Boxing vs Barry's Bootcamp
Barry's is the boutique fitness class that charges £28 to £32 per session in London. Boxing charges £5 to £10. Both promise an intense workout. One teaches you a skill. The other gives you a treadmill under red lights. Here is what you actually get for your money.
The Core Difference
Boxing
A centuries-old combat discipline. Technique-driven, coach-led, progressively challenging as your skills develop.
- • Punching technique, footwork, defence
- • Pad work, bag work, conditioning
- • Coach corrections in real time
- • Progressive skill development
- • £5-£10 per session
Barry's Bootcamp
A premium boutique fitness class. 50-60 minutes split between treadmill running and floor-based strength work.
- • Treadmill intervals (25-30 minutes)
- • Floor work with dumbbells and resistance bands
- • Red-lit studio, loud music, high energy
- • Themed classes (arms and abs, chest and back)
- • £20-£32 per class in London
Barry's is a workout. Boxing is a discipline. That is the fundamental difference. Barry's gives you a high-energy, instructor-led session that follows a set format: run on a treadmill, do strength exercises on the floor, repeat. It is well-produced and intense. But the session you do on day one is structurally identical to the session you do on day three hundred.
Boxing progresses. Your second month looks different from your first. Your sixth month looks different from your third. You are building layers of skill: timing, distance, defensive reactions, combination fluency. There is always something new to learn, which is why people train boxing for decades.
Cost: The Uncomfortable Gap
London pricing comparison
Barry's pricing from Cosmopolitan UK review
This is where the comparison gets stark. A single Barry's class in London costs £20 to £32 depending on location and time slot. Train three times a week and you are spending £240 to £384 per month. Five-class passes bring the per-session cost down slightly (£89 to £125 for five) but it is still a significant outlay.
At Honour and Glory, sessions are £5 to £10. No contracts. No membership fees. No joining fee. Three sessions a week for a month costs £60 to £120. That is the price of two or three Barry's classes.
Workout Quality
Credit where it is due: Barry's delivers an intense session. The combination of treadmill sprints and strength work is effective for calorie burn and general conditioning. Reviews consistently praise the energy, the music, and the motivational coaching style. You will leave tired.
Boxing also leaves you tired, but the fatigue is different. In boxing, your brain is working as hard as your body. You are reading a coach's movements, reacting to pad calls, maintaining defensive awareness, and stringing together combinations while your heart rate sits in the red. That cognitive demand means boxing develops coordination, reaction speed, and mental sharpness that treadmill running simply does not touch.
The calorie burn is comparable. Both activities burn 500 to 800 calories per hour at moderate to high intensity. The difference is what you build alongside those burned calories.
What You Are Actually Paying For
Barry's charges premium prices because of the experience: the studio fit-out, the lighting, the sound system, the brand. The workout itself is treadmill intervals and dumbbell exercises. These are things you could do in any gym for a fraction of the price. You are paying for atmosphere, not technique.
At a boxing gym, you are paying for coaching. A good boxing coach corrects your stance, adjusts your punching mechanics, and structures your development over time. That is a fundamentally different value proposition. You are not paying for vibes. You are paying for knowledge transfer.
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Which Should You Choose?
Choose boxing if:
- • You want to learn a real skill alongside getting fit
- • You prefer £5-£10/session over £28-£32/class
- • You want progressive development, not the same format
- • Self-defence ability is a bonus you value
- • You prefer substance over studio aesthetics
Choose Barry's if:
- • The boutique studio experience motivates you
- • You enjoy treadmill-based training
- • You want a structured class with zero thinking
- • The social and brand aspects appeal to you
- • Budget is not a primary consideration
Our honest take: Barry's is a polished fitness product. The sessions are hard, the studios look great, and plenty of people love it. But at £28 to £32 per class, you are paying Michelin-star prices for a treadmill workout. Boxing delivers equal intensity, teaches a genuine skill, and costs a fraction of the price.
We are a boxing gym, so take this with appropriate context. But the maths speaks for itself. Want to see for yourself? Book a free session and find out.
See also: Boxing vs Orangetheory | Boxing vs F45 | Boxing vs HYROX
The best way to decide? Come and try it.
Your first session is free. No contract, no commitment.
Book Your Free Boxing Session
Your first session is free. No contract, no joining fee, no catches.
📍 122 Broad Walk, SE3 8ND · Pay as you go from £5