Barry's Bootcamp/Brave Body Project
When I went to meet the trainer who led the Barry's Bootcamp class I was scheduled to take at the TriBeCa location, I was introduced to much more than the class itself (which lived up to all my expectations and more, by the way). I met the electric Lindsey Clayton, who co-founded Brave Body Project, an online-membership fitness community that supports its' members through fitness and nutrition to find their bold, brave self. Little did I know at the time that Lindsey would be starring in the new Bravo! series Work Out New Yorkpremiering next month(!), combining two of my favorite things in life-fitness and my guilty pleasure of Bravo! reality TV. But I did know this dynamo had something special from the get-go.
First, a little background on Lindsey. She grew up as a dancer and moved to NYC at the young age of 17, where she toured the world working in musical theatre. Like a lot of performers, including myself, she became certified as a trainer and fitness instructor as a part time gig on the side. She fell in love with the fitness industry and quickly became successful as a trainer. It was her dream to work at Barry's Bootcamp so she put all that she had into the selective "audition" process and has been working there and thriving ever since. One thing I love about performers turned fitness pros is that you know you can count on their energy to get you through a tough class like Barry's Bootcamp, and Lindsey brings all of hers to her classes.
The class I took at Barry's was a leg day. We worked our way through four rotations of treadmill exercises and weights on the floor. The treadmill exercises ranged from all out sprints, to incline work, backwards running and lunges to name a few. If you felt like backing off at any time, Lindsey reminded you that this was not a Planet Fitness and anything less than your very best was not an option! In-between treadmill drills we would head to our designated benches on the floor to work every last muscle in our legs. It was a fantastic, well-executed class.
I also got the pleasure of sitting down with Lindsey and hearing more about her love for Barry's and about Brave Body Project. Once her career got rolling, Lindsey appeared on the surface to have it all going for her- a never-ending list of clients and sold out daily classes. On the inside she was struggling and exhausted after saying yes to everything. After suffering an ACL injury during teaching, she was forced to take a break and re-evaluate while she recovered from surgery. This is when Brave Body Project came to life with her best friend turned business partner, Amber Rees.
Lindsey Clayton: Amber and I had always wanted to create a fitness company, we just never were able to pinpoint exactly what we wanted it to be. All we knew was we wanted to help people feel good about themselves and approach fitness in a fun, realistic and meaningful way. After many discussions (and a few bottles of prosecco later) Brave Body Project was born.
Brave Body Project is a community for people who share a passion for feeling strong, eating well, being bold and the pursuit of finding the brave in you.
We want to be an online community for people who love working out but aren’t afraid to have curves. For people who unabashedly LOVE pizza. For people who feel fear and do what they’re scared of anyways. We want to be the leaders of that community.
Since our May 4th, 2015 launch our online membership has thrived. We have clients in Dubai, London, France, Florida, Wisconsin, San Francisco, DC, New York City, and more! We love staying active with our clients on social media via Instagram @bravebodyproject and are constantly working on programming workouts and nutrition programs to keep our clients motivated, challenged and engaged.
Since my injury I have given myself fully to Brave Body Project and Barry's Bootcamp. I have taken on a small amount of truly amazing private clients who are looking to change their body and uplevel their lives. I am so happy to live the life I love and I owe it to my injury which forced me to step back and look up. To slow down and decide what was truly important in my life.
The City Skinny: Inspiration?
LC:
The clients. It's why I get up in the morning. The day to day of being a fitness instructor can be pretty intense. You have to be very "on' throughout your whole day. It can be tiring. But the moments where you see a client break through a personal barrier, where they tell you the hour they spent with you was the best hour of their day... come on, there's nothing better than knowing you're helping make a positive change in someones life.
CS: What is your favorite workout in NYC?
LC:
Barry's Bootcamp is and will always be my favorite class in NYC. The combination of HIIT training on the treadmill and weight lifting on the floor is a fitness match made in heaven. If you commit to taking Barry's your body WILL change, you WILL see results and you will become the best version of yourself inside and out.
CS: Barry's seems to have stood the test of time, and is still relevent and remains one of the best in the industry. Why do you think this is?
LC:
The fitness industry is so over-saturated right now and a lot of new methods that come out are completely a gimmick. At the end of the day, nothing substitutes a balanced nutritional plan and a strong combination of cardio and strength training. Barry's is bare bones, no frills, no gimmick fitness. You run hard, you lift heavy. You will change you body if you commit to bringing Barry's in your life.
Barry's Bootcamp has locations in NYC and the Hamptons, as well as on the West Coast, Boston and Nashville and has recently opened in the UK. Check out Brave Body Project if you need a little fitness makeover or just some daily inspiration. And, come mid-August, you can see Lindsey weekly on Work Out New York on Bravo!