Bakersfield Life

Charging into drills

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       It’s 5:30 a.m. The sun isn’t even up yet, and the birds won’t start chirping for at least another half hour. But while the majority of Bakersfield residents are deep in REM sleep, the ladies who attend the Bakersfield Adventure Boot Camp for Women have most likely been awake for at least an hour. They’ve reported to Mondavi Park at this most unkind hour, prepared to greet the day with a morning sweat.
Unlike traditional boot camps, there are no drill sergeants shouting orders. Everyone who is attending the camp came in the name of getting fit and having fun. “I started Bakersfield Adventure Boot Camp for Women two years ago,” says Lisa Cooper. “We meet five days a week at 5:30 a.m.” The program lasts for four weeks, and each camp session begins with a walk/jog and a warm up. From there, it’s a flurry of interval and circuit training that includes dumbbell exercises, jumping jacks, squats, and lungs. “It feels great ... and it starts your day off right,” says Tracy Wood, who has been attending the camp since February and has lost about 20 pounds. “It motivates me to eat better and gives me loads of energy.”
As the name indicates, this camp is for women only. “Nothing against the guys, but the majority of my campers wouldn't be in a boot camp if it was co-ed,” continues Cooper. “The all-women aspect creates an environment that is like a team. I see a lot of camaraderie in boot camp.”
So what if the whole boot camp idea sounds intriguing, but you’re not a member of the fairer sex and the idea of showing up to class before the dawn’s early light isn’t quite your style? You’re in luck. There are other boot camps that can accommodate varying schedules and allow men to attend classes as well.
“Get Fit Boot Camp offers three classes per day,” says owner Tim Gojich. “The class times are 5 a.m., 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.” Gojich opened the camp in 2002 with only 10 participants. He and his staff now help about 200 people get into shape per every six-week session. Classes are held at Beach Park four days a week.
The Get Fit camp sessions divide the campers into a beginning, intermediate or advanced group and the participants range in age, from about 16 to 60. Singles sign on for the classes as well as couples, such as a mother/daughter duo who want to get fit together. “The mother might be 50 and may not have worked out in a while, so she would start in the beginner group, (while) the daughter might be a volleyball player and be in good shape so she will go in the advanced group,” says Gojich. “What makes my job so fulfilling is watching that 50-year-old catch up and sometimes pass the daughter by week six.”
Given the somewhat intimidating title of “boot camp workouts,” it leads one to wonder why they’ve become so popular in Bakersfield and around the nation. “I think the beauty of a boot camp-style workout is its simplicity,” says Leigh Pozas, owner of Total Woman Fitness Centers. “Boot camps take you back to the basics, so in essence you feel like a kid again. There are no fancy dance steps or moves that you can’t get. Everybody can participate in a boot camp at their own level, have fun, and get results.”
Pozas, along with fitness instructor Sally Baker, inadvertently started the first boot camp in Bakersfield about nine years ago. They teamed up to help people prepare for the annual Volkslauf mud run that’s held in Kern County. Over the years, the run has involved slogging through a mud-soaked ditch and climbing and crawling through a pretty vicious-looking obstacle course. Pozas and Baker prepped their clients with a six-week course that involved running in the riverbed, climbing walls and stairs, and doing sprints, push-ups and pull-ups. Participation in their program has doubled every year, and according to Pozas, it ushered in a new way of training. “Now there are boot camps all over the place; can’t even count them all,” continues Pozas. “I am proud to have been the original and started this so long ago before it was a trend.” 
The 20-week and 12-week Volkslauf training sessions are co-ed and kicked off on May 17, but there’s still time to get in on the fall eight-week session that begins on Aug. 9. And by the way, you don't have to participate in the Volkslauf to take advantage of the training courses. Many of Pozas’ clients have never gone near that muddy obstacle course. They train simply to have fun and get in fantastic shape. “I truly believe that people are physically more capable than they think they are,” say Pozas. “When they figure that out and the light comes on, it is a beautiful experience.”
 
Boot camps
Bakersfield Adventure Boot Camp for Women
Lisa Cooper
Bluesky.lisa@gmail.com
BakersfieldBootCamp.com
378-8602
Mondavi Park
Four-week program
 
Get Fit Boot Camp
Tim Gojich
Tim@fitforlifegym.com
FitForLifeBootCamp.com
325-0900
Beach Park
Six-week program
 
Volkslauf Training
Leigh Pozas
TWFitness@yahoo.com
TWFitness.com
325-0208
Total Woman; 5329 Truxtun Ave.
20-week, 12-week or 8-week program