Dirt Bag Boot Camp

I have been personal training for about three years now. It really has been a good fit for me, though it has also been a real stretch. I don't instinctively trust my own ideas. I tend to give sway to what others think and assume that they know more than me or will do a better job than me, but training these three years has been a lesson in believing in myself. I started out trying to follow the mold of what I thought a trainer should be. I really, in the beginning, felt like I was "pretending" to be a trainer, but as time went on, I tried more and more of what seemed right and natural to me and found that it was effective and that I was so much better and more passionate when I was training in a way that excited me. I started pushing more and getting a little unorthodox and a little more confident at the same time. I started to really have fun instead of being so nervous. I remember having the office workers that I trained (and loved) pushing each other down the hall in an office rolling chair and then pushing off the wall at the other end. I learned that I enjoy a group dynamic, that I enjoy alternative resistance tools to weights (hence the office chair exercise), and I came to trust my ideas. For the last year, at least, I have eyed this new parking garage area on the river where I live. I knew it would be perfect for a boot camp and I really wanted to try it. After thinking about it for so long and telling people why it would work and I could pull it off, I finally did it! I pulled out of the other training I was doing. This was hard to do because I trained some great people whom I miss, but I have an incredible boss who gave me complete freedom to create this thing and even took over some of my former training. I knew I wanted it to be really tough and conducive to guys not just women, as is typical of lots of boot camps. I knew I didn't want to use weights and decided to use sand bags instead and, thus, came up with the name and concept "Dirt Bag Boot Camp." I love that it conveys a gritty, tough workout and is a little comical. I decided to do an invite only, pre-advertising trial group. I picked fit people primarily from this community, girls and guys, and charged them the best rate I could offer. I had more takers than I anticipated, and at the close of this our first week, we have 13 people (9 girls and 4 guys). They are a great group--hard workers, for sure, but a lot of fun also. I feel like all of the training I've done has lead to this venture and it could not be a more perfect fit for me. We meet at 5:30am!!! and even that has been surprisingly enjoyable to me! I have never felt something taking off right under my feet before, and it is such a beautiful moment!!! I just wanted to share with you that are close to me, this season. I want to document it and remember it! Here are some photos, but I will have many more when I start advertising-- maybe as soon as August.
Dirt Bag Boot Camp:


This is the trial run I did with Kap and my boss and friends...







This one was just for fun :)








This is the real deal, at the wee hours of the morning--someone left their scaffolding out and we took advantage of it!
It is really pretty here when the sun comes up!
My brother- the ham!- is one of the guys--I don't know what he is demonstrating for the camera here, but I love having him there!
These are our awesome friends, the Karps!
I tried to take some promo shots, mostly for facebook. I threw this stupid sand bag 1,000 times (the kids were in the car in the parking garage eating McDonalds :)






Kap and I joked that this should be the promo shot- I look like a sumo wrestler!
This is the one I went with
I will prob. use this one somewhere too (my grandmother made these cool canvas covers- aren't they great!!!)
This whole experience feels a little like this...