Tag Archives: barry’s bootcamp

Barry’s, Birchbox and Women’s Health!

Posted on April 3, 2013 | 3 Comments

Yesterday I got to experience the intersection of beauty, fitness and overall health at a great event at Barry’s Bootcamp, sponsored by Women’s Health and Birchbox.

 

The class was your usual intense-as-hell, but hurts-so-good shenanigans. We began with speed and incline intervals on the treadmill for about 15 minutes. Next up was floor, we concentrated on biceps, triceps and shoulders and it burned! I was already a sweaty mess at this point, so I was having trouble just holding onto my weights.

Back to the treadmill.  This next section is what Barry’s is all about, pushing you to the point of no return. It was about 10 minutes of sprint/recovery, but oh my god, I could barely stand when it was over.  I managed to push it to 10.5 MPH for one of the 30 seconds sprints and I nearly collapsed face first on to the treadmill when it was over.  I seriously don’t know how people run entire marathons at speeds faster than this.

We finished we leg work using the booty bands and called it a day. By the end, I was a Barry’s believer more than ever!  This place will will kick your booty into shape! I’m going to have to splurge on more classes, especially closer to the wedding.  While the class is nothing you couldn’t do on your own at the gym, there something about great instructors like Joey who push you so much further than you would ever go by yourself.  This is what you can look forward to:

Running, Strength, Sweat

Afterwards I got to meet some of the awesome ladies who work at Women’s Health and Birchbox.  They are so fun! I can’t even believe that some of them read my little blog. I feel so honored. After the killer workout, we could relax with  manicures by the Color Club and some nice snacks by Barry’s new Fuel Bar, which just hit studios this month.

I grabbed my Birchbox and copy of Women’s Health on the way out!

I’ve given Birchbox subscriptions as gifts, so it was nice to have a box for myself.  Look at all those goodies!

In other news, one of my favorite things to write about is good fitness deals, and I think I have one for you today!

4 classes for less than $5 each.

Urban Daddy has a great deal on a classtivity four pack.  The deal is that your get to try 4 classes for only $19 at great studios around the city.   Some of my favorites on the list include:

The catch is that you have to be a new member to each studio that you use your credits at, which disqualifies me from most of the options on the list.  But if you’ve been wanting to try some boutique studios, but were hesitant because they are so pricey (I understand, $30 a class is tough!), this is a really great deal. I always like to try things out before deciding which places are worth investing in.
Happy Hump Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Running Playlist Winter 2013

Posted on February 9, 2013 | 4 Comments

What a sunny, snowy Saturday we have in NYC!  It’s always so bright when in snows, it makes me forget how short the winter days are!

This morning we had a date with Barry!  We got there about 15 minutes early, but true devotees apparently arrive much earlier.  I told Frank that it was probably best to do the treadmills first to get the running over with, apparently that is a popular strategy because the treadmills were gone instantly.  Hello, strength.

I grabbed 8 pound weights, in hindsight 10s would have been better.  Frank took 25s, which is just insane. This was only my second time (first time recap here), so I was expecting 15 minutes strength, 15 minutes running, 15 minutes strength, 15 minutes running.

However, after several sets of lunges with the booty bands, lots of arm work and some ab work, I started thinking, those people have been on the treadmill a LONG time.  Is this a 90 minute class?  A few minutes later, Joey announced it was a 30 on 30 off day!

Initially I wasn’t thrilled about this news, I think it’s easier mentally to get through 15 minutes on the treadmill, even if you know you have to do it twice.  However, it really wasn’t too bad.  Don’t get me wrong, there were several occasions where the last 15 seconds took everything I had and maybe a little more, but we didn’t have to go up to crazy insane speeds, topping out at 9MPH for no longer than 90 seconds. The structure was something like this…

DIY Treadmill Bootcamp (similar not identical BB):

  • 2 minute warm up at  6MPH
  • 5 minute climb (start at 7MPH and increase by .5 every minute until 9.0)
  • 1 minute recover
  • 5 minute ladder (start at 7MPH and increase by 1 MPH to 9.0 and then back down)
  • 1 minute recover
  • 5 minute climb (start at 7MPH and increase by .5 every minute until 9.0)
  • 3 minute sprint with incline (run at your top speed and increase incline to 3.0 at minute 2 and 6.0 for minute 3) x2
  • 1 minute recover
  • 90 second spring at incline of 8.0
  • 30 second recover
  • 30 second sprint

I’m definitely getting why people love Barry’s, you feel so accomplished at the end!

So back to the playlist, here is my latest. I’m definitely in love with it.

Warm Up:

Take a Walk-Passion Pit (who I saw at the Garden last night!)

Workout:

Sweet Nothing–Calvin Harris

Locked out of Heaven--Bruno Mars

Don’t Stop the Party–Pitbull (really love this for a good push)

C’Mon-Ke$ha

Thrift Shop–Macklemore and Ryan Lewis

Scream & Shout–Will.i.am (can I just say, thank god for Britney Bitch?)

Don’t You Worry Child–Swedish House Mafia

I Knew You Were Trouble–Taylor Swift <–Favorite T Swizzle song of all time

Beauty and a Beat–Justin Bieber feat Nicki Minaj

Ho Hey–Lumineer

Cool Down:

Suit and Tie–JT

 

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Posted in music, music, playlists, playlists, running, treadmill workout, workouts

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Barry’s Bootcamp Review

Posted on November 10, 2012 | 7 Comments

I really don’t know how I waited so long to try Barry’s Bootcamp.  A trendy, cardio/strength, celebrity favorite workout? Sounds right up my alley!

Fortunately, Well and Good came through with an awesome opportunity to try it out!  As I waited anxiously for the class to start, I took a sneak peek at the studio.  There were treadmills along the walls and lots of steps on the floor…hmmm running and step aerobics? I was quickly assured that I would WISH it was step aerobics. The atmosphere was dark and intense with lots of colored lights beaming down on the equipment.

After a few minutes of browsing the super cute clothing for sale, it was time to get my booty kicked.

We divided between floor and treadmill, and I decided the floor would be a safe start.  After grabbing a pair of 8 pound weights, I got myself set up at the step.

Our instructor, Joey, started off by yelling commands to the “treaders” and then he got us going with weights. I am not sure if I’ve ever seen a class where the instructor is leading two entirely different groups at the same time, but it seemed to work. I was able to follow along whether I was on the floor or on the treadmill.  After about 12 minutes of bicep curls, squats, shoulder presses and lunges and a final round of all moves put together, I was on to the treadmills.

The first round  on the treadmill was all about speedwork.  We were told to increase and decrease our speeds to jog, run or sprint accordingly. It was great to have someone really push me, and demand I go faster and longer than I would on my own.  I was shocked to run as high as 9.5 MPH.  That may be the fastest I’ve ever run on treadmill.  But for the record, the girl next to me was running at 12.5 and it looked like an easy jog to her. I didn’t even know treadmills went above 12MPH!

After just under 15 minutes of intervals it was back to the floor for round 2.  This time we had a handy booty band that was a stretchy rubber cord that was secured to each ankle.  The next set focused on the legs with donkey kicks and hydrant lifts. Some of this reminded me of a barre class with more resistance.  We finished off with a brief set of abs.

Back on the treadmill, we played with incline and speed. This set we were allowed more walk recoveries.  To be honest, I wish I had jogged through more of them, but I was saving a little because thought there would be a third round.  Even so, I pushed enough to know I would be SORE in the following days. True to prediction, my legs definitely feel the class today.

My overall assessment is that Barry’s is a great workout. It’s a good combo of strength and cardio and they really make you workout like you mean it.  The instructors really get you to push further than you think you can, in fact, they demand it.  I think it’s a good workout for men and women, but you’d want to go consistently to really see results—approximately 3-5 times a week depending on what else you are doing.

Overall, I was pretty impressed with Barry’s.  I think that due to the size of the class, a second instructor in the class might have made sure everyone’s form was perfect, but I did get several corrections throughout the class even with only one instructor.

This could definitely be my new thing. It’s around the same cost as most boutique classes ($32), so I’ll be on the look out for groupons and sales to make it a little more affordable.  Like any good class, Barry’s has no problem filling up, so you’ll want to make sure to book early to get a spot!

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