Yes it is true. For the last few weeks I have been getting all hot and sweaty from a new man in my life, Barry’s Bootcamp. The first time I remember hearing about Barry’s was while reading my dirty little pleasure US Weekly magazine. One of the segments the magazine features from time to time is where they showcase celebrities doing regular activities and try to convince  us how normal they are. Well this was one of those segments. I cant remember which celebrity was coming out of Barry’s Bootcamp in LA, but I do remember being impressed by her and thinking to myself how I  wanted to try Barry’s to workout.  Yes the magazine had sold me, if it was good enough for her why not me?  Slowly I started seeing more and more buzz on this new workout. It was starting to garner the hype Soul Cycle had, but alas it was only in NYC and LA. So when it came to San Francisco a few months ago I knew I was going to have to give it a try.

Now I am going to be real for a minute. I hate bootcamp workout’s. First off I hate being told what to do, then you combine that with someone yelling at you, all while doing something hard that my body does not want to do. Yep not my favorite. In my mind this is exactly what Barry’s was going to be. So the idea of doing Barry’s was not because I really wanted to try the workout, it was because I wanted to see what the hype was about.

When I made my way to Barry’s for the first time I was impressed by the facilities, it was new sleek, and just gave you a feeling of being part of the elite. They are located right across from the ballpark, so getting there early morning to park was not a huge hassle. The class was packed with a mix of men and women, all of which were extremely attractive and fit. San Francisco in general is a young and fit city, but the people here were  the cream of the crop.

The class was broken out into 4 segments, all about 10-15 minutes in length. You have the option to start either on the floor with weights or on the treadmill. I of course picked the treadmill as I wanted to end with weights. All of the segments were focused on high intensity workouts. You would go all out, then break for a minute, then go all out again, and so forth. The first segment was focused on sprinting and by the end of it I was already sweating a ton. Then we swapped with the group on the floor and started with the weights. This particular class was focused on arms and back, so all of the weight exercises involved those muscle groups. Again it was all about the high intensity reps. After the weight segment was complete we traded again and I went back to the treadmill. This time it was focused on hills and taking the treadmill into dynamic mode where you move the machine. I have to say it was HARD! There were moments where I almost had to stop, but of course being super competitive I pushed through. Next was back to the floor to wrap up weights.

By the end of class I felt as worked as I do after an hour long spinning class at full intensity. I loved the combination of cardio and strength training. To me it is the perfect combination! I have now gone to Barry’s a handful of times and every time I leave with a smile on my face and exhausted. Did I mention they also have really amazing bath products in the locker room! It makes getting ready there quite enjoyable.

The one downside of Barry’s is the price. It is about $30 a class, which for me was probably the main reason I had not already tried it. But low and behold, my new lover Class Pass offers Barry’s Bootcamp. I highly recommend trying Barry’s for anyone who wants a group fitness class that is different and will work your body!. I am already looking forward to going later this week.