I had a great opportunity to meet a group of fantastic women recently. They were super welcoming, friendly, curious, smart, encouraging, and didn’t make me feel like a flake for being out of shape almost 20 months after my babies arrived.
The class is Booty Bootcamp led by Lisa Verbeck at Rally Sport in Boulder. As Jani, one of the women in the class, put it (and I’m paraphrasing), ‘It’s like therapy. Lisa motivates you to go hard and do the best you can.’ The gist of my conversation with Jani, who’s lost over 60 lbs working with Lisa in her Bootcamps, was the idea that, yes it’s a bootcamp (a.k.a. exercise – gasp!), and hell yeah, you’re going to work hard, but you also need that mental piece to get you coming back and want to keep working out to improve yourself. Therapy. No more excuses. Find the time. Make it happen. Lisa is that person. She is making it happen for many women. She provides that “therapy” to make you want to come back and do it again.
Lisa is also a personal trainer, working with a variety of people, including local celebrity Jeff Austin of the Yonder Mountain String Band. I was fortunate to meet Mr. Austin who was adamant that through a variety of circumstances, Lisa saved his life; motivated him change his life and get him back on a healthy track. Again, “therapy.”
I was taken by two aspects of Lisa’s Bootcamp. One was the physical. Working hard on some equipment that I’ve never heard of before. One is the Kinesis system, which is a pulley system that allows you work almost any body part and use your own range of motion, unique to you. Very simple, smooth, and yet still incredibly hard. The other unique equipment was the Fitwall. It’s like a short indoor rock climbing wall, with bands and a step you can insert; lots of strength and agility, and cardio too. Lot’s of quick movements, large and small muscle groups.
And what’s great about both these pieces of equipment is that they are very different, so you don’t get bored. Every day in class you use different equipment pushing your muscles to try different things. Cross training basically. And that’s one thing that keeps everyone motivated. Fitwall, Kinesis, free weights, bands, balls, stretching, outdoors, indoors; Lisa incorporates it all.
The other aspect was the emotional, friendly, connection these women had with each other, as well as with Lisa. They’ve all been with the class for a year or more (though you only commit financially for six week sessions). So some women are on and off, depending on their kids’ schedules, travel, work, etc. This group knew everything about each other. They text each other when they can’t show up, ask how this or that went last weekend. And they complained and whined (actually that was just me) and encouraged and lifted each other up. Lisa, of course, was the frontrunner of the encouragement. She took her time explaining all the equipment, correct range of motion and use, and encouraging and pushing the whole time.
I am a big one to stop exercising and engage in chitchat. Like with Pamela, super strong abs, the owner and baker of Outrageous Baking. Or with, Lillian working out next to me. She didn’t complain, she just worked really hard the whole time, with phone in hand, in case her babysitter (her oldest child) ran into a snafu with babysittee (her younger child). Children of the parents popped in and out, politely watched, gave hugs to Lisa. Kuvy, founder and CEO of Root PR, her kiddo was super excited to see Lisa. Such a comfortable environment. Get an intense, motivating workout in, bring your kids (or your phone), have a moment of social, move on with your day. Keep moving.
Stats:
□ Lisa Verbeck’s Booty Bootcamp at Rally Sport in Boulder
http://www.rallysportboulder.com/content/special-programs/boot-camp.php
□ Six week sessions, 3 days/week, 10:00-11:00 AM
□ Call for pricing, which is cheaper if you’re a Rally Sport member, but not necessary.
□ Rally Sport does offer daycare while you’re working out.
Adrienne Yoshihara is a SAHM, wife, teacher on a break, and loves her amazing, medically challenged dog. She is always looking for activities to do with (and without) her fantastic toddlers.
