After years of wanting to try a Barry’s Bootcamp class, I finally booked my first workout in Manchester. Believe me, it lived up to all the hype!

Barry’s is a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workout. It combines treadmill running with strength training and is referred to by Barry’s as “The best workout in the world.”

Studio Overview

The workout takes place in a dark, mirror-lined room illuminated by red lights—known as the Red Room. Treadmills are positioned along the walls in front of the mirrors, with benches set up in the centre of the room. Everyone quickly finds their numbered station and as the music gets louder, the 50-minute workout begins.

The Workout

Treadmill

I started my workout on the treadmill, following advice from friends who suggested it was the best place to start on my first workout. 

Top tip: Make sure you stretch before the class, as there’s no warm-up—the workout starts as soon as you step onto the treadmill.

Over the music, the instructor, Nathan, called out speed ranges and incline levels, to challenge you to push your limits. While the ranges were tough, Barry’s caters to all fitness levels. The instructor provided beginner, intermediate, and advanced pace options. Therefore, everyone could work at an intensity they felt comfortable with.

There’s no stopping on the treadmill, but recovery sections are built into the workout, allowing you to reduce your speed and incline briefly between steady endurance runs lasting up to six minutes, steep inclines, and quick 30-second sprints.

After 20 minutes, everyone switched stations to the strength training.

Strength training

The Strength training combined bodyweight exercises (e.g., push-ups, sit-ups, lunges) with weighted exercises using dumbbells. I booked one of the full-body workout classes, so there was a variety of upper, lower and ab exercises to target different muscle groups with exercises like goblet squats, push press, and the plank.

The instructor demonstrated each movement, making it easy to follow along. There were no breaks, and we moved quickly from movement to movement, you could choose which weights you used to make the exercise more challenging, but remember to save some of your energy for the final sprint on the treadmill.

Round-Up

Before the class, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect as I’d heard Barry’s workouts are really intense. However, I absolutely loved the workout! The high-energy atmosphere and fast-paced nature of the class made the time fly by and although the workout was challenging I felt great after! 

I pushed myself to run at speeds I wouldn’t normally at the gym on my own and tried new strength exercises I’d never done before.

Barry’s is an amazing workout for anyone looking to try something new and improve their fitness. I would recommend it to everyone.

Top Tip

If you attend a Barry’s class, especially a morning class like I did, I highly recommend ordering one of the famous Barry’s post-workout shakes. I went for the Not Yo Average Jo’, and it was delicious!

Verdict

• Sweat – 10/10 
• Endorphins – 10/10
• Recommendation – 10/10 

Disclaimer

Remember that individual experiences may vary, and the review is based on the writer’s personal encounter with Barry’s. It’s advisable to visit, enquire, and experience the studio firsthand to make the best choice for your fitness requirements.