I've never been much of a group fitness gal, and I haven't loved cardio in years. My routine has been weightlifting and kickboxing for a while now--so by all accounts, I shouldn't love Barry's. But I do! I tried a class through ClassPass my first time. While it was nice to go for free, I don't recommend that, as it renders you ineligible for the newcomer class pack deal you can buy on the Barry's website. If you're trying for the first time, go that route--it's a good deal.
The class itself is a fast-paced HIIT class in the red room, a dim workout room with red lights. They're definitely flattering when you're staring at yourself in the mirror in front of the treadmills, wondering if the look in your eyes is determination or fear that your legs will give out during incline sprints (oh, is that just me? Oops). The classes are focused on different muscle groups each day. The first class I went to was lower body, so we didn't use incline on the treadmills, just alternating speeds. When I went to my second, upper body focused class, that's when I was introduced to the pain of incline. You alternate between treads and weights every round. If you book online, you can pick which one you start on--most people start with treadmill.
Even though I lift pretty regularly, I still go for the lighter weights during the "floor" rounds. You'll get tired fast, and since these are my cardio for the week, I'm more concerned with calorie burn than muscle build at Barry's. And I usually average 400-550 calories at each class... and am ALWAYS sore after in muscle areas that (I guess) I'm not working as much in my usual lifting routine.
Some things to note:
- I found the staff at this location to be really friendly. When I came for my first class, I told them it was my first time and they explained everything really well. The instructors are super high energy, their music is good, and they're not going to annoy you or call you out if you choose to modify a move or do a slower pace on the treadmill
- I haven't been to other locations, but at this one, people seem to come in duos or groups. It's very social, and a lot of groups will be talking to each other before classes and at the smoothie bar. And I will say that I haven't seen much body type diversity--everyone seems really fit already, which can be intimidating at first. But I'm not sure if that's a function of the city or of Barry's.
I really like these classes and wish they were a liiiittle bit cheaper so I could justify doing them more often (Barry's, if you're listening, wanna hit me with a discount code? :D), but I always enjoy them when I do treat myself to another class. If you're looking for something to shake up your usual routine, try one of these out! read more