Intown Boot Camps Put Workouts In High Gear

 Core Fitness Boot Camp at Chastain Park (Photo by Aubrey Munford)

Boot camp. Army recruits crawling through the muck or kids sent away to learn a lesson. Here in Atlanta, thousands of seemingly sane men and women are shelling out big bucks to wake up at the crack of dawn, get bossed around and hit the ground for push-ups.

One thing’s for sure: This ain’t yoga. There are no pretzel-like positions. There’s no big red ball. It’s just you, the wet ground and a few simple moves that have weathered the test of time and exercise crazes.

Says Corey Waller, founder of Core Fitness Boot Camp: "Basic calisthenics – that’s about as complicated as it gets. It works for anyone regardless of fitness level. We have full-blown diabetics all the way to triathletes."

While almost every gym offers a boot camp class – and there are dozens – I chose five and attended a sample workout at each. A bottle of Advil later, here is what I found:

Regimen: Monday through Friday, 6 to 7 a.m., for eight weeks. Next session begins the week after Labor Day.

Cost: $605 for eight weeks.

The Drill: As with Operation Boot Camp (page 11), get ready to run between stations (sometimes going the "circuitous route," which means plodding up and down the same hill several times), stopping to do push-ups, sit-ups, lunges and derivative exercises. Once a week you’ll do a long run, starting at two miles and building up to five. Campers also keep a food log and attend more than six hours of seminars with a dietitian over the eight-week period.

Who should go? This is the original Atlanta boot camp (begun in 1998). The program lasts longer, and instructors count higher, than at any other camp. Founder and instructor Corey Waller welcomes both elite athletes and "the Curves demographic," but don’t sign on unless you’re ready to work, work, work.

Extra motivation: You know something good’s going on when trainees, many of whom have attended the camp for several years, love their trainers. When Waller arrived at the morning workout, the crowd of almost 80 people broke into a chorus of "Happy Birthday." If you require a more tangible incentive, compete in the "Boot Camp Challenge" and become eligible for the $2,500 cash prize.

Drill Sergeant Corey Weller says: "Mashed potatoes belong on your plate, not on the back of your arms!"

Reporter’s notes: In the middle of a set of bicycle crunches, one woman pointed out the beautiful canopy of trees over our heads. Another said she had seen a red-headed woodpecker only the day before. I was, alas, unable to voice my response.

Regimen: 3-5 days a week, primarily weekdays, for 30 days (total of 18 sessions). Attend the morning program from 6 to 7 a.m. or opt for the evening program starting at 6 or 6:30 p.m. You’d better show up, or others will do push-ups in your name!

Cost: $350 for new members.

The Drill: Different days target different muscle groups, but expect to get a full-body workout by running from station to station, each of which blends a new exercise with the lay of the land, and by learning "active rest." One instructor barks orders while several others keep an eye on you. They also keep an eye on your diet – too many treats in your logbook and you’re in for more push-ups! Workouts, cadence and scavenger hunts add variation.

Who should go? With multiple locations across Atlanta and relatively large group sizes (40-50 people), Operation Boot Camp caters to all ages and fitness levels.

Extra motivation: When another OBC group jogged by, a moving shadow in the morning mist, shouts of encouragement were exchanged. There’s something about mass exercising that keeps you going.

Drill Sergeant Melissa Hayes says: "I should have no friends by the end of this workout! But when the program’s over I’ll buy everyone a beer!"

Reporter’s notes: I’m officially declaring "active rest" the world’s most evil oxymoron.

Regimen: Two six-week programs convene Monday through Friday from 6 to 7 a.m., in the weeks before and after the Peachtree Road Race. The second program begins July 17.

Cost: $250 for six weeks.

The Drill: Warm-up consists of 10 minutes of jogging or speed walking around the track, as well as a stretch period. The roughly 30-person group then splits in two and begins an exercise session targeting specific muscle groups. (I was lucky enough to attend the "buns of steel" workout.) Instructor and elite runner Chip Owens usually ends the session with several 100-meter strides across the field to "jack the heart rate up one more time" and maximize fat-burning. Fridays are "long runs" of various lengths and sometimes include a swim at a neighborhood pool.

Who should go? The lengthy warm-up and stretch period will benefit older trainees, but expect to do a lot of running at this boot camp.

Extra motivation: If you’re one of the 50,000 Peachtree Road Racers who run just once a year, this is a great way to get another 30 days under your belt.

Drill Sergeant Chip Owens says: "I just want people to walk away feeling good about themselves."

Reporter’s notes: Thanks, Teach, but lying down in the dewy, unmowed grass is NOT a replacement for a morning shower.

FUN FITNESS SPRING/FALL BOOT CAMP
Candler Park, (404) 378-5775 or www.funfitnessonline.com

Regimen: Beginner/intermediate classes on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. and Saturdays at 10 a.m.; intermediate and advanced levels on Mondays at 7 p.m. Classes are 90 minutes.

Cost: Eight sessions $120; 16, $230; or 24, $350.

The Drill: Instructor Jaye Crawford will guide you through such colorfully named moves as the "whirly bird" and the ab-busting "dying cockroach," but she focuses on two exercises she mastered while doing P.T. in the Army Reserves: sit-ups and push-ups.

Who should go? With only 10-20 trainees at each session, beginners will relish the extra attention they receive. Seasoned athletes are in constant competition with their own records. Crawford is attentive to injuries.

Extra motivation: Crawford’s blend of military-style discipline and family-style nurturing is truly a rarity among boot camps. She will challenge you, yet she is visibly happy to see you succeed. A meditative stretch period and group talk at the end of each session take it down a notch and make you forget how sore you will be tomorrow.

Drill Sergeant Jaye Crawford Says: "I encourage people to drop their to-do lists and get away from their desks."

Reporter’s notes: Who does jumping jacks but kids at P.E. or recruits at P.T.? Apparently we should be doing more of them.

Regimen: Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with a bonus session on Saturday. Camp convenes at 6 a.m. or 6 p.m. and lasts one hour. Next program begins August 2.

Cost: $379, though returning campers or a campers’ buddy receive a discount.

The Drill: Mondays are for strength-building and usually include "sprint-jog-sprint" intervals or uphill runs. Wednesdays offer the challenge of a long-distance run and focus on abs, glutes and hamstrings. Fridays consist of circuit training with some anaerobic work, and Saturdays are "fun days" relay races, exercises and stretching.

Who should go? Beginners will feel at home in the modest group size (20-30 people), but instructors Josh Guerrieri and Mario Allmon will get anyone in a sweat with drawn-out push-up sets and "on the hop" transitions between exercises.

Extra motivation: It sure feels nice to get fit while contributing to this unusual company owned by Guerrieri that offers both personal training and tutoring to inner-city Atlantans (hence the title "FitWit"). It doesn’t hurt that Guerrieri and Allmon are two of the peppiest instructors around town.

Drill Sergeant Jaye Crawford says: "I am the voice inside your head that says ‘keep going’ when your own voice is saying, ‘Man, I should sit my tail down.’"

Reporter’s notes: This was my fifth and final boot camp and, coincidentally, the only one that offered a round of self-congratulatory applause at the end. I’m happy I did it, but might rethink my journalistic dedication.