Fitness Boot Camp, Day One: In which we attempt to break our intern.
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3:10 PM June 7th, 2010 by Roxanne MacManus
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When I was given the opportunity to partake in FitCamp, an intense, month-long, four-day-a-week, all-women training program put on by Fulcrum Fitness, my first thought was: Hell no, I’m not waking up at 5:45 in the morning every day for the better part of a month! But then I started to think about bootcamp in military films like Full Metal Jacket, where it appears as if the momentum of bootcamp (and probably fear) work as a conveyor belt, pushing people through the rigorous process of working out. What other chance would I have at such a regimented fitness program? I also figured I was in adequate shape for this sort of thing. I ride my bike to work usually and my last boyfriend couldn’t beat me in arm wrestling. I thought: Yes I’ll go to Fitcamp. I got this.
When I arrived at the meet I initially felt relief. The trainer, Trevor Hollingsworth, was friendly, not scary; most of the women were 30-something; and, to my delight, The Supremes’ “You can’t Hurry Love” was playing. Maybe it wouldn’t be too hard?
We started with a short run that warmed me up to the point of not needing a sweatshirt, and then moved on to circuit training that consisted of repeated high jumps, squats, running, sit-ups and lifting weights. After fifteen minutes I was exhausted, and by midway into what started to feel like an hour of agony, I thought I’d have to bow out. We hadn’t traversed walls or hopped through rows of tires, but I was still ready to keel over.
Waking up at 5:45 am was also a new addition to my day, so I didn’t get around to eating beforehand; no doubt this contributed to my dwindling energy, but by some miracle I finished the full hour. I should mention that the other women were fine. I was astonished at how quickly they jumped and shuffled, even at the bitter end.
My body had become Jello by the time it was over, and I skipped the next two days of FitCamp because I was sick (phew). I was also sore to the point of limping down staircases and walking slowly so I probably wouldn’t have been able to participate anyway. FitCamp is hard, and no doubt anyone who sticks with it will be in much better shape than when she started. I hope to be better prepared for week two.
