Barry’s Bootcamp Review in California

I finally tried Barry’s Bootcamp! I was nervous and excited but as suspected, I loved it!

The concept of Barry’s Bootcamp is 30 minutes on the treadmill and 30 minutes of strength training. I wasn’t sure how it was broken up until I got in the class. Each day is dedicated to different body parts during the week. Friday through Saturday is total body at the location I visited in Sherman Oaks, CA. On Monday, I challenged myself with the arms and abs although the lady on the treadmill next to me said I needed to come back Tuesday to get my butt kicked with legs and shoulders. Chest and Back are on Wednesdays, and Core is Thursday.

Martin George was my instructor for the class. I didn’t hear him ask if there were any newbies at the beginning so I was forced to kinda jump into the class. I saw women warming up on the treadmill so I followed suit. Then, I saw people grabbing weights and putting them on the steps behind our treadmills. I assumed we needed the weights and hopped off to grab my own set. I hopped back on the treadmill to realize that I was the only one who did this. The class was only half full, but I quickly realized that while one group is using the weights, another is on the treadmill. This makes a lot of sense for gym rush hour. I went at 8:15 am so it wasn’t as crowded. We warmed up on the treadmill for 10 minutes doing minute longer intervals but not too intense. We could see what the strength group was doing which I enjoyed because I like knowing what I’m in for. We alternated between the tread and weights every ten minutes.

I grabbed a pair of 5 lb dumbbells and 12 lb dumbbells. We did bicep curls, hammer curls, tricep dips and extensions as well as core work using the bench. I knew my arms were going to sore. The second and third set of treadmill running were fun! We moved the incline all the way up to 10 and at one point I was sprinting at 9.2 mph for a full minute! The instructor gave 3 speed options always, like 6.5, 7.5, or 8.5. I always tried to choose the middle option. We even ran for a couple minutes backwards! The instructor was encouraging and warm. Funny at times even and saw I was using a weight too light for tricep extensions and came over to apply some extra resistance. I didn’t feel like I was being yelled at by a drill sergeant at all, a concept my sister-in-law thought they practiced. Best of all, the playlist was almost entirely Britney Spears! I loved it.

The class ended with a good stretch and was over very quick! I didn’t even look at the clock once. I wanted to go back on Tuesday for a day of legs but wasn’t sure how I felt getting on a plane with sore quads and glutes. I bet I would hate the treadmill portion of class more after strength training the lower body.

Final thoughts: I was happy to see Barry’s uses Woodway treadmills, which are easier on your knees because they use a softer surface. If you love an efficient workout, I highly recommend Barry’s. There was no minute wasted, plenty of room to push yourself and modifications were given for each exercise. It was an inclusive class with positive energy. My only gripe was that I wish I had told the instructor before class I was new. I wasn’t sure what I was doing the first 5 minutes on the treadmill and it was hard to decipher what was meant for the treadmill group vs the strength training group. I know if I went again, I wouldn’t have this problem and if you are reading this, you won’t either. Barry’s is opening a studio in Boston in 2013 and I’m excited to try the rest of the days.

Have you tried Barry’s Bootcamp? They have studios in SoCal, NYC, Norway, London and Nashville. 

Check out my other class reviews from the LA area:

• SoulCycle
• Pop Physique
• CorePower Yoga