The Best Workout In The World?

“The Best Workout in the World”… It’s a punchy tagline, but Barry’s Bootcamp might just have a point when they make that claim.

Welltodo’s Emma Inkester joined the growing fan force at Barry’s Bootcamp in Euston, to find out if it’s all it’s cracked up to be.

Hailing from the fitness mecca that is LA, as so many boutique-style workouts do, Barry’s is loud, proud and highly addictive. I ventured in one afternoon on a friend’s recommendation, and have never looked back.

What was I met with that first time? An explosion of lights, music and the hardest hour of exercise I had ever done. I used to think I never got very sweaty when I worked out. Turns out I’d never actually worked out.

The basic premise of the Barry’s Bootcamp class is a split down the middle of the class, with half taking position on a line of treadmills on one side of the long mirror-lined studio, and the other half facing up to weights, medicine balls and resistance bands on the other side.

What follows is a brutal set of interval rounds, anywhere between three to thirty minutes each, with the groups swapping from floor to treadmill between each round. The running is definitely not your average jog; you’ll alternate sprints, incline runs and endurance challenges. The floor work covers an innovative mix of body weight exercises, resistance work and every ab exercise you ever knew existed and many you didn’t.

Barry’s certainly has that ‘cool’ factor too. Pre-order your protein shake from the Fuel Bar, stock up on luxury detox teas or branded workout gear after your workout, and soothe your aching muscles with Malin + Goetz products before giving yourself a quick blow dry and straighten at the Makeup Station. On Friday nights there’s even a DJ. Oh, and you may spot some rather well known faces sweating on the treadmill beside you…

But don’t be duped by the gloss, celebrities, fancy shower gels and automated lockers- the real kicker is that these guys know what they are talking about. All the trainers bar none are high-class professionals: ambassadors for brands such as Nike and Lululemon, Olympic coaches and bona fide experts. Full of knowledge and fun, and with the passion to change not only your workout routine but your outlook on life.

So is it the best workout in the world? Let’s just say we almost don’t want to write about it to retain London’s worst-kept workout secret, but it’s just too good not to share.

Barry’s Bootcamp, 163 Euston Road, London, NW1 2BH