10 things you may not know about Leslie J. Guerin, creator of BarSculpt

16 Oct 10 things you may not know about Leslie J. Guerin, creator of BarSculpt

Have you ever wondered what your favorite BarSculpt teacher does when she isn’t demanding you get lower in thigh work?  Or what part of class they look forward to the most?  This week Leslie fills us in on all this and more including her favorite tv shows, her own fitness routine and who she looks up to as her fitness icon.

What is your personal fitness routine?

I try to move everyday.  BarSculpt is (of course!) my first choice of exercise, but I also take regular mat Pilates class.  As an instructor I find that I tend to use one side more than another when demonstrating exercises so I workout on the reformer two to three times a week for balance.

What inspires you?

My work inspires me.  I am inspired by learning.  It inspires me to watch some of my long-time clients make strides or a brand new client figure out how to use her abs instead of her shoulders; these things are very exciting to me and keep me motivated.

One of my biggest inspirations is watching those that think they CANNOT experience that moment when they realize they CAN!  I can empower them with my words and demonstrate form but progress waits for the participant to believe.  Getting to CAN does not mean achieving perfection; it means the journey has begun with a major stride.   Perfect lives in the same place Unicorns reside, CAN lives within all of us.

Watching clients work to get to their own “CAN” moment I’m always reminded of one of my highschool Algebra teachers who used to say Are you an AmeriCAN or an AmeriCAN’T??

Do you follow any structured nutrition philosophy such as a vegan lifestyle or paleo?

Not at all!  I strive for moderation but mostly fail in the area of sugar and caffeine.  I try to eat organic and also buy local but those things do not always correlate.  Food is delicious and I believe equally in the goodness of cupcakes and vegetables.

What is your favorite thing to do when you are not teaching BarSculpt or training new instructors instructors or creating new ways to make BarSculpt even more effective?

I adore being home with my fantastically supportive husband and our fascinating little people.  Right now we are reading Harry Potter out loud as a family and I truly treasure those moments and the fun we have as a family.

Do you have a favorite BarSculpt section?

I heart BarSculpt in its entirety.  To pick one part is like eating the cherry off a sundae, it is good and gives you a taste of the sundae but it can’t compare to digging into the entire cold, creamy delight.

But, if forced to select a section that speaks to me the most , I will say that I  look forward to the Under the Barre section. When Lydia Bach was training me in Bridgehampton years ago, I remember her stopping me from teaching and taking over my beginner class. At the end I had SUCH a better understanding of why we were doing all of that painful work AND she gave me the ultimate compliment by telling me that she hadn't taught in YEARS and was inspired by me to teach. So you can say that BarSculpt kept the Under the Barre portion because of the stamp Lydia had put on it for me.

Do you have a fitness icon?

My fitness icon is and always will be Jane Fonda! Do I really need to say why? As an actor first and now a fitness professional I feel like we would be fast friends.  When her autobiography came out a couple of years ago I devoured it and loved every page, even quoting parts of it to my reformer classes.  When we teach seatwork on the floor it is referred to as Jane Fonda; she is without question my fitness icon.

If you were stranded on a desert island with just a barre and some BarSculpt socks what sort of music would inspire you to work out?

I love chick rock; including P!nk, Madonna, Ani Difranco, Indigo Girls, Britney Spears, Adele, and a recent addition to my love of chick music – thanks to my daughter -  is Taylor Swift – she really is great!

If you weren’t involved in fitness what would you be doing?

Cirque De Solis performer, no question.

What are some of your favorite TV shows?

Glee, New Girl and Dexter.  Those are my can’t miss watches every week.

Can you describe how BarSculpt has changed a client’s life?

I’m not sure I can think of just one story, Shellie’s comes to mind but you can read about hers on this blog.  The truth is that BarSculpt has changed many a clients life. The ability to push yourself in class really does follow you into all parts of your life.  I have seen Clients and my own staff make huge leaps of faith to expand their lives in ways I know only possible because the limits they push within themselves during a 55-minute class.  Knowing you can push yourself with support and seeing the success and changes born of consistency and hard work makes other decisions more accessible.