Toughen up Your Fitness Routine With These Five Challenging Boot Camps

Illustration by Jeannie Phan

For the runners
Barry’s Bootcamp

Featuring intervals of treadmill running, Barry’s notorious “Red Room” is the place to go for a punishing workout that will bring you closer to your personal-best race time. Each session has an additional strength-training focus, such as arms and abs or lower body, with upbeat music and enthusiastic instructors keeping energy high the whole time. Just be sure to choose weights on the lighter side, or you’ll tap out before the 60-minute class is over.

455 Stuart St., Boston, 857-317-4826; and other locations; barrysbootcamp.com.

For the number-crunchers
Burnin’ by Ray

At his new location in the seaport, Ray Peleckas takes a data-driven approach to fitness, giving his clients the chance to measure their VO2 max (a.k.a. fitness level) and body composition in the “Bod Pod.” Video-guided workouts rotate between low-impact cardio machines—like the wacky VersaClimber, a stair-stepper of sorts for your arms—and strength moves, with an instructor on-site to fix form as needed.

157 Seaport Blvd., Boston, 857-350-4317; 4 Church St., Belmont, 617-932-1343; burninbyray.com.

For the easily bored
Burn Fitness Studio

Looking to spice up your fitness routine? Enlist in Burn Camp, and you’ll never get tired of working out. Each class differs based on the instructor leading the pack—so get ready for extra torture if you happen to land one who particularly favors burpees. Other boot-camp-style sessions include high-intensity metabolic conditioning and the interval training method known as Tabata.

867 Boylston St., Boston, 857-277-1495; 547 Columbus Ave., Boston; burnfitboston.com.

For the cross-trainers
Turnstyle Cycle & Bootcamp

Avid spinners can balance out their overused leg muscles with some core and cardio work at this indoor cycling studio’s boot-camp classes, which work forgotten arm muscles with TRX suspension training and other exercises. It’ll only make you that much stronger when you hop back on the bike for a killer beat-driven ride.

43 Fairfield St., Boston, 617-531-8922; and other locations; turnstylecycle.com.

For the outdoors aficionados
Evolve Bootcamp

Living in a city where the weather is frosty for half the year can make it hard to soak up vitamin D and get fresh air into your lungs, but it’s easier with a support group. Held everywhere from the Common to Jamaica Pond, Evolve’s classes take place outside all year long, rain or shine. You’ll use equipment such as tires, dumbbells, and your training mates for daring moves you might not otherwise try within the four walls of the gym.

84 Beacon St., Boston, 617-388-7729, evolvebootcamp.com.