I tried a Barry’s fitness class and I was not prepared

Exercise has always been a chore for me, if I had a pound for every time I bought a gym membership hoping to “get in shape” and never showed up, I’d be loaded.

That’s why I was a bit anxious to attend a gym class at Barry’s, opening tomorrow in Liverpool city center, for one of their ‘high intensity’ classes. Anything with the phrase ‘high intensity’ is enough to put me off; To be honest, I’d rather stick with some Netflix and eat some chips, but I thought I might as well give it a try.

Barry’s describes itself as a ’boutique’ fitness brand with ‘world famous’ workouts that are particularly popular with celebrities. It has studios around the world, including London and Manchester, and is now launching a studio on the top floor of the swanky new Flannels department store, which opens to the public tomorrow, June 23.

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The gym

Let’s talk about the gym, because this particular Liverpool studio is known as the ‘Red Room’, which looks like it’s straight out of Fifty Shades of Grey. That was enough to throw me off, though I wouldn’t have minded if Christian Gray walked in.

The studio was very stylish – I mean bright red lights, mirrors, neon signs, and it even has its own protein shake bar. I’m used to working out at home (on rare occasions) with an exercise mat from Amazon, some weights I found on the Facebook marketplace, and a dog that keeps licking my face when I do sit-ups, so this was a real treat. I say

The gym had a really intimidating presence, but that was definitely not a bad thing. The bright red lights combined with the blaring music and loud fitness instructor made me want to start moving, and trust me, it takes a lot to get me moving!

Although I haven’t been to many, I can honestly say I’ve never been to a gym like Barry’s before. It was modern, cool, and almost motivating in a weird way. As soon as I saw a huge line of treadmills with a row of mirrors right in front of them, I wished I had put a little more effort into my hair and makeup that day.

Around the room were exercise steps, weights, mats, and exercise equipment in the corner. The music really enhanced the atmosphere in the space, combined with a terrifying (yet charming) fitness instructor with a microphone barking orders in an intimidating manner.

exercise class

You may think I’m being self-deprecating, but I was definitely the unhealthiest there. Why you ask? Well, probably because I had to leave the room 20 minutes into the warm-up because I really felt like I was going to collapse.

That, combined with the fact that I was training in a cheap pair of Asda trainers and a baggy T-shirt, didn’t help. But aesthetics aren’t everything, and they still made me feel very welcome.

I don’t think it helped being surrounded by incredibly fit people, including the one and only Jamie Carragher, who undoubtedly embarrassed me on the treadmill. But I didn’t let that stop me, I stayed motivated, and after my brief dizziness and a few sips of water, I was back on the treadmill for the rest of the warm-up.

After running on the treadmill for what seemed like forever, it was time to go to the center of the room and do a series of push-ups, mountain climbers, and that horrible exercise that nobody likes: burpees. At least after the first round we were able to relax a bit, right? Wrong. It was time to get back on the treadmill: there is no rest for the wicked.

We repeat the same process three times with a variety of different exercises, as well as weight-bearing exercises, including chess presses. Sweat was really pouring off me and once again I regretted choosing to wear a big, baggy t-shirt that seemed to trap heat on my body.

As time went on, I took more and more breaks, but luckily I wasn’t alone: ​​a lovely lady next to me exclaimed, “I can’t do this!” – which made me feel a little better. I know I sound like I’m moaning, but the training camp that felt like hell on earth at the time actually ended up being great in the end.

The verdict

Of course, at one point I felt like I was going to die, but I actually ended up really enjoying my first training camp at Barry’s. This particular class was chest, back, and abs for an hour, but boy, did it feel like longer.

The staff were incredibly charming, they didn’t make me feel embarrassed or inferior and they made me feel good about my pathetic attempt during the session. So if you want to attend an exercise class that will make you break a sweat, Barry’s is definitely the place to go.

My visit felt like a pretty luxurious experience considering I’m used to the old PureGym. I’ve never been to a gym before where they make you your own protein shake after you work out, but it was a lovely touch.

One class will cost you £20 each, or you can choose three classes for £55, five for £89 and so on. An ‘OG’ package will get you 50 classes for a whopping £540, which works out to £10 per class.

That said, a workout class at Barry’s is definitely an experience, but if you go into it with the right mindset, it can be absolutely brilliant. It is well worth the money? I think so, but I’m not sure I want to go back with the current state of my bank balance.

Just make sure you pick up a towel before you head to the studio, because you’re going to need it. I’m definitely going to be sore in the morning.

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