Barry’s Bootcamp

I enjoy coming to Barry’s a couple times a month and definitely feel like it adds important variation to my routine… the classes are CHALLENGING!
Pros:
— HARD workout that’s unlike any other studio I’ve been to
— Workout combines cardio and strength training
— All the instructors are pretty good, high-​energy and motivating
— Nice changing/​bathroom/​shower area with lockers with locks
— Free towels
— Great location near Downtown Crossing, easily accessible from the Park St train station
— SMOOTHIE BAR!
Cons:
— It can be confusing how the instructors are instructing two completely separate groups
— Little (or no) hands-​on corrections, not much attention to form… because of this, I definitely would NOT coming to Barry’s if you’re new to the work out scene because I feel like you could easily get injured at a place like this
— Do they wipe down the machines? This doesn’t bother me as much as it may for other people, but definitely a consideration

Pros: good workout pushes you a lot!
Cons:
*NOT clean. Gross to put on someone else’s nasty band with their sweat on it! No wipes/​cleaning products for members for treadmills or weights. All you can do is use a dry towel.
*No water fountain to fill your water. Only 2 sinks in the women’s locker room. You can’t even wash after using the bathroom
bc there is a line!
*no Parking close by
*weights are very messy throughout the workout
*no focus on form

The best workout in Boston! I love the combination of cardio and strength training. Yeah, I never do the recommended minimum of 15-​lb weights for women or reach the top speeds on the treadmill, but the instructors are always encouraging. I normally hate running but the instructors keep it interesting, the special treadmills don’t make my knees hurt afterward, and the endorphins are unbeatable. The bergamot body wash in the showers is something to look forward to :). I go here through ClassPass and always max out the number of classes I’m allowed each month. Love Barry’s!

Tried a 5:30 class tonight through Class Pass, and it was tough, but well worth it. Garrett (female) was very motivating and played good music. My only complaint is the person who kept farting in class. Thank goodness for the fans!

Solid workout. Just not for me.
A few of the reviews here are by people who say they dislike running, but were turned around by this class. These swayed me to try Barry’s, but I just wanted to add in my review to balance this view.
I’m not a runner. I’ve never really liked it, I admit my form isn’t great, and I’m just not great at endurance cardio. I love being active, but I have to trick myself to enjoy cardio: I like my spinning with lots of jumps, and I like getting my heart rate up with boxing gloves, kettlebells, or the the handlebar of a rowing machine on/​in my hands. Straight up running? Nah.
So after reading others’ glowing reviews, I thought: hey, if I can get an awesome workout and actually enjoy straight running, why not? But I didn’t. If you like running or sprints, you’ll probably love it. The instructor was motivating and nice, and the workout wasn’t even as torturous as I thought. It’s just a kind of feeling that I just don’t really like or get motivated by.
I also wasn’t a huge fan of the strength section — as a girl who constantly gets asked if she’s a swimmer/​gymnast/​wrestler, I didn’t like that all the resistance/​weights were so heavy. I could literally see everything that would be (further) bulked up on my body, and I didn’t want it. If you don’t have this body type, or you really want this body type, go for it.
In short: Barry’s is a really solid workout. People say it can burn up to 1000 calories; according to my heart rate monitor, I burned close to 600. If you love the intense strength and running, you’ll love it. But if you’re like me and tend to like dynamic cardio, and strength training with mostly your own body weight (or weights less than 12 pounds), you might not have the best time.

I don’t typically do fitness class reviews, but this place deserves all the praise it can get.
I am a fitness instructor as well and I tend to be picky when I say «someone is amazing». But Derek truly is. He is attentive to everyone (even in the full classes), he remembers everyone’s name once they come once or twice, he has the best music ever, and his workouts are always fresh and effective. He even remembers the fitness levels of the regulars and knows how to safely push people to their next level. I can’t say enough good things about this instructor.
The place is super clean, the sign up system is organized and Dustin, the owner, is a sweetheart. Overall, this is the best boot camp workout in Boston. I’m hooked.

I started going to Barry’s through Class Pass. I stopped using my Class Pass to do Barry’s exclusively. It is a great workout. I love the balance between intense cardio and strength training. The play list is good, the trainers are motivating. The customer service is impeccable. I really get the feel that the owners genuinely care about the well-​being of the people who work out here, which is not a vibe I get from many other exercise franchises.

I’m a little obsessed with Barry’s. I’ve been wanting to try Barry’s since it opened, about a month ago I convinced a friend to go with me, since I was WAY TOO terrified to go it alone. We walked out of Kelly’s Chest, Back and Abs class full Barry’s converts. I have taken many other classes with several other instructors and haven’t had a bad experience yet. It’s fast paced for sure and at times you miss some of the directions, but the trainers were great about modeling and showing you what to do if you missed it.
I’ve read a lot of reviews here with people looking for «more traditional» bootcamp moves, but I wouldn’t change anything. They make you work and you feel like you are working.
Seriously the only thing I wish they had was a water bubbler :)
Keep at it Barry’s!

I love the gym. I love being challenged and getting stronger (read: getting my ass kicked) When Barry’s opened up in Boston, I was hesitant to try it because running and treadmills have historically not been kind to my lower back, hips and knees. I went in expecting not to like it and walked out from that first class a believer.
What I love:
–They cater to ATHLETES — no coddling, no dumbing down classes because it’s January and people are new to working out (though new people can get an amazing workout here, you may have to modify). At most gyms when I take a class, I am one of the strongest people in the room. Not here, which motivates/​inspires me. This class pushes me way outside of my comfort zone every single time, and I have gotten so much stronger since I started taking class when they opened here — not to mention I’m a much better runner (Nicole helped me a lot with my running form). First time in my life running doesn’t hurt (though Precision Running at Equinox has also helped a lot with this).
–They have HEAVY weights!!! Most gyms max out at 15−20lb dumbbells. Here, I can use 25−30−35’s (and heavier)! With the weight work, you go at your own pace (AMRAP’s, a number of reps or timed intervals) — I like being able to not feel like I’m rushing to keep up when I’m using seriously challenging weights (as they often say in class, if you want to lift 5lb weights, go to barre class — which I actually think is a great complement to this type of workout). I have made such gains from a strength perspective in the weight I can lift, which would not have been possible at most gyms/​studios.
–It is so much less stressful when you’re going to a popular class at a peak time to have a spot already reserved — so you don’t need to show up 30 – 60 minutes prior and stalk the entrance to the room like a hawk to run in and throw elbows to get equipment and space.
–Dustin and Brian (the owners) did a really good job of hiring awesome fitness pros as their training staff. I have never taken a bad class here (which is good when you’re paying anywhere from $ 20-​$ 28/​class — if you like this place, you should stock up at their one-​time annual class sale in December). Nicole is my favorite, but I also love Chad/​Meg/​Dustin/​Brian/​Christina/​Emily/​Kelly/​Derek/​Chris. I know some people have commented in reviews about language (I think the «ass is your second face» thing is kind of awesome, but I also have a sense of humor) — if you don’t like bawdy/​real, this may not be the workout for you.
Things to know before you go:
–Bring water, though when I have run out, the smoothie bar will refill your bottle, and you can use the bathroom sinks (the water tastes fine and I have not died from drinking it). You can attend class here without paying $ 3 for water.
–If you need to shower after class before work or during lunch, you may want to duck out a few minutes early — their showers and products are AWESOME, the lines not so much. Though the same can be said for pretty much every boutique studio and most gyms (only place I’ve been to in Boston that has what I would deem as «enough» showers is the EQ Sports Club, formerly the SC/​LA — never waited there no matter what time I went).
–Arrive 5 minutes prior to class — especially important for peak time slots that sell out. They usually have a waitlist and they WILL give your spot away. Their policies are VERY clearly spelled out on their website — 12 hour cancellation, get there 5 minutes early. If you don’t like it, this may not be the workout for you.
They did just get new lockers, so the situation where people show up and there’s no place to put stuff should be alleviated. Locker rooms are nice, but small (I mean, this is downtown Boston at a studio where the focus is the workout — you don’t come here for the showers and I’d rather have a nice spacious studio). They also have lockers in the hallway outside the locker rooms if you prefer not to deal with pre/​post class madness and you are able to shower elsewhere (you WILL need a shower after this class).
I love this workout, and if you like to be challenged, you will love it too!

A lot of childish reviews here so I feel the need to step in.
1. You will change your body for the better. Do this 3 or 4 times a week and you will get results. Doesn’t matter your age, gender, fitness status… you will improve, tone up, and look and feel better.
2. You get out of it what you put into it. But that’s true with most everything.
3. Mix up your trainers. You will fall in love with a couple of them… But, switching it up is good for your muscles and keeps things interesting.
4. You will make friends. Bonding is inevitable when you are sweaty drippy messes together.
5. The music and comments may not be for everyone, but I find them humorous and motivating… it’s what makes Barry’s unique. There are lots of good trainers in this world. But good trainers who are funny and dance over you while you are on all fours doing donkey kicks with a booty band? There aren’t too many of those, and Barry’s has them in spades.
6. Yes there is 12 hour no-​cancelation policy. But, think of it as insurance. How many times do you wimp out at the last minute? Here, you can’t. You HAVE to go or you lose around 28 dollars (cost depends on the package) and that’s too annoying, so you go.
7. To the people who said the locker rooms were messy– you just had bad luck. They are usually really clean. Once in a while, due to high traffic, the staff can’t keep up. Try and be neater.
8. Just try it. You will probably like it. And I urge those people who wrote those uptight reviews to loosen up and get a sense of humor and try it again.

I am not a Barry’s Bootcamp student, and thanks to the treatment I faced in correspondence with the Boston Barry’s manager, I never will be. My friend wanted me to join her at a Barry’s class on Sunday, as I had never been before. She told me that there was a student rate that I should call the front desk to make sure I get it. I did, and the woman at the front desk told me to register online and send a photo of my student ID to
I did that, and the manager replied to my email asking me for more verification of my student enrollment status. Over the course of several emails, I (from my university email address, mind you) send them (1) my ID; (2) my student website; (3) my transcript; and (4) my grant letter explaining that I have funding next year.
In between, I explained that we don’t have enrollment verification for summer or the coming fall until later in the summer. If I was not finishing my dissertation next year, I would not have been able to prove — by the Boston manager’s standards — that I was a student. It was only (4) that the manager found acceptable as verification.
While I understand that Barry’s need verification for student discounts, the manager was snarky and rude in their emails, and quite frankly this is far beyond what I have ever had to demonstrate to prove that I am a student. I found the entire process very insulting.
The Boston manager suggested that it was corporate policy that required this level of verification. Every other gym, yoga studio, bootcamp, etc. that I have ever gone to accepts a student ID and — at most — a student email to require verification of student status.
I will not be attending the class I was planning on going to. From reviews below, I am not the only person who has had trouble with customer service, so do yourself a favor and do your workout where they actually want your money.

I had to come back and update my review after a bad phone interaction with a really douchy person at the desk.
I signed up online for a 7.40 pm class, I was going to go with my gf. She tells me she cant do that time and I call them to switch to an earlier class with 7 empty spots. As the guy explained, it was less than 12 hours prior to what he was going to consider a cancellation so he wouldn’t switch me.
It truly didn’t matter from their POV. there were empty spaces in both classes. they should have switched me. That they didn’t makes me feel like they don’t have a very good customer service outlook.
I wont be going back. You stink Barry!

So I went here because a) I’d been hearing about it for years and b) it seemed similar to one of my favorite workouts in DC (Elevate Interval Fitness).
First of all, it was extremely bro-​y, in a way that I personally found off-​putting. But more importantly, there was absolutely NO focus on form. There were definitely times I knew I was doing something wrong and no one came around to correct me. Plus, the end of class was a two minute plank where if we fell to our knees, we had to do push-​ups. The instructor kept yelling «I don’t care what you have to do to stay in it, but stay in it.» I just feel like that drives you to do planks incorrectly — I definitely was for the last 20 seconds or so.
In conclusion, the workout was fine. Elevate isn’t anywhere except DC, so if I go to a different city and this is my only treadmill/​weights workout class option I’ll take it, but for a class that’s supposed to be the best workout class ever, I was singularly unimpressed.
Bright side: their smoothies are delicious.

Uh oh… looks like I’m going to have to rain on this parade. My first instinct is to apologize for putting in a non-​stellar review, thereby trouncing on all these 5-​stars. However, as we women always seem to be apologizing for things we shouldn’t be, I’m not gonna either. (If you’re interested, Google «Sorry, not sorry» in Youtube)
As a BSC usual, unfortunately the days before holidays, evening classes are cancelled. And since I am an avid fan of Dan at BSC Boylston, and his Wednesday night bootcamp was cancelled (as all BSC classes were) due to the holiday, I wanted to do SOMETHING boot-​camp-​esque. I asked around work to see if anyone knew of a drop-​in boot camp class, and my co-​worker said she heard good things about Barry’s Bootcamp. I read all the glowing reviews here on Unilocal and registered for a single class… $ 28… yes, it’s high, but I don’t mind paying a premium for a premium product. And the reality is that the free market is what really sets the price for anything, not really businesses. If you can charge $ 28 per person and still sell out your classes, more power to ya. Price, my friends, is not really the issue.
The issue is that I think the concept and the tone of this bootcamp are great, but in execution, is where it fails.
I felt as though the class was repetitive in nature, and unimaginative. The footprint of this shop is too small, I was hoping to have some room for some drills on the floor, led by the instructor: footballers, frog hops, jumping jacks, etc. There was no room, so instead it was simply high rep, medium weight basic exercises that were very boilerplate.
I had a difficult time hearing the instructor over the music unfortunately. The music was trancey dance music for the most part, with a little hip hop type music. But because the instructor’s voice battled with the music, I often couldn’t decipher what he was saying.
The instructor himself seemed to be good. He seemed very engaged, very fit, and very attentive; he actually corrected me when I was doing a movement bilaterally, when it was supposed to be laterally (I couldn’t hear the instructions over the music). And of course I’ll be shallow and go ahead and say he was handsome, because he was.
But for the first time in a bootcamp class, I felt bored. Bored. Was it a terrible class? Well, no. Was it special? No, it wasn’t. It was just there. I found myself disinterested in the workout, which hasn’t happened to me in a long time. I consider myself to be a gym class junkie; at times I have had dual gym memberships just for a better breadth of cardio classes. This place does not live up to the image it projects. And, I felt it was too dark; I couldn’t even read the raised numbers on my weights unless I held them up to my face. So I realized I was holding an 8 in one hand, a 10 in the other.
Most importantly, though, is that for a company that touts itself on its Instragram as catering to the stars of Hollywood, and charges $ 28 for 1 hour, you better not have the following:
1. A limited number of bathrooms, with one out of service.
2. Dirty bathrooms, with a few squares of toilet paper left on the roll.
3. Overflowing garbage cans, so full that paper towels and water bottles are all over the floor.
4. Low quality towels, with holes, theadbare. These towels were almost as bad as BSC’s towels. At this price point, I had hoped for towels of the quality that Sports Club/​LA (or whatever they’re called now) uses.
5. Too few lockers. The gals that came in for the class after mine could not find an empty AND functional locker. This isn’t okay, it is basic math; you know how many people are in each class, so you should provide a sufficient locker count.
6. Musky candles burning all over the place, so much that I have a headache hours later. Seriously, I love candles and need a support group for my Bath & Body Works 3-​Wick candle addiction, but the scent is awful and offensive.
7. A locker rm resembling creepy Uncle Charlie’s unfinished basement with cold floors.
8. A non-​existent water fountain. I get it, I know you want to peddle your $ 3 water, but throw me a bone.
If you charge a premium price, fine, but ya should really provide a premium or quasi-​premium quality to those who pay it. I don’t balk at the pricepoint of this place, I balk at the execution at this pricepoint. It seems to be a place with really low overhead, so I can’t fathom the weaknesses I see here.
If you want a killer bootcamp, check out Dan at BSC at 5:30 on Wednesdays… and it’s included with your BSC membership at no extra cost. That class will hand your ass to you, but in an upbeat and fun way that has virtually no repeating exercises. Or, you could check out Yovanny, who runs a 90-​minute bootcamp somewhere in town (he used to do it at BSC), but he also still runs a 50 minute bootcamp Fridays at BSC DTX. Those are the two bootcamp options that will give you a better workout and a sharper pricepoint.

Derek’s Butt and Legs LITERALLY kicked my butt in the best way possible. I went through ClassPass and loved it so much I’m seriously considering renouncing CP to join Barry’s exclusively. Be prepared to sweat — and you better love treadmills!

I hardly pay attention to trendy fitness but this was by far one trend that puts its money where its mouth is. It’s a simple format: one minute treadmill and floor exercise intervals. I signed up to take Sarah Dussault’s class and wasn’t disappointed. She’s a fantastic instructor and gives very helpful corrections. I will definitely be back and hopefully won’t be suffering from an ear infection! It’s a reasonably priced class at $ 20. The class wasn’t packed but it was the Thanksgiving week so that’s not surprising. The clientele are young, at least younger than I; but, that’s ok. I recommend giving Barry’s Bootcamp a try.

I’d never been to a bootcamp class of any sort before, but as someone with a long fitness background and a desire to stay fit for life (I’ve done marathons/​tris/​centuries, college swimming, actual military bootcamp, assorted high school sports), I’d always wondered what they’d be like. The short story is, Barry’s is not for me.
I found their motivational techniques offensive. Some people might find comments such as «I know it hurts, but like anal, you get used to it over time» or «your ass is your second face» motivational, but I found them demeaning.
I went on an «arms» day, but found that the arms portion of the workout involved lots of bicep curls and not a lot else. (In the interest of being clear, yes, we did some brief triceps work, and yes, the bicep push-​ups we did would count as pressing and not curling, but that is about it for muscle groups activated.) There was no instruction on form and not a whole lot of attention paid to it either. We also spent half the class sprinting on a treadmill.
I’m confident I could find a better workout for free in the classes offered at my gym. Maybe a different instructor would have yielded a better experience?

A solid, 45 to 50 minute work out with an attentive, military-​esque instructor who will get you moving the entire time! As someone who has done CrossFit for almost 3 years and am training for my 4^th marathon I found the work out great for butt n’ legs (the areas its was targeting). Here is the run down:
Pros:
–nice, friendly staff (very friendly, outgoing, and personable!)
–student rates
–CLEAN space
–easy set up for class and all prepared for you to go to and from the gym easily during lunch or before work
–package deals, smoothies, and food for after class (over priced but still, available none the less).
Cons:
–sort of a cluster fuck in terms of the set up/​organization. I felt like the instruction was not great (I was sort of confused about WHAT we were to be doing) and its incredibly distracting when people in the class just stop working out. The 2 dudes next to me also loudly said to each other at the start of class, «Yo Dawg, I am so high right now…» so that sort of set the tone for the people next to me. They also were not able to do ½ the stuff consistently.
–Music wasn’t great :/​would have iced it to be louder/​more hip hop and rap

Results. That’s all I have to say.
Do this 2,3x a week and there’s no way you won’t be challenged and changed. It’s extremely difficult, yes, but it’s really hard to impossible to cheat and skate by a class, and you’ll not only have endorphins running through your body for the work day ahead, but you’ll also meet your fitness and weight loss goals. I’ve been sidelined by an injury for the last two weeks, but I can’t wait to jump back into my Barry’s routine. All the classes I’ve done so far are great — full body on Friday evenings, Arms & Abs and Butt & Legs in the AM. Expensive, yes, but if you’re someone who has a gym membership and doesn’t go or challenge yourself, this is your answer!

Today I tried my first workout at Barry’s Bootcamp and it was everything I’ve ever wanted in a total body workout. Half of the time is spent on the treadmill with half of the time working with weights. I’m the kind of girl that needs to be told what to do for a good workout and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
I usually get bored running on treadmills, but had to pay close attention to changing the incline and speed on the treadmill. It changed roughly every 30 seconds to every minute so you need to listen up and adjust appropriately. I’m big on cardio and consider myself to be in pretty good shape but this part was tough!
The weight sets were perfect. Yep — I’m a girl. And yep — I have no clue what to do when it comes to weight training, and I’ve been looking to tone up and gain more strength. Chris did a fantastic job showing what we were going to be doing and walked around the room to correct people or compliment them on their efforts. And ladies — he’s a babe. Go check him out!
Overall, my first experience was great. The staff was friendly and attentive and I’m excited to go back. There’s also a juice/​smoothie bar at Barry’s so you can fuel up on your favorite post-​workout blend. I highly recommend the Skinny PB w/​Vanilla — holy yum! Glad I got my butt kicked today at Barry’s — it totally turned this cardio-​only girl into a potential weight lifting machine.