EmpowerFIT Boot Camp

Well, it is the end of an era for me and EmpowerFIT.
*Sniff*
Sadly, they closed their SF camp a couple of months ago due to awesome coach Jen leaving, with no plans to hire a new coach to replace her for our location.
I am super bummed that I won’t get my fix in anymore, and that I have to hunt down another camp.
I highly recommend them if you are close to their other locations as they have a great staff, and really encourage and help you reach your fitness goals, but minus 1 star for closing SF :(

I attended Alavie off and on for a few years and loved it! Since we recently relocated out of the Bay Area, I sadly can’t go anymore but it was an amazing workout. I highly recommend! I tried BootCampSF once, just to compare, but ended up going right back to Alavie. I prefer the women-​only environment and I thought Alavie was overall better organized.
I attended the Marina workouts a few years back, and I have to say, it’s pretty amazing working out by the water at sunrise. Then I switched to the Golden Gate Park section, and was still really impressed. Jen is the BEST!
Aside from working out in fresh morning air, the workouts are varied, super challenging and really push you to improve. You can tell Jen works really hard to make sure you’re never doing the same thing twice, yet still target certain areas. In a given week, you can be assured you’ve done good cardio every day, and have addressed all the major body parts. And, there’s always attention to proper form, which I really appreciate.
Alavie is a really professional, well-​organized group.

This is an up date of my 2008 review. Two years later and I am still addicted to this and not getting bored.
I also shaved 1 minute/​mile off my race pace!
I go to the GG park camp and they have reduced prices since I started. The trainers have changed but all of them are great.

I’m pretty torn about Alavie. I did the PowerVie bootcamp for 5 months last year, and felt pretty good and fit while I did them. The classes are fun and diverse, and you will DEFINITELY get a good workout. However, I stopped going after December 2008 because of two things:
1. There was hail and lighting one morning in SF and class wasn’t canceled. Call me crazy, but working out, outside in that kind of weather warrants class being rescheduled. As it turns out, the weather policy during winter is «rain or shine».
2. If you get sick, or have some sort of health issue come up, you cannot push your already paid-​for classes out to the next cycle without a Doctors note. I couldn’t get credit for the classes I missed over two weeks, because I didn’t want to share info about my own personal health situations.
I gave Alavie two stars for the coaches. Mindy and Shoshanna are both really fun, knowledgeable, and know how to motivate you. They’re awesome. Really, my issues lie with the business operations of Alavie.
Alavie is $ 210 for 4 weeks. I go to different bootcamp now; it costs $ 190 for 8 weeks. The class I go to now is a little bit bigger, and is coed, but the workouts are very similar. $ 200/​mon is a lot of money to me, and for reasons like these, I’m sad to say, my friends and I haven’t gone back.

As we all know, getting into a relationship has a whole bunch of positives, however one downside for me, was being so comfortable, or as others would say «happy», that i gained like 20lbs… heehee…and 2 years later, we’re GETTING MARRIED!!! woo-​hoo. However, walking my «happy» butt down the aisle is not an option for me=) So after much much much persuasion, my friend coaxed me into signing up… btw, you still owe me an ice cream!!!
Overall, Alavie Fitness is good for anyone… For people like me, who dread working out, its a good way to jumpstart your workout journey and give you some discipline. Since I was a newbie, I decided to commit to 3 days a week/​for 4 weeks. If you really think about it, its not that long of a commitment. We had a fitness test the 2^nd day and another one before the class ended. At least it motivated me to strive higher. We did some running, lunges, power skips, jump roping, and some other drills to build up our core… we also did excercises using resitance bands and our weights. No day is exactly the same… and the variety kept it interesting for me.
Granted, getting up to work out from 6−7am wasn’t the funnest nor was it easy, but I got there and afterwards I felt awesome… also, it was nice to get it done early in the day, as opposed to dreading going to the gym after a long day at work. It’s not the typical bootcamp where you’re doing a whole bunch of drills and getting yelled at… it’s as easy/​hard as you want to make it. YOu’re not force to do anything, but the coaches and the people are great and they really encourage you to push for better. By the 2^nd or 3^rd week, I began to notice a change in my thinking and habits… as far as what i eat and how I exercise.
I totally recommend this to anyone who has the time, and needs a good kick int he butt. If you love the gym, more power to you, but if you’re like me and you dread it or get bored easily, this is a great alternative. It was a great experience and Ill probably do it again as my wedding draws near. Thanks Alavie!

Just a few quick notes since I am a fan:
–Getting up at 4:45 in the morning is hard for everyone but you can get used to it. Early birds get the worms.
–Great work out to compliment your life style. If you jog and run, this enables you to jog and run faster. You get firmer and stronger. Your core gets stronger and, guess what, your backaches seem to be less noticeable.
–The mix workout (cardio, strength, speed) really tones your body. You tend to get hungrier. If you manage not to pig out too much, you can loose a few pounds while gaining muscle.
–I do the 3-​day camp (vs. the 5-​day). This allows me to sleep in a few days in the week and enjoy other workouts.

Waking up at 530am every other morning? Got used to that
Working out to the point of exhaustion then having to go to work? Got used to that too
Being constantly pissed off because the «trainers» would rather talk amongst themselves then lead a workout? I could never deal with that one.
It’s a great concept, and I started to really get in shape using this program. I’ll never do it again, though, because of the trainers we had for our group. Apparently, our group was a tester group for new trainers. Lucky me. The girls were younger than me (and I’m not that old) and acted like it. I would have really appreciated a boost from a spirited leader at 5:30 in the morning instead of grumpy girls who talked to themselves and read off of a piece of paper to tell us what to do next.
Heather and the new coach that came in at the end (forgot her name) were great, which would be the only reason to return. I hope the other 2 girls learn how to motivate people — since, you know, it’s their JOB.

For the first time in my life, I tried bootcamp workout and I am glad I picked the best one. I got great results… I lost 8 pounds and it seems I lost an inch everywhere because all of my clothes that I couldn’t wear for the past 5 years after having a baby, now fit me perfectly. About the bootcamp: workout routines vary every day, mostly cross-​training and mixed cardio, weights, resistance bands and plyometric exercises. Location for the bootcamp I attended was Crissy Fields.
To all who want to try it — I offer high recommendations! Just always remember that it depends on you, your comittment and how hard you push yourself. Then you will see amazing results!

Revised :
I too, was contacted after my scathing review and I’ll tell you this much — Heather wants you happy. I am amazed at the customer service so much so, I’m going back. And I feel like a total putz for the bad reveiw. I suppose if I had been a grown up and said something at the time, it all would have been resolved. What can I say — It’s hard being diplomatic at 5:30 IN-​THE-​MORNING!!! Oh Gawd, am I really going to do this again? YES!
I’m actually stunned by all of the positive reviews. I got nothing but attitude from these bitches. I guess if you are a 28 year old Marina chick who is already in shape, no prob. I am 40 and my entire workout routine for the past 10 years has consisted of a bubble bath and a glass of merlot. Out of shape? Yes, in a big way. THAT IS WHY I JOINED GIRLS. I could not keep up with some of the running routines and came back last. Ms. Trainer could not have been more annoyed. Also, the week before the first day, I went to 3 stores looking for 5lb. dumbells and they were sold out! So I brought my 3 lb.‘ers and you would have thought I had smacked your baby. I went one day and never went back. What a complete waste of money. If you are not ALREADY in shape, be prepared for dirty looks and lot’s of snotty attitude.

I felt like I should join Former Gym Rats Support Group for 1) falling off the wagon and 2) being in an acceptable shape until I finally took the desperate measure to join the ungodly 5:30 am bootcamp for the last 4 weeks.
First day in pitch darkness, I get there 3 minutes late thinking «who’s gonna be here on time, really.» I got out of my car only to see faint shadows of at least a dozen women warming up by doing jumping jacks. They don’t fool around… seriously.
I never knew how fast I could actually sprint nor did I ever run such distances with endless energy. The trainers are gentle yet firm on the exercise, know how to push without being too pushy and are so sweet at cheering on for one more lap just when I want to give up.
The group is entirely supportive and non-​competitive yet encouraging. I worked out with a girl who ran a marathon as well as a new mom who wanted to shed some baby weight. You just do what you do the best you can — no undue pressure!
Although getting there is the most painful thing of the day (I dream of ways to sneak in 5 more minutes into my bedtime when the alarm goes off), by 5:40 am, I’m running on adrenaline. It’s the best 1 hour of my day knowing that I did pure good to my body for myself only.
Whether you’re looking for a new challenge after going through the motion of the treadmills for years (me!) or want to start exercising but need help, I highly recommend A La vie Fitness. you wouldn’t believe what you’re capable of when you’re in the right environment!
BTW, there are co-​eds as well as women only ~ AND you don’t
HAVE to do the 5:30. I wouldn’t if I had a choice!

Boot camp is everything I hate in life:
1) Waking up early
2) Being cold
3) Running
Actually, the list is much longer, but these items are near the top.
My alarm goes off at 4:20am. I hit snooze 3 times and then pull the covers back to be greeted by the cool air of my bedroom. I hurriedly make my way to the bathroom (I should have only hit snooze twice) and start the grooming process. Once I’m dressed (eyes still slightly closed), I grab my peanut butter English muffin, water, my mat, my gloves, my weights, and my keys and I’m out the door — it’s 5:15am.
I pull into the parking lot at Crissy Field and fall in line with the steady flow of boot campers and the self-​motivated fitness enthusiasts who are arriving for their morning workout. It’s dark. It’s cold. It’s damp. I am reluctant, but I leave the coziness of my vehicle and step out into the darkness. Before I know what hit me, we’re stretching, running, jumping, side-​stepping, lunging our way through our workout. There isn’t time to rest or focus on the dread of the next exercise — you’re doing it.
Alcatraz, you mock me as I step up and down the wall. The sun rises and I know the day is upon me. Before I know it, the hour is over and, as tired as I am, I feel pretty great. I’m ready to face the day.
At the end of week two, I felt a bit of sadness come over me. I was running «the square» [trying not to hyperventilate] and realized that camp would be over in two weeks.
Did I mention I hate running? I’m at the end of week three and I really feel great. I will sign up for another camp. I look forward to meeting with Mindy, Christy, and Heather each morning as they coax me into exercises and give me the encouragement I need to push myself a little harder.
I recommend the camp to people who are in shape and want to be in better shape, people who are looking for variety in their workouts, or people like me who haven’t exercised in years and are embarrassingly out of shape. AlaVie is for everyone.

I still cannot believe that I voluntarily wake up at 5:00am to go suffer at 6:00am for one hour 3 times a week, but I do and I keep going back for some more, go figure!
I signed up for this boot camp 4 week session in January on a whim. Got a moment of «oh my gosh what did you get yourself into» shortly after, which was totally reinforced at the first work-​out. That first time killed me (me do not do Cardio, no thank you), I could not walk the first week but I progressively saw myself getting stronger. And there is something to be said about catching the first lights of the days in Golden Gate Park: it feels great.
Missed the February session as I was traveling but signed up for three more sessions in March, and I am surprisingly really enjoying it… who knows, may be one day I might even be able to not be the last in all these running, going up and down the stairs things.

I got married last September. I hired a personal trainer, quit eating Thai food and ice cream for every meal, and was in the best shape of my life. I’d been in pretty good shape before due to rock climbing and a fairly active lifestyle, but I was f*cking rockstar hard after three months of training for the wedding day.
It’s pretty silly really, training to walk about 10 meters down paved walkway to say «I do» and then go eat as much cake as you want. But, I’m all about peer pressure, and the magazines told me to do it.
Fast forward eight months… and eight pounds. I’d like to think it’s not because I’m taking my hubbie for granted, but that I’m secure in my own body. Blah blah mumbojumbo. I turned into a lazy-​ass.
Imagine my dismay when we received an invite to my husband’s best friend’s wedding in Kaua’i. HAWAII! I hate to admit, my first thought was of my whaleflesh in a bikini, not of the happy couple.
This jello is not going public, so I had to find a way to lose it before the last week of May. As luck would have it, ALaVie Fitness had a boot camp starting in my local area for the exact dates that I needed to work myself hard. I can describe the experience, so far, in three words.
Ouch. Ouch. Ouch.
That said, my pants already fit better. I have shin splints due to the high impact nature of many of the exercises, but Jennine is good at giving alternatives for those who need a modification of the exercises. I just don’t use them because I don’t want to look like a wussy. (See above mention of peer pressure.)
Four stars because it’s been nothing but good, so far, but I would like the classes to be a bit smaller and more personal.

ANOTHER glowing review for these folks?
Yes.
Here’s why:
I never, ever, ever, EVER would have accomplished #2 on my «Things to Do in Life» list without them.
#2: Run a mile without stopping.
This is something I haven’t done since 8^th grade and even then, I’m pretty sure that one time was because of some since-​discontinued allergy medication. Let’s face it, I’m very SOLIDLY in the Lane Bryant size range… no in-​betweenies here! WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT that MY fat ass could do this after only a month of boot camp?
But I did! And I was so proud of myself I had to fight back the tears.
So anyway, KUMBAYA, I know.
It wasn’t a cakewalk though, I assure you. I asked them in advance if this was appropriate for all fitness levels and they said it was but I’m gonna be honest with ya: It’s really not. I go to step class every now and again and I make a point of zoning out on an elliptical trainer a few times a week, so fat ass aside, I’m probably fitter than some couch potatoes out there and it TOTALLY kicked my ass and I wouldn’t recommend this workout for the TRULY unfit. Or your mom.
Most of the women there were in their mid twenties to early forties. I think. It’s hard to tell because I went to the 530AM session and I’m tellin’ ya… it’s like exercise anonymous because I could hardly see the people I was working out with. That’s a good thing most of the time (especially when I have last night’s mascara smudged under my eyes), but it kinda sucks when the coaches want you to play catch with a medicine ball. IN THE DARK.
And can I tell you how much I HATE those burpie things they make us do?
And how GLAD I am that I’m unemployed and had the luxury of coming home and taking a nap after boot camp? Because daaaaaaaamn, I was completely SPENT after class for the first couple of weeks.
I originally told myself that this was maybe going to be something I did on a quarterly basis because $ 225 a month is awfully rich for my blood, but I know that if I don’t sign up for another round of boot camp, I’ll go back to my step class/​elliptical trainer routine and I’ll stop doing the random strength training exercises we do at boot camp and I’ll stop seeing the changes in my body and I’ll want to CRY CRY CRY. So thanks to a generous grant from the Bank of Mom & Dad, I’m signing up for the next session immediately.
(And if you do give it a shot and you make it through day two, you’ll be fine. The RAH RAH RAH isn’t even that annoying. And exercising with the wet morning air in your lungs feels great. And seriously, there are worse backdrops for exercise than the Golden Gate Bridge in the pre-​dawn hours.)
But don’t let them weigh & measure you unless you want the people in the waiting room to hear exactly how much you weigh. Those walls are thin.

It’s a kinder, gentler version of bootcamp, much less scary then it sounds. I really like it. I go to the 6:15pm at the Marina Green. Maybe it’s because the weather’s so miserable right now but there’s never been more then 8 people to show up for a workout, which is nice because it’s more personal. I have carpal tunnel and the trainer, Katie, is always great about giving me alternative exercises that won’t bother my wrists. If there was a cadence for the bootcamp it would be something like this:
I don’t know but I’ve been told,
Bay Area Bootcamp makes you feel good
I don’t know but I just heard,
Katie gives encouraging words
I don’t know but it’s been said,
Up Lyons St Stairs you will tread

Me no like excercise. See? Me can’t even spell it. But the fabulous Lindsay at the Crissy Field women’s only Boot Camp made working out, dare I say it, fun!
I ran my first ever mile. No one has ever been able to make me run a mile. In PE class growing up, I would always tell the male coaches that it was that time of the month. Even in elementary school. If someone was chasing me, I would just stand there and let them grab me. Maybe kick them in the groin with my muscle-​less legs a few times.
But now, all that’s changed. I love, um, xrszng, it’s fun, the people are awesome, and I am feeling just great. Yeah, I rock!

5 stars all the way. I’m in my second week and I love it! I take the 6am class at Kezar — what a way to start the morning. The routines are always new so I never get bored, if anything I look forward to the class.
I can honestly say: I’m addicted!

I just finished my first session of boot camp and I absolutely loved it. Like most of the other people that have written reviews I though I was a fairly active person — played soccer, worked out, hiked, etc. But that first workout made me realize how out of shape I really was. The next day I was sore from the back of my neck to the tips of my toes. As painful as it was I knew that I worked out every major muscle group in my body. The cardio days are the toughest — Lyon St stairs, Presidio hill running, etc. — but I can proudly say that I completed all of it and didn’t black out or throw up. Yeah for me!
Nothing compares to working out outside either. The views are amazing and the fresh air does wonders. We had a variety of coaches over the 4 weeks (Lindsay, Becky, Chrissy, Mary Lou) and while each one was a bit different they were all great. I was afraid they would be way too chipper and cheerleader-​ish but they were all enthusiastic and not annoying. I love that the workout changes daily and you do such a broad range of activities. And you really do bond with the women in your group. Having that encouragement when you really do just want to sit down and pass out is a necessity.
I’ve already signed up for my 2^nd session and I’m sure I’ll do many more after that!

A co-​worker raved about Bay Area Boot Camp with Mary T., and two four-​week sessions of her Palo Alto camp left me completely jazzed to work out under her coaching; before that, my workouts consisted mostly of the elliptical machine, weight training, and dance practice, and I needed a change of scenery. I understand Mary did the Crissy Field boot camp before moving to San Mateo, then to Palo Alto, and, as of this writing, out to Pleasanton. She’s very upbeat, totally professional, and good at working the different fitness levels and transitioning between exercises. Her experience is obvious in how her camps run like a well-​oiled machine, and happily I could chart my progress in things like muscle-​mass gain and shaving off a minute from my timed mile in just four weeks. Plus Mary’s just very encouraging and knows how to push you to work harder without nagging.
I never thought of myself as a competitive person but I guess boot camp’ll do that to ya… make you one, I mean. To me it’s really just friendly competition (really!), and gives me a good gauge for upping the tempo.
I can’t speak on the effectiveness of other BC coaches, though some who’d subbed definitely appear more experienced than others. Dropping in for a day and talking to other campers is a good way to get a feel for a coach’s style, of course. I, unfortunately, was so impressed with Mary’s workouts that I’ll probably just wait for word of someone equally phenomenal before signing up again, ’cause $ 210, three days a week for four weeks would be too costly for me to find out otherwise.

After 4 weeks, my ass is kicked and I want more.
Lindsay and Monica were supportive and did it all with a neat dash of humor. Monica shows up with Maddie her fluff monster dog, who is retardastic (I say that in the best way, I LOVE retardastic dogs, and you gotta love tiny fluffy dogs who think they RULE) Lindsay, she’s a homegirl from my hometown, so she’s just COOL.
The workouts (for me) border on near to black-​out intensity. Read: Lyon Street Stairs for an hour (that was Wed). I mean, I couldn’t walk for 4 days like a normal person. Follow that with push-​ups and jumping jacks a day later (Fri), and I officially died and came back to life on Sunday, it was a RESURRECTION! Hallelujah fer reals ya all.
I’ll be back, with a vengeance. Woot! Woot! Booty Camp.