Last week I finally went to my first bootcamp fitness class. I’ve been wanting to try one out for quite some time and I’m so glad that I did. There are a handful of places in New York City that now offer bootcamp classes, all with their own spin on the concept and prices that vary from very affordable to “maybe I can do this once a month.”

After doing a bit of research, I decided to try , created and led by Adam Rosante (also a native Long Islander.) The reviews were good, the price was right and they have a kick ass slogan “Eat Clean. Train Dirty. Live Hard.” I mean how awesome is that? You can buy a 4-week package at a set rate or single classes, which are “pay what you want, “ an idea that is rare to come by these days in the fitness playground of New York City (or anywhere for that matter.) Adam’s goal was to make The People’s Bootcamp affordable for anyone, no matter what financial state they were in. In this way, you can immediately see the love and heart that he has for wanting to help people improve the health of their body and mind. That makes The People’s Bootcamp a winner in my book.

Not having experienced other bootcamp style classes, I can’t compare or comment on those. What I can say is that The People’s Bootcamp promise of a “total body and mind transformation” is pretty accurate to what you experience there. You might think that because it’s a bootcamp style class, Adam would yell at you at the top of his lungs, breaking you down, making you want to cry until you finished that 100th pushup. However, his approach is quite the opposite. Sure he yells, but not at you. He tells you to not give up and to go within yourself to find that place that’s beyond willpower. He motivates you and makes you want to push yourself. Instead of breaking you down, he lifts you up while making you work hard.

His energy is infectious and you will definitely catch yourself smiling at the same time that your quads are burning and you feel like you might drop to the ground.

The classes consist of various sets of 30-second full body moves that you do back to back with occasional 30 second rests in between. No gym, no machines…just your own body in all its glory. It’s constant and challenging. You realize what your limits are and then you realize that they are just a little bit farther than you thought, as you push your self even more. The amount that you sweat is comparable to a hot yoga class. It’s amazingly detoxifying on all levels. It’s a release and after it’s done, you feel proud of yourself for having accomplished something so hard. Adam ends the workout with some light stretching and deep breathing to allow you to go within your mind and really experience what you just achieved…and better yet, be proud of yourself for having done it.

It’s a bootcamp class that’s chaotic and meditative at the same time.

The next day, Adam partnered with Anna Jerstrom from (a California based swimwear company) and put on a fitness event in which he led a bootcamp style workout. He created this workout, called WaveShape to train surfers when they are in their off season. A fan of Calavera, and now a fan of The People’s Bootcamp, there I was going for round 2; muscles burning, sweating pouring, getting toned and feeling fierce!

I’ve taken many different fitness classes from spin to pilates to kickboxing. I enjoyed a lot of them, but not all of them. Spin has a cult following, but for some reason it’s just not my thing. You won’t love everything you try and that’s totally fine as long as you get out there and find things that you do enjoy. As I’ve mentioned before, there’s no point in doing workouts that you hate because you won’t keep up with them. There are so many different ways to stay healthy and fit. It’s about experimenting and seeing what jives for you. Comparing this workout to others I’ve tried, none have left the impression that this one has on me. I felt charged after this one, and call me crazy, but I wanted to go to a third bootcamp class after two days in a row.

This is one class that you will absolutely get results from. And you won’t just see them, you’ll feel them too.

I’m excited that I’ve found another way to change up my workout routines and I know that The People’s Bootcamp will become a regular stop for me. Remember, the more you vary up your workouts, the better results you’ll see, because you’re challenging your body in new ways and shocking your muscles.

What ways do you challenge yourself when you workout? I’d love to hear from you. Share your comments below.

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