Boot-camp benefits: “my new exercise routine has changed my life.”
Imani A. Dawson
My weight-loss journey is winding down to a slow but steady close (just one month to go!). Thanks to the support I’ve received from friends, family and the experts enlisted to help me make life-altering changes, my weight and body-fat percentage have dropped. Since I want to finish strong, I decided to shake up my usual gym routine with a boot-camp-type fitness class offered in my neighborhood.
True Control Hard Core Boot Camp has profoundly changed my life–and my sleep schedule. I used to snooze until almost nine, but now five days a week my alarm clock blares at 4:20 a.m. I don the issued uniform of a T-shirt, black pants and running shoes, and sprint the five blocks to the dance center on West 145th Street in Manhattan where the class is headquartered, while the neighborhood around me sleeps. I arrive, panting already, as sergeant Keisher A. Glymph and drill sergeant Lisa A. Dennis (pictured above left and right), both certified personal trainers, beckon the “troops” to line up for roll call.
Our 1 1/2-hour sessions, consisting of calisthenics, strength training and cardio, are intense. Many mornings, I wake up with aching arm and leg muscles. And I’ve had to amend my nighttime schedule, since I’m completely worn out by the end of the day: No hanging out with friends until the wee hours or working on deadlines until 3 a.m. But it’s worth it. Two weeks in, I’m already seeing increased muscle definition.
Although the six-week program is grueling, it’s forced me to tap into a reservoir of discipline I didn’t know I had. I’ve learned to prioritize my time and juggle my myriad responsibilities, including a new 9 1/2-hour-a-day job as a writer/researcher for a major television network, freelance projects and weekly meetings to discuss my food issues with clinical psychologist Jean Petrucelli, Ph.D.
Getting my butt kicked in boot camp has also made it easier for me to follow suggestions from nutritionist Suki Hertz, M.S., R.D. I’m so tired at night that I’m not tempted to snack on sweets. Working hard on my body makes me want to eat more healthful foods. My mind and my body are feeling fit.
Weighing In
Month 1
Height: 5’4″
Weight: 179 lbs.
Body fat: 32%
V[O.sub.2] max*: 33.7 ml/kg/min
Aerobic fitness: average
Resting blood pressure: 114/80 (normal)
Cholesterol: 145 (desirable)
Month 5
Weight: 163 lbs.
Pounds lost: 16
Body fat: 27%
Body fat lost: 5%
Month 10
Weight: 162 lbs.
Pounds lost: 17
Body fat: 25%
Body fat lost: 7%
Month 11
Weight: 156 lbs.
Net pounds lost: 23 lbs.
Body fat: 23%
Body fat lost: 9%
RELATED ARTICLE: Imani’s Words of Wisdom
* Fitness Tip After first building a base, jump-start your workout by signing up for an intense exercise program.
* Food Tip Don’t sabotage your results with fatty snacks.
COPYRIGHT 2005 Weider Publications
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group
