My first Barry’s Bootcamp RUN x LIFT class proved to be an intense but genuinely fun workout that pushed me well outside my usual gym routine, while offering a fitting taste of the high-stakes energy behind Paramount+’s new Lioness Season 3.
I had the opportunity to experience Barry’s Bootcamp for the first time through Paramount+’s RUN x LIFT: Train Like a Lioness, and I honestly wasn’t quite sure what I was getting myself into. I had heard plenty about Barry’s before, particularly about the infamous Red Room, but there’s only so much I could understand about a workout from hearing my coworkers describe it. I work out regularly and solo at my local gym, but had no idea how a structured group class would function. Would it be easy for me? Too hard?
Walking into the studio in UWS, I was immediately met with an atmosphere that felt more like a nightclub than a traditional gym, with low lighting, loud music, and people getting ready to absolutely exhaust themselves. Since it was my first class, I arrived early and was given a quick rundown of how everything worked, which was definitely helpful before stepping into the room, since the intensity picked up right away.
The RUN x LIFT format was essentially exactly what the name suggests: half treadmill, half strength training on the “floor.” The class was broken into intervals, moving me between the Woodway treadmills (the best treadmills I have ever had the pleasure of using) and my station on the floor, with the instructor calling out different speeds, inclines, exercises, and modifications throughout. Her name was Evan, and she kept the energy at an absolute maximum the whole time. It was actually fascinating watching her monitor everybody in both the treadmill and floor sections simultaneously, keeping timing, speeds, and reps accurate for everybody.
The treadmill portion was probably the part I was most curious about going in, and it did not take long before I was questioning whether I had underestimated what I signed up for. We moved between jogging, running, sprinting, and recovery periods, with the music and instructor keeping the energy high the entire time. What I liked was that there wasn’t really any expectation that everyone had to be doing the exact same thing. The instructor gave different options for speed and intensity, so I could push myself without feeling like I had to match whoever happened to be running next to me. For example, for the jog portion, she would call out that it was time to keep the speed between 5 and 7 miles per hour, so if I was feeling up to it, I could absolutely dial it up, but if not, 5 mph was always an option. I feel like this would also help me see my progress in recurring classes, as I moved from the bottom speed of each section to the top speed over time.
Then came the LIFT portion, which gave my legs a completely different kind of challenge. We moved through a series of strength exercises using dumbbells and the bench at our station, with relatively quick transitions between movements and barely any time to rest. I’ll admit that the pace took a little getting used to, especially as someone experiencing the format for the first time. I really had to pay attention to Evan and be ready to move when she called out the next exercise, but after the initial adjustment, I found myself getting into the rhythm of it and keeping my ears open. The superset format also meant that one muscle group rested while the other took a beating, so even without major breaks, I was still able to keep going.
The combination of running and lifting made the workout feel much more complete than I expected. Just when my legs were starting to feel the treadmill, we were using them again for squats, lunges, and other strength movements. By the end, I was definitely tired, sweating like a faucet, but eager for more. Evan somehow had the same exact music taste as I did, and her blasting old Take Care-era Drake really helped push me to my absolute best. After the workout, I gulped my complimentary smoothie, eager for any respite from the heat-filled spell my body was under.
Overall, my first Barry’s experience was considerably more intense than a typical gym session, but in a way that made the workout genuinely fun. There’s something about being surrounded by a room full of people all pushing themselves, with the music blasting and the lights down, that makes it much easier to stay motivated when I would normally want to slow down. I also appreciated that the environment didn’t feel particularly judgmental, despite the reputation Barry’s has for being an intimidating workout. Everyone seemed focused on their own workout, and there were plenty of opportunities to modify things and work at my own pace. I walked out of the Red Room feeling completely spent, but also with a pretty clear understanding of why people become regulars.
For a first experience, RUN x LIFT definitely delivered the kind of challenging, high-energy workout I was hoping for, and I can see myself coming back to the Red Room again. If this class was any indication of intensity, I can expect the same from the new Season 3 of Lioness, only on Paramount+.
