By Laura CaseyContra Costa Times

Posted: 03/06/2011 01:00:00 AM PST

Updated: 03/06/2011 10:01:58 PM PST

People conjure up all sorts of wild images when you tell them you're going to take a boot camp class. They warn of barking, army-style tyrant coaches, endless squats and push-ups and buckets of sweat you'll need a mop to wipe up.

Those warnings are only about half right.

Joy Poulsen, owner of the Castro Valley-based Inspire Fitness Boot Camps, is no tyrant.

The personal trainer has been teaching boot camps for three years, including boot camps for wedding parties, at the Castro Valley Community Center. When the weather is great, the class is held on the steps and fitness courts outside. When it's cold, dark and wet, like it was when I took the 6:30 p.m. class, the workout is inside.

She says boot camps are designed to give people workouts they wouldn't get using machines in the gym.

"The beauty of working out outside is we can use the hills, grass and terrain. We do football-themed workouts in the football field, baseball-themed workouts in the baseball field," she says.

Boot camps are also team efforts and provide support to the reluctant exerciser, Poulsen says. Any boot camp will likely offer different levels of exercise for different levels of fitness. There will be people in the camp who can do everything with ease and want more, and there will be people struggling to do the basic moves.

Though Poulsen is not a tyrant, she is certainly a pusher. She says she likes to push her

Advertisement

clients beyond what they think their limits are so they get the most out of their 45-minute session with her.

Inspire Fitness coach Tina Lemming, who also teaches camp. is a pusher, too. They call her workouts "Torture by Tina," and she admits she's a bit militant.

"You really want people to excel and exceed in a way they wouldn't normally do," she says.

My workout with Inspire, which caters to women only, consisted of six stations where I was to do Tabata-inspired circuit training. Designed by Izumi Tabata in Tokyo, Tabata training is eight sets of repetitions 20 seconds long followed by 10 seconds rest followed by another 20 seconds of exercise. We did this at each station set up with either jump ropes, sand bags, a tug of war rope, TRX suspension trainers or kettle bells. So, for example, we jumped rope for 20 seconds, rested for 10, jumped for another 20 seconds then rested for another 10. We did this eight times at each station.

Finding motivation And, honestly, working out was the last thing I wanted to do the day I came to Poulsen and Lemming's class. I was tired after a work day and being pushed to my limit sounded terrible.  Yet Hayward resident Colleen Chin, 49, helped convince me that it might be fun. Chin has been working out with Inspire two times a week for a year, and she says the women in the class give her motivation.

"The people who come here are good support for me," she says. Hayward's Eileen Valderrama, 28, says when one boot camper sees another boot camper push harder, they are inspired to try to push themselves."You see someone do well, and you want to get to that point," she says.

We started the class with cardio warm-ups, your typical running in place, jumping jacks and squats.

I chose a partner, and together, we tackled the first round of exercises, the "gliders." This simple exercise essentially had us put our feet on strips of felt while we were in a push-up position on the ground. We had to glide our legs to our chests then to our sides on the slick tile floor.

"I could do this at home!" my partner said, happy that she found an exercise she could do when she's not taking the class.

While I struggled during the last few sets, Poulsen watched my form and had me come to the ground farther for a more intense workout.

Next, I went to the sand bag squats, where I squatted and lifted a seven-pound sandbag over my head. Lemming watched me as I bent, correcting my form and telling me to puff my chest "like a robin." I giggled as I played tug of war with my partner, enjoying myself as I worked my arms and legs trying to get her over the middle line. We did jump rope exercises next, then moved to the daunting TRX suspension straps, which are hooked to the ceiling and strapped to our feet for a more challenging push-up. Quality over quantity I easily did several push-ups on the TRX during the first few rounds but quickly got tired. Poulsen offered words of encouragement.

"This is your 45 minutes, ladies. Work them out! I want to see one good push-up rather than 10 bad ones!"

I turned to my partner and giggled again as I saw her fall to the floor, exausted. I tried another push-up on the TRX and failed. I was wiped out, too.

By the end of the 40-minute session, I was tired and sweating, but I didn't feel abused. We did five minutes of cool-down stretches and gave ourselves a round of applause for our good work.

Poulsen says the type of workout she leads helps build muscles because it causes muscle confusion -- the muscles don't know what they're going to do next because there is so much variety. That's why she changes the workouts every day, too.

After class, I actually felt less tired and the next day, my muscles seemed stronger, not sore.

As scary as boot camp sounds, the camp with Inspire Fitness was a solid, energizing 45 minutes. And no, I never felt like I enlisted and the squats we did had an end.

THE BASICS

MAKE SURE YOU BRING: A bottle of water, an exercise mat, good tennis shoes and a towel.

DRESS IN: Exercise clothes that you can sweat in.

BEST SUITED FOR: People who are interested in weight training and cardio.

DON'T TAKE THIS CLASS IF: You have heart or cardiovascular problems. Many moves can be modified for people with joint, knee or back issues. Talk to the instructor before class.

EXPERT SAYS: Jan Richards, a Northern California physical therapist at Kaiser Permanente Oakland, says that before you start any aerobics class, you should get clearance from your doctor. Next, observe the class to see what physical requirements are needed. Then, she says, take it slowly.

AVERAGE CALORIES BURNED: Unknown and depends on your level of exertion.

COST: Boot camp pricing varies widely per camp and depends on how many days per week you want to go. Expect to pay $130-$200 a month for camps.

FOR MORE INFO: Boot camps can be found all over the Bay Area with a simple Web search. Learn more about Inspire Fitness in Castro Valley by visiting

or calling 510-590-1433

About this series

"Trimming Trends" is an occasional feature on the various fitness crazes offered in the Bay Area. Features writer Laura Casey tries out a different class each month. If you have a suggestion for a class she should take, call her at 925-952-2697 or e-mail

.