Last week I dropped in for a session of Stacy’s Bootcamp in Central Park. This was the first time I’d done an outdoor bootcamp and while it was challenging, it was just the kind of workout I love. If you’re considering trying bootcamp, here’s a little info on Stacy’s.
The small group of about 10-12 people met at 86th Street and Central Park West at 6:55am, with an 8-pound weight, gloves and water. Once gathered, we all ran into the park and north to about 102nd Street where the real workout would begin. I run a lot, but never while holding a weight; this was much harder than I expected! I was practically out of breath before the real bootcamp began. I knew I was in for a good sweat.
We met Stacy at our workout location, the western side of the park in the 100’s (locations vary by session). The workout consisted of a warm up of squats with the weights and some push-ups. Despite the weight training I do, I have an aversion to push-ups and always opt for the easy version (I’ll do 2 pushups then let my knees hit the ground). The first thing Stacy said to me was “We only do real push ups here.” Whoops! Called out immediately! I had to suck it up and power through real push ups, as painful and hard as they are for me.
Once we were warmed up the workout consisted of different exercises using the weight and going on short runs around the park (and up hills) in between sets. Throughout the workout the main thoughts rolling through my head were “Why am I doing this?” “This is HARD” and “I thought I was in shape, why do I feel like I’m dying?” As brutal as it may have been, I love being pushed to work hard so I appreciated the tough hour. While it was exhausting, the time flew by and the hour was up quickly. When it was over, I felt great (and sweaty) and my main thought was, “I’d do that again!”
If you are looking for a challenging and intense workout, looking for REAL results, I recommend Stacy’s Bootcamp. Stacy is there to push you, but don’t expect a stereotypical bootcamp instructor yelling in your face. Stacy’s encouragement is different; she watches your form and helps you perfect it, while motivating you to push harder. Each package consists of 3 classes a week for 3 weeks for $275. If you’re weary of entering into such an intense workout, understand that each session gets harder over the 9 classes you attend. I attended class #6 so it was pretty hard, but the 3-week program you sign up for will ease you into the harder sessions, making you stronger along the way.
Check out Stacy’s Bootcamp to learn more (and drop down and give me 20!).
