The wait is over, fit fam. After a year of delays and setbacks, the doors to our very first Barry's, the buzzy, raved-about SoCal boutique fitness empire, have officially opened. And we’re here to say (spoiler alert): the hype is real.
Take one step inside the 6,000 square-foot studio (located on the ground floor of the Loose-Wiles building), and it's obvious that when it came to design, the brand had Nolo on the mind. Barry’s Minneapolis boasts industrial details that nod to the building's history—a Minneapolis mural, raw, wood floors, exposed brick, leather accents—while signature Barry's touches, such as neon fixtures and punchy, motivational sayings like “Barry’s and Badassery” and “best workout in the world” are apropos of the brand.
Post-sweat amenities include a fuel bar serving energizing smoothies and shakes, luxe locker rooms, an area for purchasing Barry’s merch, and even a “hall of selfies,” because, did you really go to a Barry's class if you didn't post a pic?
Photo courtesy of Barry's
Barry's Red Room
Barry's truly is black, white, and red all over.
The 50-minute classes take place inside the infamous "red room" (known for loud music, red-tinted lights, mirrors covering both walls, and a row of treadmills flanking a series of step platforms on the floor), and provides a complete, full-body workout by blending interval-based cardio routines on treadmills and strength training using equipment like free weights and resistance bands. Each day at Barry's focuses on targeting specific muscle groups, providing five different classes options: total body, full body-lower focus, full body-upper focus, chest, back and abs, and abs and ass.
Lucky for you, a handful of our editors were daring enough to enter the red room and try out the one-stop cardio and strength class. Here are our takes to help prepare you for your first Barry’s burn:
I'm really not a treadmill person, so I was almost surprised by how much I loved the class. The tread intervals were short and sweet (plus, you can 100 percent go at your own pace), and the strength portion hit practically every muscle in my body—some I barely knew I had! I was sore for two days, and I'm already planning my next trip to the red room. The immersive feel and heart-pumping music are addicting.
-Madison Bloomquist, Associate Editor
The founder was ahead of his time—something about being bathed in dark, crimson lights amid the heady vibration of bass-rattling beats nearly took me back to my clubbing days. And really, when you switch from sprints on the tread to doing free weights on the floor, you are, in a way, pop locking and dropping it. This is day three and I'm still feeling a bit creaky and you know what? I'm not even mad about it. This new mama needed her butt kicked and that's exactly what she got. I'll definitely be going back.
-Jamie Korf, Deputy Editor
For my first group fitness class in a year in a half, that was a doozy! Definitely came away sweaty and sore the next day—in a good way. The thing to know about Barry's is it's not geared toward beginners. You've got to just jump in and fake it until you can keep up. It made me miss Fly Feet, a locally owned gym that folded during the pandemic. Fly Feet had a similar program of weights/treadmill, but coaches would walk around to check your form and offer adjustments, which is important to maximize the workout and avoid injury. But I love the energy at Barry's—they've thought of everything from the selfie wall to those delicious (albeit pricey) smoothies. And if you want to look like a regular, wear black. ALL BLACK. Helps to look like you ran a marathon yesterday and will be walking a runway right after class...but the rest of us must persevere!
-Allison Kaplan, Editor-In-Chief, Twin Cities Business
I rather unexpectedly became a fitness person during the pandemic, and the one thing I still won't touch with a ten-foot pole: running. But I chanced it and hopped on the Barry's bandwagon. Fresh off a plane from Hawaii (less than 24 hours before) and still riding the honeymoon high—having lifted more mai tais than weights in the last two weeks—the red room was a kicker. Swathed in cherry light and bumpin' beats, running with my pulse in my ears felt a little like being inside a heart. The mirror-clad space is a bit intimidating, but the treadmill-lights-weights combo got me into the mindset and the other people huffing it in my peripherals quickly faded. I vote we call Barry's a bootycamp because wowza, that red-hot class worked my peach! Even as a non-runner, I didn’t mind the treadmill bits: fast paced and varied speeds. You can definitely HIIT it at your own pace, too. There were less form tips than I'd prefer—the workout is definitely for more experienced gym-ers (who know what an Arnold press is). I'm also used to a bigger core blast with my sweats, but the sprints and squats leveraged the abs, and I'm not complaining that my legs and tris were fiery the next day. The sass of the instructor was the perfect balance of cheering and challenging. Overall, I would Barry again, and my (brand-new) husband is already asking to tag along.
-Natalie Hall, Assistant Editor
I’m four months postpartum and just recently dove back into the world of fitness. Needless to say, I was equal parts nervous and pumped to set foot inside the red room. To my surprise, it was a matter of seconds that the loud music pumping and energizing atmosphere turned any pre-class jitters into excitement: I was officially motivated to kick myself into high gear and get my pre-baby strength back. My group started on the treadmill—the portion of the class I dreaded most after taking a long hiatus from cardio—and believe it or not, I came out of the class eager to hit the pavement—or tread—again. The interval-style format made the class go quickly (fret not: your sweat-soaked top will prove how hard you worked), and despite the close proximity to your neighbor, you feel comfortable going at your own pace, which can be hard to come across when in a group fitness class, in my opinion. I (to nobody's surprise) managed to make a shopping trip out of it and purchased a pair of Barry's Mpls. Lululemon align leggings—can I call it motivation to sign up for my next class? Highly suggest rewarding yourself with a smoothie afterwards (because what beats breakfast in a glass?). The class was a blast, albeit a butt-kicker, and I plan on returning for my second this Wednesday—see you there?
-Madeline Nachbar, Trend & Style Editor
Sign up (or drop in) for a single class for $30, or purchase a package, membership, or a limited-time three pack for first timers for $50. 701 N. Washington Ave., Mpls., Barrys.com
