Barry's Bootcamp

Class I took:

Full Body

Instructor:

N/A

Location:

Park Avenue South

The location was small, but looked fairly new. The juice bar and clothing for sale adds a nice touch. I only popped into the locker room for a second and it wasn't too bad, but looked like it could use some flare.

The Breakdown:

Barry's Full Body is broken down into two segments: half of the time is spent on the treadmill doing steady-paced runs and sprints and the balance half is a floor workout using weights. You switch back and forth twice during the hour. When booking, you can choose to start on the floor or on the treadmill.

What I liked:

Let me start off by saying that I am not a treadmill person. I don't feel comfortable on treadmills and prefer running outside with some scenery. That being said, the treadmill segments of the class were the only part of the class that I somewhat preferred, especially during the sprints.

What I didn't like:

I have heard horror stories about how difficult Barry's is and how it's hard to make it all the way through the hour long class. I had a completely different experience. I left the class with only half the sweat I normally have during my workouts and feeling like I didn't do that much (I should note that when I work out, I go all out).

I attended with two of my friends and when we first got into the class, there wasn't any instruction or explanation of what we would be doing. The instructor asked if there were any first-timers attending the class and my two friends and I raised our hands, to which there was no follow up. The instructor told everyone to grab weights, but since I wasn't clear on exactly which exercises they would be used for, I grabbed two sets, 8lbs and 12lbs. When I brought them back to my spot, the instructor said we were not allowed to have two sets of weights and we must put one set back. Still not knowing what they were needed for, I put back the 12lb to be safe. During the workout, I wish I would have had the heavier weights because I felt the floor exercises were not that challenging and were more of what I considered a break.

Another problem I had with the class was that it was very hard to understand the instructor. With the floor and treadmill segments happening at the same time, I couldn't always tell which area was receiving instruction and it was very hard to hear over the music. I feel like classes with this format are somewhat confusing and instructors can't always keep up with the numerous things that are happening. Since other people do find this format appealing, it would be helpful to borrow some ideas from Rumble Boxing and post the workouts on a screen.

Final thoughts:

Specifically speaking for the class I attended, the floor workouts needed to be more of a HIIT format and not so much of a minor lifting. There should be more explanation on how the class works, etc. at the beginning of the hour for the newcomers.

Pro Tips:

Get into the class as early as you can to grab your weights and get ready because it starts right away.

Price:

The price is high at $36. There are not any deals for those who want to try for the first time. I did, however, receive an email after my class saying that they currently have promotions running for the holidays, including "packages of 3, 5, 10, and 25 at $28 per class," which is a good deal if you try Barry's and want to continue.

Will I Return:

I may give the instructor another try. Knowing how the class operates, a second time might be better. I may try a separate class as well. Two of my other friends were supposed to join us for this class at Park Ave. South and ended up booking at the 20th Street location at the same time and had the BEST experience. Their instructor was very attentive, explained everything clearly, played good music, and made the workout difficult and fun. Since they raved about their experience, it may be worth a shot to try Barry's out one more time. And, hey, my experience must not reflect the entire Barry's community because they clearly have a massive following and are doing something right. That being said, maybe second time's a charm.

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