On Thursday night I finally tried Barry’s Bootcamp.

After hearing about this workout from many friends in the city, as soon as I saw Well+Good NYC’s Ultimate Barry’s Bootcamp Experience event, I knew I had to attend! The evening included a 45 minute class with one of their famed trainers, Joey Gonzalez, along with a smoothie from their Fuel Bar afterwards, natural beauty products, and a Barry’s Bootcamp tank.

I was definitely a little intimidated of the workout since I’m currently in marathon taper mode and haven’t been doing many intense speed or weights workouts. Luckily, the camaraderie of 30 other Well+Good readers along with Joey’s inspirational spirited instruction helped me overcome my fears within minutes. Kristine, a Barry’s regular, explained the class format to my friend Liz and I before hand so we’d know what to expect.

 

The 45 minute class format includes the following:

• 2 separate 10 minute treadmill sessions each of which is focused on speed or incline
• 2 separate floor sessions focused on arms/back or abs/glutes.
• 5 minute stretch session

The time in the room flew by and I was surprised to see numbers like 8.5 on the Woodway treadmill screen during the speed workout or 11.0 on the incline during our second treadmill session while Joey pumped up us “treaders” with positive affirmations. I have to say though, I was amazed to see that others were running at 11.0 or 12.0 speeds during our intervals. While I know it’s only for a minute or so each time, I still can’t imagine that speed!

The floor portion was challenging thanks to the 8-10 pound weights, higher than normal rep workouts, and compound movements. While I loved the first workout, which was focused on arms and legs, I didn’t love the glute workout. Maybe it was because I felt awkward using the bands and felt that I wasn’t targeting the muscle perfectly, but this didn’t seem quite as affective as the first portion.

After the workout, as I walked through the airport with sore arms and legs the next morning, I reflected on what I really enjoyed about Barry’s and I think it is that I gained things that I can apply to my workout anywhere. I loved switching things up on the treadmill and could see how a workout like the Barry’s treadmill workout would be a great way to make an average 30 minute workout fly by and challenge some under developed leg muscles through new speeds and incline.

Thank you so much Well+Good NYC for another very well organized event that allowed like minded fitness enthusiasts to push our bodies and enjoy an evening workout together. Thank you Barry’s for the absolutely delicious smoothie, which included a ginger kick, and some much needed workout inspiration which will come in handy after the marathon!

Would I spend $32 on Barry’s regularly? No, I probably wouldn’t but only because I belong to Equinox and there isn’t one that is very convenient based on class timings and location. However, I could see this being a great option for someone who needs motivation and can’t afford a regular trainer as it’s about half to a third the price of a training session.

Have you tried Barry’s Bootcamp or a class similar to it? Thoughts?