Location: 1345 19th St. NW
Readers’ pick: Orangetheory Fitness

If the Lerner Health and Wellness Center doesn’t do it for you, head over to Dupont Circle to change up your workout routine at Barry’s Bootcamp.

On any given day, people buzz in and out of the workout studio for bootcamp classes to motivate you as soon as you walk through the doors.

I had never completed a class at Barry’s Bootcamp, and the name of it intimidated me because I thought the workout would be impossibly difficult. But once the instructor turned on the loud and upbeat music, I was more energized than nervous.

The dozens of weekly Barry’s Bootcamp classes target different areas like arms and abs on Monday and chest, back and abs on Wednesday. Classes on Friday to Sunday target the full body.

You can choose between an original class, which combines 25 minutes of sprinting and jogging on the treadmill with 25 minutes of strength training on the floor, or opt for a double floor which does not include the treadmill.

The room where the classes take place is called the “Red Room” because of the lighting which helpfully hides the sweat dripping down your face. In the front of the room, there are 30 step platforms facing a mirror where you do the floor exercises, and in the back of the room, there are 24 treadmills.

While on the treadmill, the instructor tells you what speed to adjust to when walking, jogging or sprinting. When you move to the floor, you use weights and do bodyweight exercises like burpees and squats.

While the classes aren’t cheap at $34 for a single class and $165 for a five pack, the intense workout and consistent motivation from the instructors made it worth the price tag.