Barry’s x Björn Borg - Training that brings energy, strength & community

Barry’s and Björn Borg come together in the Train To Live Challenge

High pulse, heavy weights, music that pushes you forward and the feeling of being part of something bigger. Barry’s is the training studio where strength and cardio meet in the iconic Red Room, and where every class is built on energy, tempo and community.

Björn Borg has collaborated with Barry’s for several years, including hosting the popular Train To Live Challenge, to inspire more people to find joy in training, build consistency and discover the power of movement.

Inside the Red Room: Training, community and the power of showing up

We met Sia Shirpey, who has been a trainer at Barry’s since 2017 and was part of the team that helped launch Barry’s in Stockholm and the Nordics, and Karin Lundström, who has also been a trainer at Barry’s for several years, to talk about training, community, motivation and why Barry’s and Björn Borg are such a natural match.

What makes Barry’s unique?

Barry’s is known for its high intensity training concept, combining treadmill intervals with strength training on the floor.

The result is a workout that challenges both cardio and strength, but also a format that feels more like an experience than a regular training session.

For Sia, it is the combination that makes Barry’s special.

Why should people train at Barry’s?

- Barry’s is the best of both worlds. It is a place for people who might usually go to the gym, but who also want to add running, pulse and energy into the same session.

He describes a class where the hour goes by quickly, where the music, lighting and coaching create a strong feeling, and where training becomes something you want to come back to.

- It's packaged in a way that makes it a real training experience. Success in training is very much about consistency, and to keep coming back, it needs to feel fun.

But Barry’s is not only about the workout itself. Around the classes there is a strong community with events, social connections and a lifestyle where training becomes a natural part of everyday life.

"Barry’s is not just a place where you train, it is also a place where people meet. It is training, but also events, networking, energy and community.”

- Sia Shirpey

Train To Live Challenge

How a Barry’s class works

A classic Barry’s class is built on two parts: strength training on the floor and cardio on the treadmill.

During the session, participants move between different blocks, with the trainer guiding them through pace, weights, intervals and exercises.

Barry’s follows a global schedule where different muscle groups are in focus on different days. This makes it easy to plan your training week and create variety in your workouts.

What types of classes do you offer?

Sia:
- We follow a global schedule where different muscle groups are in focus on different days.

Mondays focus on arms, shoulders and abs. Tuesdays are lower body. Wednesdays are chest, back and abs. Thursdays are abs and ass. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays are full body classes.

For those who want to run, there are treadmill intervals. For those who prefer to focus on strength, there is often the option to choose double floor, which means doing the entire class on the floor.

- You can do both floor and treadmill, or choose double floor and do the whole session on the floor. That makes the format flexible and adaptable.

Read more about training at Barry’s here.

Training for all levels

Despite the intense atmosphere, Barry’s is designed to be adaptable for different levels.

You can walk, jog, run or sprint. You can choose lighter weights, heavier weights or adjust the pace depending on how you feel that day.

This is something Sia sees as an important part of the experience.

How are the classes adapted for both beginners and experienced participants?

- You make the class what you want it to be. We have people who walk on the treadmill, people who jog and people who run fast. On the floor, you choose your own weights.

He describes the Red Room as a place where you can step into your own bubble. The music is loud, the lighting is dark and the energy is high, but the focus is on your own body and your own experience.

The trainer guides you through the class and gives you the framework, but you adapt it to your own level. You train for yourself, not for anyone else.

How to plan your training week

Since Barry’s schedule is divided by muscle groups, it is possible to build a balanced training week with upper body, lower body and full body classes.

For anyone who wants to get started, Sia recommends keeping it simple and creating a routine that works over time.

How would you recommend planning a training week with Barry’s classes?

- A good setup is to include one upper body class, one lower body class and one full body class. That gives you a good combination and allows the body to get variation.

He also emphasizes the importance of checking in with yourself. Some periods the body can handle more, while at other times recovery needs to take up more space.

-The most important thing is to make training sustainable.

Train To Live Challenge - More than checking off classes

The Train To Live Challenge is about challenging yourself, but also about finding a training routine that works in real life.

The challenge is to participate in a certain number of sessions over a number of weeks, and for each session completed, you check it off on a board.

But it's not only the number of classes that counts. It is just as much about planning, recovery and feeling strong throughout the challenge.

What does it take to truly succeed with the Train To Live Challenge?

- The most important thing is to adapt the challenge to yourself. There are different levels and different numbers of classes, so everyone can find a level that suits them.

For those aiming for a higher level, planning becomes especially important. Spacing out the classes, varying the intensity and sometimes choosing double floor can be a smart way to stay strong all the way through.

- If you want to go for the maximum number of classes, you need to spread them out so you get recovery in between. It can also be smart to choose double floor sometimes and not run every time.

Above all, the challenge should feel motivating. Sia describes how tracker cards, encouragement from others and the feeling of seeing your own progress create energy.

"The most important thing is that it is fun. Support from others and the feeling that you are making progress mean a lot."

- Sia

The importance of community

The community that makes you come back

For Karin, trainer at Barry’s, it is the people who make the experience special. Every class holds small moments of progress.

Someone dares to push a little harder. Someone returns after a break. Someone reaches a goal they did not think was possible.

Do you have a particularly memorable moment from a class or a Train To Live Challenge?

- There are so many small hero moments in every class. We get to follow so many personal journeys.

Some have trained over a thousand classes, others are at the beginning of their journey. We get to follow life changes, races, pregnancies and new goals.

She believes Barry’s is at its strongest when people come together around something bigger than the workout itself. Events, challenges and collaborations turn training into part of a community.

- Train To Live together with Björn Borg has been special, because it shows how training can be part of life and not only about performance results.

For Karin, there is a lot of joy in Barry’s. The intensity is high, but there is always a layer of humour, music and togetherness.

- Barry’s is intense, but to me it is very much about joy. From the individual journey to the big collective community.

How to push yourself in a high intensity class

High intensity training requires both physical and mental energy. Karin’s most important tip is to give your body the right conditions before the class begins.

Do you have any tips for pushing yourself in high intensity classes?

- Be rested and make sure you have fuelled properly. If you have not slept or eaten enough, it may not be the day to train at your highest intensity.

At the same time, development comes from daring to meet resistance. Not in a way that wears the body down, but in a way that builds strength, endurance and confidence.

"Keep an open mind and allow your body to work hard. Resistance is what develops both cardio and strength. Be present in the moment and accept the challenge."

- Karin Lundström

Training as a way of life

For Karin, training is more than performance. It is a way of thinking, feeling and being.

She describes movement as something that affects wellbeing, relationships and everyday energy.

What does training mean to you?

- Training is my way of being. From a young age, I have understood the connection between movement, thinking, wellbeing and relationships.

She has trained in many different ways throughout life, from ballet to crossfit. In recent years, running has become a big part of her life, with run clubs and long distance races as an important part of her training routine.

- A typical training week includes at least three strength sessions and running, and of course training at Barry’s. Right now, there is a lot of focus on long distance races.

If you could give just one training tip, what would it be?

When Karin is asked for her single most important training tip, the answer is not about weight, distance or performance. It is about mindset.

- Ask yourself. What do you want to teach your body?

She believes many people focus on reshaping the body, but that training becomes both more fun and more sustainable when the focus is on development.

- Teach your body new things. That makes training more fun and the results better in many ways. Dare to develop. To me, that is very much Train To Live.

Why do Barry’s and Björn Borg work so well together?

Barry’s and Björn Borg meet in the view of training as something more than just a class. It is about movement, lifestyle, community and the feeling of training for something bigger than performance alone.

What makes Barry’s and Björn Borg complement each other?

Sia:
- In recent years, Björn Borg has positioned itself more towards health, training and lifestyle. It is not only pure sport, but sport lifestyle. That is where we meet.

He also sees a strong connection in the Nordic identity, the community and the approach to training as something long term.

- Barry’s is not just about being obsessed with training, it is training in a fun, long term and social way. The community around it really connects us.

Current training goals

Both Sia and Karin have clear goals with their own training, but they look different depending on where they are in life.

For Sia, who recently became a parent, training is currently about keeping the body strong, kind and injury free.

Sia:
- I have a three month old baby at home who is growing quickly, and I can feel how my body is affected when I carry him in different ways.

My goal right now is to be kind to myself in training and stay injury free.

The joy of running

For Karin, the goal is Berlin Marathon. After running both Sevilla Marathon and Copenhagen Marathon earlier this year, she now wants to reach a new personal best, without losing the joy along the way.

Karin:
- I want to reach a personal best, but I am also happy that I have an approach where the journey should be fun.

The relationships, the running weeks and the road there are also part of the goal.