Bye Bye Barry's

the drawbacks of patriarchal movement

“Beware.” My friend’s stern warning before my first Barry’s class came as no surprise.

It’s not that I was unprepared or unathletic. I grew up playing every sport (field hockey, downhill ski racing, softball, track, basketball, lacrosse, crew…) and have always been involved in fitness. I’d say that I’m more athletic than the average Joe. Similarly, my friend whose warning made me think twice is a retired Division 1 field hockey player. She’s used to intense lifts, challenging physical fitness benchmarks, and exhausting cardio training. Yet, she pulled her hamstring at Barry’s.

With a sample size of one, and online chatter as my only other source of Barry’s knowledge, I decided to see for myself.

If you’re remotely involved in athletics in the twenty-first century, you know Barry’s, and you know that it’s famous for its killer workouts. Barry’s is a cardio/HIIT/strength gym class whose iconic “red room” is known internationally. Since its inception in 1998, Barry’s has infiltrated the fitness industry and now includes over 84 studios world wide. According to their website, they’re known as the “best workout in the world.”

While each class and instructor are unique, the themes remain the same: efficiency and results. Barry’s signature class is just fifty minutes. It has a cardio component (classically running on a treadmill, or now sometimes cycling) and a lifting component. It’s marketed to the too-busy-to-workout finance bro who wants to shred at his lunch break. You get it.

Worth a shot, right? I thought so, too.

I arrived at my first Barry’s class after embarking on a five year (and counting) wellness journey. While I played varsity field hockey throughout college, my postgrad fitness routine looks quite different. Years ago, a few tough infections mixed with severe stress left me with debilitating symptoms - some of which I still deal with today. I’ve completely revamped my workout routine. Now, I generally look for sustainable movement options where I’m encouraged to reconnect with my body. For me, this looks like yoga, Pilates, and walking. I occasionally mix in running or other high-intensity workouts, but this is quite rare.

However, I thought it’d be worth dusting off my sneakers to see what Barry’s was all about. I took two Barry’s classes in Manhattan. Here are my thoughts:

I found the actual Barry’s class just short of appalling. There was no warm up. There was no bicycle tutorial. There was no lifting guidance (and boy, did people need it!). There was a 30 second group stretch to end class. In short: it was completely unsustainable.

In contrast, playing college sports valued staying healthy. We spent lift sessions with trainers and coaches watching our every move. We were taught good form. We were corrected with every mistake. We warmed up for many minutes. We cooled down. We learned about hydration and nutrition. It wasn’t perfect, but there was clear attention on competing and improving in a sustainable way.

After living in my little bubble of varsity sports (and guided lifts, and yoga, and breathwork, and instructors thoughtfully explaining every motion), I was shocked at the reality of New Yorkers’ Barry’s lunch breaks. The goal of the class was clearly to run/bike/lift the hardest and get the most ripped in 50 minutes. Whoever did that got some implied prize: the pride of “winning,” the attention of their classmates, and the approval of the instructor. But, being macho without guidance comes at a steep cost. Especially for adults. You’re not in your 7th grade gymnastics class anymore, Sharon.

This is where I’m introducing the term patriarchal movement. I just made it up. By saying patriarchal movement, I’m talking about fitness being an all-gas-no-breaks experience, like at Barry’s. Barry’s is a class rooted in historically male themes like domination, aggression, and toughness. Another important value that Barry’s requires is ignoring your body in effort to improve.

I’d argue that an aggressive workout can sometimes be beneficial; you can see results. However, the core of patriarchal movement includes these aggressive themes in combination with no cross-checks. There is little learning and no checking in with your body. There is little to no stretching. There is little to no teaching. The unfortunate and unsurprising reality of patriarchal movement is that many people get injured.

Barry’s, while many enjoy its intensity and ass-kicking, isn’t a sustainable workout option. It doesn’t teach you how to stay healthy; it teaches you to disregard your body and push on in a potentially dangerous way. It isn’t a practice of longevity and therefore, it isn’t a wellness practice.

The problem of patriarchal movement isn’t singular to the two instructors whose classes I took, nor Barry’s as a whole. It’s a broader movement that’s captured the time, energy, and money of tens of thousands of people, leaving them temporarily more fit but also more prone to injury. I have a huge problem with this.

Ultimately, we are all in the drivers seat of our own fitness journey. We choose whichever fitness options work best for us and help us work toward our goals. If you choose Barry’s (or another flavor of it, like Orangetheory), be cognizant of your body. Even if it isn’t done in class, warm up and cool down as needed. Watch YouTube videos to learn proper lifting form. Be smart about fitness, so that you can continue building upon each workout.

Take care of yourself.

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RECS: hii - PS, I’m including a “Discounts on Past Favorite Things” section at the bottom of each article. This new section includes codes that I’ve asked various companies for, to ensure that you get the lowest possible price if you want to try ‘em out! I hope you love each place & thing as much as I do.

Gold Star⭐: The top recommendation of the week in any category.

• Wicked. Not just any production achieves a 90% score on Rotten Tomatoes - but Wicked did. To say that I was absolutely blown away by this movie is a total understatement. I’m someone who can’t sit still for an entire movie, let alone a TV episode. However, Wicked captured my attention from the first minute through the ending credits. First off, Cynthia Erivo is a gift to this earth. I’m not joking - her talent and grace is unmatched by anyone I have ever seen, in the public eye or not. And, her movie counterpart (and now real life bestie too), Ariana Grande, has the perfect angelic voice to match. Three main pieces about the movie were particularly impressive. The first is that Ariana and Cynthia sung live, meaning that they belted out some of the most technically challenging songs while acting, dancing, and performing stunts. This is unheard of in the modern day cinema. The second is that Cynthia performed her own stunts, which involved training for months in a harness contraption to appear to fly 360 degrees on a broomstick - all whilst singing and acting. In interviews, she noted that she had to completely change her breathing patterns to sing. Finally, the set creators prioritized real-life immersion to the nth degree. They built multiple feats, from the entire city of Munchkinland to a working, moving train. The movie rented out a European tulip farm and planted nine million tulips, just to immerse the viewers. I haven’t even mentioned the sound track… you just need to listen.

Food Recs:

• Shipwreck Seafood Boutique, Williamsburg and Bed Stuy, Brooklyn. If you’re looking for an excellent fish fry dinner or just some filets to cook later, Shipwreck is your spot. I stumbled into their Bed Stuy location on a walk and was immediately greeted by its owner, Joey. With excitement, he told me an abbreviated story of how Shipwreck came to be: his own hard work, entrepreneurial spirit, and desire to serve his community. Also - you know how if you walk into a seafood market, the stench of ready-to-be-cooked fish hits you like a wall? Well, to my surprise, this didn’t happen at Shipwreck. Because Joey sources his fish fresh from local markets earlier that day (read: he wakes up in the wee hours of the morning to get Brooklyn the best of the best fish!), they don’t have that fishy smell.

  

  Joey and a Shipwreck employee at their Bed Stuy location.

Health & Wellness Recs:

• Othership, Flatiron. This wellness spot is one-of-a-kind. Othership incorporates sauna, ice bath, breathwork, aromatherapy, and sound therapy to create the ideal wellness class experience. Their classes range in content - some are energizing and others are calming. Most have a community component (all except for the few unguided classes they offer). Their guides/class leaders have been friendly and approachable for all sessions that I’ve attended. The space itself is luxurious, relaxing, thoughtful, and health-conscious. It’s easy to be transported into a calming mentality after walking off the streets in Flatiron. Because I’m a part of their community, they gave my readers a 2-for-1 class deal here. Or, you can buy class packs for 11% off with the code HANNAHCHRISTIAN (can only use once!).

Shots from Othership's monthly Social Playground event.

• Sui Yoga, SoHo. Sui is a staple in my yoga practice. Their classes are split into three temperatures in the Sage, Earth, and Sky studios respectively, which are all under the same roof in SoHo. Sui offers a variety of classes from vinyasa to restorative to breathwork. My favorites are the Sui Soul Flow, Sui Sun Moon, and Sui Release Breathwork with Ozzy, Luna, or AJ. Many of their yoga classes incorporate a small period of vocal release and erratic dance at the very end, which is unique (and slightly scary/shocking at first lol), invigorating, and a fabulous way to release. Their newly refurbished studio now includes a lobby area with tables to work and chat, and a coffee/snack bar. Pro tip: try out Sui via ClassPass to get the cheapest price.

Community & Event Recs:

• Faurschou, Greenpoint, Brooklyn. This contemporary art museum has international hubs in Copenhagen, New York, and Beijing that host rotating exhibitions. Currently, their Greenpoint location features a solo exhibition by Ai Weiwei entitled “What You See is What You See.” Most of his striking pieces are created with Legos and other toy bricks. Weiwei’s work was influenced by his time in New York City in the 1980s, politics, and more. Faurschou is open layout is quite airy and expansive, in contrast to neighboring venues and neighborhoods.

  

  

  Faurschou Greenpoint, featuring the works of Ai Weiwei.

Discounts on Past Favorite Things:

• Sakara Life, use code NONOTESSAKARA for 30% off though 12/2!!

• Jamie’s Farm Granola, use code HANELIZAB3TH for 20% off

Have eyes on something fun in the city? Comment below so that I can try it.

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x Hannah