Viral workouts are everywhere.
From barre to hot pilates, the “It Girl” workout has constantly been changing. Honestly, we can’t move for Hyrox posts on social media!
The latest fitness hot spot, Barry’s Studio, has arrived in Dublin. Patented as “The best workout in the world”, Barry’s was founded in West Hollywood in 1998. And according to their website “it’s the original strength and cardio interval fitness experience that provides a dynamic, high-intensity workout that’s as effective as it is fun”.
Truly, Barry’s workouts are not for the faint of heart. Especially when you step into the Red Room – a darkened space with treadmills and weights which pounds out music for an intense workout.
VIP Magazine headed behind the scenes with Master trainer Anya Lahiri to find out more about Barry’s, how workouts have changed over the years and why the Red Room has taken social media by storm…
View this post on Instagram
Anya, it’s so exciting to have the first Barry’s Studio in Ireland! Talk us through what a workout here is like…
We’re super excited for Barry to come to Ireland, now we’re open to a whole new market and to the community to see what this amazing magic workout is. It really is the best workout in the world. It’s running, it’s lifting, it’s everything your body needs. So it’s cardio on the treadmills, it’s resistance on the floor, all the elements that keep you fit and healthy. It’s brilliant for your mental health. I know so many clients who do Barry’s just for the feeling as opposed to actual physical benefits. I’m just so excited for everyone to experience what I have, which is falling in love with this place. Not only is it the workouts, it’s the community because people meet really good friends here, like-minded people.
Barry’s is a social media phenomenon. This workout has taken over the world.
We’re on our 92nd studio worldwide opening in Dublin. It really is iconic. I fell in love with Barry’s when it was two studios in California. I think we had West Hollywood and Sherman Oaks. It was a very small outfit that had a cult status. The Kardashians were massive fans and posted about it. It’s crazy to see how Barry’s has gone from that to this global phenomenon. It really is kind of testament to how brilliant the workout is. Back in those days, there were no protein shakes, no showers, there were no frills. People fell in love with this workout based on community, on instructors and on like the actual science of the workout. I think that’s why it stood the test of time, 27 years later!
Talk to us about the community aspect.
Social media is obviously brilliant because it kind of draws people in. I think when you see Barry’s on social media, you see not only the workout, you see the community that it builds. I think that is so powerful. You walk through the doors and straight away you find friends. Or if you’re new in a city, many people come to Barry’s and then suddenly they have a whole group of people that they get to know who are similar to them. So I think that’s the joy of social media. When we first opened our first studio in the UK, there was no such thing as Instagram but we still had that incredible community. During lockdown we had to flip everything onto online platforms, Barry’s went from just in studio to everywhere. I was seeing clients in Singapore, clients in Australia, clients in Dubai. That was an amazing thing just to see how this workout really does connect all over the globe. It’s not just specific to America or specific to the UK or specific to Ireland, now it is for everyone
Workouts, especially for women, have changed massively since Barry’s opened. Have you seen a different in the people coming through the doors?
I think Barry’s has been kind of crucial and fundamental in that journey to be honest because with the advent of having Barry’s move over from America, people have learned how important weights are. That’s through education, through concepts like Barry’s and understanding that weight training is so crucially important for women and osteoporosis in later life. To not have that as part of your exercise routine, you’re really you’re missing huge health trick. I think that Barry’s has been crucial in that education. Barry’s educated people and through social media have brought more women to a concept like Barry’s as well. We have the resistance, the weight training on the floor and then you’ve got the benefits of high intensity intervals, which is brilliant for your cardiovascular health and everything else.
View this post on Instagram
You spoke about the mental health aspect early. Working out is just so beneficial to not only our bodies and our minds…
This place has got me, personally, through the most challenging times of my life. Over the 14 years I’ve worked at Barry’s, I’ve had two children, I’ve had, sadl,y multiple bereavements in my family, and Barry’s has been fundamental. Not only teaching it but doing it has propped me up through the hard times. I have the privilege of seeing people’s lives and all the intricacies and things that go on in their lives. I know how Barry’s is such a huge support for those people. I wish you could bottle the feeling of doing a Barry’s class and sell it on the shelves. There’s nothing like that feeling. You do a Barry’s class, you leave the doors euphoric, and that really is better than a squat, better than a bicep curl. It’s that feeling that will make you feel like you’ve achieved something with your day.
Barry’s looks intimidating. What advice would you give someone doing it for the first time?
I would say get yourself through the doors. That’s the hardest part. Everything else will happen for you. The desk will look after you, you’ll suddenly find yourself in the room with a bunch of people who will support you, and believe it or not, 50 minutes later you’ll be like, “Wow I’ve just done my first Barry’s class, like I can do it”. I think this class really is designed for everybody. You go on your own pace, you take breaks when you need to, and the speeds on the treadmills are all guidelines. I’ll have people who are athletes and people who are complete beginners, and the instructor is trained for everyone. They know how to tailor this class for everybody.
So Barry’s has opened its first studio in Dublin, will we get more in Ireland?
Yes 100 per cent, that’s the goal. I think Barry’s always kind of grows quite organically, it’s about seeing community thrive and then looking at the next steps, but 100 per cent. Like this is the first toe in the water, so to say, in Ireland. So fingers crossed it’s going to just explode.