New Year's Resolution Boot Camp

Hello friends of Feeling Good! It has been AGES since I posted on the blog, and I won't even attempt an excuse. Mainly, I attribute it to the adoption of our new son Buster and the general workload of life. Sigh.

However, I am back to report the return of boot camp! With a twist. For January only, I am going to offer Boot Camp as a four-weekend series for $60. Great way to get a kick-start on your NYE resolutions and see what you think about some of the new tricks I have up my sleeve. 

Each workout will begin at 9 am and last for one hour. Your $60 pays for the four sessions (Jan 7, 14, 21 and 28), and, if you come to them all, an extra session to be scheduled whenever you choose.

If you're interested, call, e-mail or comment here and we'll work it out. The first workout is scheduled for Jan 7 at Mission Bay Park. More details to come here and on Facebook about exact location.

As always, the more the merrier, so please share this with anyone you can think of who might want to get out, get active and have fun workout out in a group setting.

Happy Holidays!
Jesse

YMCA/Something Cool II

I teach an amazing group of people in my M/W/F boot camp at the Mission Valley YMCA. I've written about them before here, so suffice it to say I like them a lot and they're a hardworking group. You have to be to get to the gym at 5:30 and go through an hour boot camp. Try it sometime.

I'm writing today because I have a few minutes and wanted to express my gratitude to these amazing people. You see, I, unfortunately, am resigning as instructor for the class after this Friday, as my schedule has become a bit unwieldy and I need time for my personal training clients and my old friend sleep. Which led to this sequence this morning ...

1) I arrive to class at 5 am, bleary-eyed, and begin setting up. Preparation is important to me. I like for the class to feel like I've thought about things before they get there
2) Class starts, I run everyone through a 5-minute warm up that is pretty standard
3) I start the second part of the warm-up (a jump-rope drill). If you're new to class and I ask you to "pick a number from 1-10," be careful
4) A class veteran, Jeff, comes up to the front of the class, and asks to make this announcement:

"Hi everyone. I have a petition here to ask the Y to open a new boot camp on Tuesday/Thursdays (one does not exist now), and to keep Jesse on as the teacher, since he is leaving this class. If you want to, please sign the form and we'll see if we can get one started with Jesse as teacher." (paraphrasing, but this was the jist)

5) The entire class signs the paper, and many people say some very kind things to me about the way I teach the class, etc.


You can probably guess that what Jeff and the class did for me made my day in many ways, and that I will certainly be teaching that class if it gets opened ... I honestly had no idea that people felt that positively about my class. What a great way to start the day.

THANK YOU YMCA BOOT CAMPERS!!!

Love and kisses,
Jesse

The Y-M-C-A (camp); What I've Learned in my First Month

As I pass the one-month mark leading my M/W/F 5:30 a.m. boot camp at the Mission Valley YMCA, it occurred to me that I have not really said much about it here. Which is a shame because I'm learning at an alarming clip, and loving it.

It's been such an amazing experience for me for many reasons. First and foremost, I had no idea that I would be working with such a motivated and truly kind group of people. Each day when I walk in that room to setup, I know that in about 20 minutes, my team will start filing in, ready to work, and be eternally optimistic. It makes being with them so much easier and more enjoyable.

The class has also been great in terms of pushing me to try new things and making things adaptable for different skill levels, because my camp has a wide variance when it comes to age, skill level, size, etc. The same things that make the group so fun to be around because of all the unique people also make the challenge to me more specific and educational. I am learning a LOT very fast. It's a very very great thing for a future trainer to have to break down each exercise to find ways to make it both more difficult and less difficult - it adds to the "arsenal" for when I'm working with folks one-on-one.

What has also become clear is that a leader can NEVER be too prepared. Yes, it is very important to be able to improvise in the middle of an exercise class and yes, there is something to be said for spontaneity. However, I pride myself on always having thought through the workout for the day, having things laid out for my team when they come in, and on thinking through a workout from start to finish; reverse engineering it from the goal I want them to reach and the tools I have at my disposal.

Finally, I think this last month of acting as a leader for a motivated group of people has taught me to never underestimate the power of a large group (or pair, or small group) of people working together for a common goal. It's unscientific, as I haven't really surveyed anyone, but I sense that the vibe and energy level in class is best when I have people working with others, whether it be as a pair exercise, a group of 3-4 going through circuits together, or the entire team lined up on the baseline of the basketball courts sweating through suicides together. This type of training makes me truly understand why people love Group Ex so much, and why it's a nice fit for me as a teacher.

If you haven't stopped in to check out the class yet, please do! Let me know if you're not a member and I can get you a one-time entry pass ... if you don't come down to my camp - try someone's! I think you'll find that working hard, together, makes exercise much more palatable and exciting. 

Triumphant Return of Beach Boot Camp

Hi everyone-

Beach Boot Camp returns this weekend - Sunday, 9 am at the Mission Beach Jetty location. Call or text me if you don't know where that is - as far south on Mission beach as you can go, near the volleyball courts closest to the water.

Rain is forecast for now, but I'm thinking positive and want to go for it. This will be the last camp before Steph and I tie the knot :), so come out if you can!

Love and kisses,

J

Beach Boot Camp - 9 a.m. Sunday

Hi everyone-

I checked the forecast and it looks like minimal chance of rain on Sunday, so that means boot camp is ON! We're going to keep the beach theme going, but change the spot. This time, I am going to host it at the beach/park area located adjacent to the South Mission Beach Jetty. Basically, get yourself to the Roller Coaster in Mission Beach, then go south on Mission Blvd until you can't drive anymore. Turn right and enter that park area, drive to the bathrooms (you'll see them) and park. Then look for me in the small grassy area near the bathrooms ...

I am going to make a hybrid of the land-based and beach-based activities, so I think it should be fun and challenging. Hope to see you all out there!

If the weather does not cooperate I'll send out a "no-go" email by 8:30 on Sunday morning, so keep your eyes peeled on your inbox that day. Or, text me and I'll let you know if we're a go.

Call, comment or e-mail me with questions. And remember the cardinal rules - be on time, bring water, and WORK HARD!

-Jesse

The Power of the Workout Partner

I head over to the SDSU ARC to play pickup five-on-five on a regular basis. I enjoy it because it's a great way to get some exercise and also capitalize on the mental challenge of working with a team, seeing the entire floor and reacting, etc. Also, I like to fancy myself a decent rebounder. So there.

I've noticed something really interesting the more I play. After a certain amount of time, a mutual respect develops between the guys I see there a lot. We protect one another, call fouls for one another, have more fun when we play together. In short we push one another and get pushed back. It got me thinking about how important it can be to have someone to motivate you when you're working out, lifting, playing sports, running, etc - and how much more you can achieve when it happens. 

There's no question that the group mentality takes hold at my boot camps, when I've participated in grueling Crossfit workouts, and as I've fought through marathons. It's easy to see and even easier to feel when you're a part of it.

The lesson to be learned here? Find someone who shares your passion for working out - whatever it is - and work WITH that person. Motivate them, have them motivate you, drive to never let them down and encourage them to do the same. You'll find you are much more inclined to get out there and do your workout, etc.

Who's your workout partner? How does he or she motivate you? How do you motivate them?