SINGAPORE - Running, more often than not, bores me to tears. While I try to fit weekly 5km runs into my exercise regime, I do not enjoy them.

But there is no time for boredom during a session at Barry's Bootcamp, a workout chain from the United States that opened its first local outpost at Raffles Place in May this year. The workout combines 25 minutes on the treadmill with 25 minutes of strength and conditioning exercises, in a Red Room that mimics the dim lights and pulsing beats of a club. Well-sculpted members reportedly include celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, Justin Bieber and Victoria Beckham.