Barry’s review london 2025: thoughts after 17 classes

Barry’s could be considered the breakthrough boutique workout globally. Created in 1998 in the US, it currently has 89 studios globally, of which 7 can be found in London.

I’m training for a marathon currently, so both strength and interval training sessions are vital. I figured, therefore, that this month was the perfect time to throw myself in and give Barry’s London a proper go - so this is what I’ve learnt in the past 17 sessions (wow).

the workout

The workouts are mostly a mix of treadmill interval workouts and strength training. Most classes work through 4-6 sessions split between bench and running with each day given a different body focus. For example, Tuesdays are lower body whilst Thursdays are arms and abs. The strength splits are great and mean that it’s physically possible to go most days. I however struggle with running everyday, particularly intense intervals so sometimes opt for ‘Double Floor’. Luckily, the Barry’s Soho branch also offers LIFT classes, which are 50 minutes of pure strength. These are my favourite - they encourage you to lift heavier and have breaks incorporated so that you can increase your strength fast. I wish they had these in other studios.

the studios

Regarding the studios, much like other brands in London, they each have a different feel.

• Barry’s Central, near Euston, was the first one in the UK and has a bigger changing room than many and sometimes bespoke shakes. The room itself feels more intimate, possibly just because of the studio feel, and is one of my favourites.

• Barry’s London East has a too-small changing room. When you offer such a sweaty workout near the city, it’s important that you have sufficient space to shower and change. It doesn’t put people off, and is better than I’ve seen in some other studios, but I’ve certainly seen queues for some of the early morning classes.

• Barry’s Soho is by far my favourite. It feels cooler, has a much bigger waiting area, and has the two class styles. The changing rooms are also much larger and feel more expensive.

If you’re saerching for the best Barry’s London studios, Soho is top of my list.

the influence

I’ve been to other HIIT classes that have clearly been influenced by Barry’s Bootcamp. 1Rebel offers Reshape and Victus Soul have HIIT & Run for example, but Barry’s still feels a little cooler, even if slightly off its original peak.

I’m sure 10 years ago, with sparkly new studios and a fresher concept, Barry’s was more mindblowing, but I can’t help but notice that as other studios have copied, they haven’t really added anything new.

The truth is that these classes are simply very effective, the trainers are encouraging and the whole experience is just fun. There’s nothing quite like sprinting to a well-chosen song whilst being encouraged by a trainer who is not uncommonly a DJ or musician on the side.

the trainers and the outcome

Trainers I particularly like are Jack Revell, Honey and Robbo. I also highly recommend the Not Yo’ Average Jo - a great tasting coffee-filled protein shake.

My fitness has noticably improved over the past month: I’ve lifted heavier, sprinted faster and recovered quicker. And (small victory) I don’t dread burpees so much anymore.

want to try barry’s free?

First-timers can book their first Barry’s London class free through this link. It may take a few hours for the class to appear in your account, so don’t panic if it’s not instant.