NTC at Barry’s Bootcamp

With world class trainers and a list of celebrity clientele as long as your arm, Barry’s Bootcamp can take credit for some of the best bodies in the business, including Katie Holmes and Jessica Alba. Currently we only have one studio in London, opposite Euston station, but 2015 is bringing us Barry’s East, which will be located in Finsbury Square. There’s definitely a growing niche for boutique fitness studios in London and Barry’s Bootcamp is among the forerunners of this trend. Reputed to be the ‘hardest workout in the world’, burning up to 1,000 calories in an hour, it combines a mixture of HIIT with strength training. The class is split in half; one group starts off on state of the art treads while the other half uses dumbbells and resistance bands on the floor. There is a definite militant feel running through the studio. The trainers are tough, and the interior is reminiscent of an army barrack. Although the changing rooms come fully equipped with GHDs. Yesterday I was lucky enough to attend the Nike Training Club class at Barry’s, taken by the legendary Anya Lahiri. Of course I was almost late because I was stuck on the Victoria line, but I arrived just in time to see girls milling about in their lycra, and Anya’s dog Crusoe padding about the reception area. I placed my order for a post-class protein shake, stuffed my bag in a locker and headed into the studio. I grabbed a pair of dumbbells and found a space on the floor. Anya had us start off with weighted squats, then we were straight into a brutal sequence of lunges, bicep curls, tricep extensions, upper cuts, reverse flies and kick backs. My arms were trembling by the time I was allowed to put my dumbells down and take my place on a treadmill. For the next 15 minutes  Anya pushed us through some sweaty sprint intervals, including a particularly painful uphill climb on a 10% incline. For the second half of the floor session, Anya pushed us through exercises that targeted our core, such as weighted plank rows, jackknifes and Russian twists. I felt a sudden burst of energy when I stepped back onto the treadmill to finish the class. When you know you’ve only got one final push, you really want to give it everything. I love a workout that targets the whole body because it keeps you motivated the whole way through. I also loved the peanut butter shake afterwards. Ice cold and ready and waiting for you; a girl could get used to that kind of treatment. I may have protested loudly once or twice, but I definitely pushed myself hard in Anya’s class and I have the DOMS today to prove it.