osbourne joined Dancing With the Stars, she said that her "body was going to get sick" from all that dancing. She wasn't lying. The youngest Osbourne took the stage with the Pussycat Dolls last week, looking smokin' hot alongside performers Mya and Carmen Electra. It's hard to believe that the size two starlet was a size 14 less than a year ago, and almost 50 pounds heavier. If you're as impressed with Kelly's transformation as we are (and want to see even more pics), read more

After calling it quits with trainer Tracy Anderson last year, Madonna has a new trainer. Heck, she has a whole new fitness method! For the last several months the singer has been working with trainer Sadie Lincoln, founder of barre3 — a vigorous workout that combines elements of yoga, Pilates, and ballet barre. Much like the Tracy Anderson Method, the barre3 workout promises clients a long, lean, and feminine physique. Madonna loves it so much that she's been flying Sadie into New York from Portland. The pair has been working out in Mikhail Baryshnikov's Upper West Side studio.

While a ballet barre fitness class is nothing new — Bar Method, for instance — barre3 promises to be different. First of all, there's a lot of variety built into the workout. If you take a barre3 class, the structure is always changing so students won't get bored. The hour or so long class is broken up into 8-minute sessions that target different areas of the body. It's vigorous, and focuses on achieving balance, strength, and flexibility. Have any of you tried the workout? I'd love to hear what you thought!

I have to admit that I've never been a fan of Kelly Osbourne, but after reading her interview in the latest issue of Us Weekly, I'm a convert. The singer talks in detail about the hard work she went through to transform herself from a size 14 to a size two. I love that Kelly did it in a totally manageable and healthy way, and has such a kick-ass attitude about everything she's been through. Focusing on a healthy diet and exercise plan, the 5-foot-2 star lost an amazing 42 pounds. Most importantly, she has let go of the shame she's carried for years because of her weight. Check out the highlights below.

• How Dancing With the Stars changed her life. "He [DWTS partner Louis van Amstel] made me work out, practice six times a day and get fit. I fought him the whole time, but at the end of the show I realized he was right. It worked."
• On working out.  "After DWTS ended I followed the Bar Method and now I do that three times a week at least. Not every day. I don't have that kind of dedication. Working out sucks. You sweat and you stick, but then you're done — and then you see that just taking an hour three times a week can change you so much. It becomes addictive."

To find out what Kelly's eating and how her self-esteem has changed, read more