“They are training for war there.”
That was the text I sent to a friend the first time I left Barry’s Fitness Studio in Washington, D.C.’s Navy Yard neighborhood. And several weeks later, I still stand by that idea.
As someone who trains in a group fitness environment 5-6 times a week, this class format was more intense, more energetic, and more adrenaline-heavy than any workout I’ve ever experienced. And I’ve tried a lot of things.
Having recently completed 550 Orangetheory classes, I was ready for the next challenge and Barry’s training felt like the most natural progression towards the type of training I wanted to do. Still, the idea that just because I did one, I was good enough for the other was completely wrong.
Barry’s vs. Orange Theory
Barry’s (originally Barry’s Bootcamp) started in West Hollywood in 1998. The fitness brand built a following by combining treadmill-based intervals with floor-based strength training, dimming the lights and blasting music. It all happened inside the trademark “red room”. Bally’s currently has 89 studios in 15 countries.
At Orangetheory, class time is divided into treadmill work and floor exercise, adding rowing to the aerobic division and focusing everything on heart rate. All members can choose to wear a monitor for an additional fee and your stats will be displayed in real time on screens within the studio.
Coaches recommend spending at least 12 minutes in the “orange zone” (hence the name Orangetheory), which corresponds to approximately 84-91% of your maximum heart rate. If you do this before each class, you’ll reportedly benefit from what the brand calls the “afterburn” effect, allowing you to continue burning calories long after you’ve left class. The coach will guide you through “base,” “push,” and “all out” paces, with each person running at a speed that puts them in their appropriate zone.
Inside Barry’s Red Room. Wally Scully/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
I went into the red room and started running on the treadmill. And I say this. “Get ready.” run for life. On Orangetheory, I ran between 4.5 and 7 mph. At Barry’s, recommended speeds are 7, 8, and 9 miles per hour, but sometimes higher. My starting speed at Bally’s was about the same as my best speed at Orangetheory, so it’s safe to say I was humbled before the first interval was over.
This is the “training for war” element I mentioned earlier. Because my first thought was “Who is chasing us and how close are they?”
The floor exercises progressed at the same speed. The Orange Theory coaches spend a fair amount of time making sure I have mastered the movements before attempting them, but Barry’s gave me a quick demo and expected me to dive in.
During the first class, I was always half a step behind my classmates, especially because of the instructor’s gaze and the loud music. However, by the third class, my speed gradually improved.
Why Barry fans are going crazy
“I think the instructors and the culture that we’re trained in is great, even though it may be difficult and you can modify it however you want,” said Jorge Cardoso, who recently celebrated his fifth anniversary as a Barry instructor. Let’s do ground training. ”
“Let’s try to push everyone the same amount, and then push everyone beyond that to a level that everyone can reach,” he said to me after class.
Cardozo himself started as a client about eight years ago, and was already in the fitness industry and teaching at other studios before falling in love with the brand. He was drawn to the club-like atmosphere and the community the studio seemed to attract.
It’s not just coaches who feel this way. My classmate Grace Ketsche said she found her way to Bally’s, as many first-timers do, by relying on word of mouth and curiosity. The Georgetown University student-athlete is no stranger to boutique fitness, having tried CrossFit, Core Power Yoga and Orangetheory, among others, but said Barry’s stands out for its level of intensity and the environment it creates.
“I loved being able to set my own pace, but also being encouraged to run faster,” she said.
The author in Barry’s infamous red room. kimberly wilson
The bottom line for me is that if you humble yourself during training, you’ll either get scared or you’ll be pulled back. In my case it was the latter.
I have now taken Barry’s classes 5 times since my first class and I have seen noticeable progress in a short amount of time. My endurance is improving, I’m reaching speeds I couldn’t have attempted on the first day, and pushing limits I didn’t know I had.
Most of all, it gave me the training foundation I needed. Because my next challenge is HYROX, a competitive fitness race that combines running and functional training stations.
However, I have not given up on Orange Theory. So, here’s the next 500.