Paola's Body Barre

If you think that a ballet-based workout must be all prancing, pointing and posing, one of Aussie powerhouse Paola Di Lanzo’s 50 minute sessions will soon change your mind. A mix of pilates, cardio and dance-based moves, her ‘Body Barre’ method is sweatier than the average barre class, and you’ll use a series of weights, resistance bands and other less conventional bits of exercise paraphernalia. It’s tough going, but Di Lanzo’s cheery encouragement slightly diminishes the pain of holding a plank for 60 seconds. We tried Paola's signature work out; also on the menu are cardio-heavy variants like Body Barre Blast and the 45 minute Thrasher, as well as TRX classes, yoga sessions and workouts targeted to blast specific 'problem' areas. Our only gripe is that the changing space is minimal and the shower facilities non-existant – not so great for pre-work workouts.