Mud=FUN!

I want to let you know how much I appreciate you and your fellow "black shirts by your side". As I approach my tenth month of boot camp, I found myself reflecting on the way home this morning about the amazing metamorphosis I have been through both mentally and physically, thanks to your team. By following a mantra, "just show up" at 5:45AM, I choose to take care of my wellness first and this better prepares me for the day to day stresses of life. For many years, I have chosen the opposite approach which left me with no energy to exercise in the pm. Physically, I am in better shape today than I have been since college. Truly amazing!!!

Rolling out of bed at 5AM has NEVER been a realistic option in my life, but this morning was especially difficult as I knew heavy rain was in the forecast. "Just showing up" on a cold, rainy morning was a gratifying success and the best way to start my 41st birth day. Rolling around in the mud was cathartic and perhaps enjoyable if you want to call it that. I may not be the youngest camper out there each morning, but as the always cheerful Emily says, "BRING IT!"

The American Boot Camp Company Changed My Life!

My friend asked me last weekend during our annual beach trip…….”Why did you finally do it this time? What was different? I have seen you go through multiple trainers and weight loss programs and you never succeeded. You are so much more confident and happier this year. The last beach trip you were out of breath carrying your suit case up the stairs and this year you were running up the stairs with a case of water and your suitcase. Also, the previous years you slept the whole vacation and this year you were up at 7AM running down the beach. What a difference a year makes.

I thought about my previous failed attempts at weight loss and I finally realized what made the difference. I finally found someone believed that I could do it and pushed me to believe the same. You taught me to believe in myself and that is what made the difference.

When previous Personal Trainers asked me to do something that was difficult I would say “ I am too fat to do that” and they would typically they would move on to an easier exercise. I remember the first time you asked me to do an AB Bridge, I told you “I am way too fat and there is no way that a 240 pound woman can do an AB Bridge. I thought you would say OK and move on to something easier but your response was different. You said that is absolutely not true and you are going to try it. I only managed to do an AB Bridge for about 10 seconds and now I can do it over 60 seconds. I also remember the first time you asked me to run. I told you that I haven’t ran in over 5 years and wasn’t plan on starting now but you convinced me that I could run and 5 months later I completed a 5K.

This has been one of the toughest journeys in my life and it is still not complete. I have lost 55 pounds and I have done more that I thought I was capable of during the last 7 months and the next 45 pounds will be the toughest.
I have had a lot of ups and down and you were always there beyond your duties as a personal trainer. You always replied to my emails when I was frustrated or discouraged and you never gave me the option of quitting.

I could never repay for all that you have done. My life has completely changed and you one of the biggest reasons.

The American Boot Camp Company has completely changed by life…….from my initial emails with Tara, personal training with Whitney and now Boot Camp. Tara was always positive and told me “Don’t worry, we will get you where you need to be”. Whitney has been simply amazing. She has encouraged me to do things that I never thought I would accomplish. Boot Camp is giving me the extra push that I need during the 2nd half of my journey. I still can’t believe that last October I couldn’t walk ½ mile and now I am attending Boot Camp.

I still have 45 pounds to lose but I have no doubt that I will succeed because of everything that you have taught me.

Thanks for teaching me to believe in myself.

Sherri

How I view myself

"The American Boot Camp Company boot camp program has changed my perspective on myself. I was always an athlete in high school, but pretty much gave up fitness in college. I always figured that, as you grow up, you lose that part of yourself...the ability to push yourself that hard and accomplish so much physically. I have always belonged to a gym and have regularly exercised. I was introduced to The American Boot Camp Company Studio in the Fall of last year. I took a core class and came home feeling weak, out of shape and a bit discouraged.

I went back and joined the Studio the next day and soon inquired about Boot Camp. I figured it would be hard, but the only thing I really worried about was getting up at 5:30am. It is now 5 months of Boot Camp later and I feel like a different person! I haven't been that strict with my diet, but I have stuck with the work outs and I am so much stronger. My mile time has dropped almost 2 full minutes and I can feel the strength in my legs as I run!

Today, I feel like a strong woman and I am officially addicted to Boot Camp! The one workout that I always talk to my friends about is the long run. I had never run that far in my life the first time we did it I was so proud! Now I enter into the local 5K races (I did one last year and walked the entire thing because I thought there was no way I could run that far!) and I am even doing a 10K this year! I still never run that far unless I am at Boot Camp.

Almost all of the instructors have made an impact on my experience. However, during my first month (when I was exhausted and intimidated) I was running behind Debbie during the long run. I told myself to just keep up with her and try not to think about how difficult it was for me. Afterwards, I told her that she was my goal during the entire run. I could tell what I had said made her feel really good about herself. At that moment, I realized that the instructors weren't just crazy people that enjoyed being up at 6:00am running backwards up hills. After that, I lightened up and really started to enjoy Boot Camp and the instructors. I have loved getting to know Debbie better and all of the instructors at camp!"

- Angie, Blackburn Park Boot Camp

I wanted to get back in shape and needed to be motivated

"I wanted something that I knew was going to get me back in shape. I just needed something that would make me motivated and knew that if I paid 350.00, that I would do it. The first day that I got there and ran the mile, my time was 12:45 and I thought that I was going to die. This made me realize what TERRIBLE shape that I was in because I used to run a lot, but just hadn't in a long time. The second time that I ran it, my time was 10:45, the third was 10:02 and the fourth was 9:20. When I crossed that finish line at 9:20, I screamed woo-hoo!!!! I could not believe what an improvement I had made.

This has been a life changing experience for me. I thought that I would do Boot Camp for that one month and be done with it, but now I continue to do it because it is so wonderful. I was thinking the other day, that not only do I love this, but I feel like we are somewhat of a little family....we are all there same time everyday with the same instructors, pulling for one another to push ourselves harder and harder! It has been an amazing experience and one that I will never forget. Now, my next goal is a 9:00 minute mile!!! Hoooay!!!"

I would say one of the workouts that stood out the most in my mind was the one where we were on the lower field (baseball) and we ran circles. Mari would blow the whistle once and we would jog, then when she blew it twice we would sprint, then when she blew it again we would do either push ups, sit ups, or an ab bridge. I thought that I was going to die at the end, but loved it after-wards!"
- Kim, Blackburn Park Boot Camp