Like many of my fellow runners, I am not at all a gym person and I don’t think I ever will be, but I’d heard enough people rave about Barry’s Bootcamp that I had to give it a go when a Gilt deal came up. Check out my recap below!

Location/atmosphere: Barry’s is located in the financial district near Downtown Crossing–easily accessible from the red or green lines. The locker rooms and foyer are spacious and well-appointed. The room itself seems like it would feel cramped (they have half the class start out on the floor and the other half on the treadmills, and then swap) but it actually works out really well.

The basics: Barry’s is an hour-long class that’s 50% treadmill work and 50% floor/weights/core. You swap back and forth every 10 minutes, and there’s loud, fun music playing throughout. Different days of the week have different focuses–core, arms, shoulders, etc. You can check out more here, just don’t be intimidated by the super jacked people in the video/on the website! The classes are very mixed and not intimidating.

The workout: Each class has the same basic structure, but both the floor and treadmill pieces are different each time. This helps keep things interesting but easy to follow. The classes truly do fly by, and you’ll get a decent sweat on each time. I am terrible about weights/upper body work and love how much these classes force me to do more of it. And of course, the hills and speedwork are awesome!

The takeaway: Barry’s is a great workout and I like that it’s pushing me to do the speedwork and upper body work I so desperately need. There are a few major downsides for me, beyond the insane pricing–they aren’t particularly interested in checking on injuries, there is minimal focus on proper form, and the corework just didn’t jive with me–I felt it more in my hip flexors than my core and I wasn’t super sore the next day. I really enjoy these classes and would go back if they have another sale/Gilt City offer, but I’m not sure it’s worth it for me for the $20+ per class.

Have you tried Barry’s Bootcamp? Any advice on other classes I should check out?

Leah