I created my FF Boot Camp program in 2008, two years after I started Figarelle’s Fitness. There are so many reasons “WHY” I started group training, but here are my top 10.
1. I enjoy group camaraderie and “team spirit.” Growing up I played a lot of team sports; softball, basketball, track, and swim team. I loved the group hangouts, and the constant support from my teammates. When we get older, we don’t have many opportunities to replicate that. Group fitness is an opportunity to relive the glory days!
2. I find it rewarding to play a role in someone else’s transformation. I consider myself a guide to my clients. A map, if you will. They have the transportation and the determination to get to their destination, and I can lead them there faster and safer than if they were to just drive around aimlessly alone. I am not completely responsible for all of my clients’ success, but I know that my role is valuable. We are a team.
3. I love meeting new people. I wasted a lot of years of my youth being too shy to function. I always envied those who could walk right up up to someone else and introduce themselves with confidence. I have always been fascinated by people, and as I’ve gotten older I’ve really come out of my shell. Boot Camp allows me to meet a lot of new people from all walks of life on a regular basis. I love it!
4. I wanted to serve more people. I could only work with a limited number of people with private personal training, and Boot Camp has allowed me to work with more people in less time. This means I can help MORE people. That’s a very good thing.
5. I love hanging out with funny, enthusiastic, fucking awesome people! While I know I’m technically supposed to be “at work” while training clients, I never feel that way. If I’m having a tough day, or I’m tired, after 5 minutes with my clients, I forget every last thing that’s bothering me. Hanging out with my clients brings me so much happiness and joy.
6. Fitness has played a large role in my life over the years and I wanted to pass my knowledge on to others. Physical fitness in all of it’s forms has helped boost my confidence, it’s increased my self-reliance and self-awareness, and it has helped to ward off depression. Unfortunately, not everyone knows how powerful exercise is and how life changing it can be to incorporate physical movement into your daily life. When I discovered the benefits of exercise, I was immediately inspired to spread the word to others.
7. I started Boot Camp to get myself out of my comfort zone and grow. When I started FF in 2006, I preferred the intimacy and simplicity of private personal training. I was initially intimidated by the thought of teaching groups of people because I had no idea how to plan workouts or instruct more than one person at a time. I decided it was time to reinvent myself and my business, so I incorporated group training into my program. Now, I look forward to large group workouts. The bigger the group, the more energy and enthusiasm you can actually feel!
8. Do my own thing, or go the cookie cutter route? In May of 2008, I applied to be a personal trainer at the Alaska Club. I told myself that if I didn’t get the job, I would start my own Boot Camp and never look back. Needless to say, I didn’t get a call back. I was initially disappointed, but then I said “fuck it. I’m doing me.” I’m grateful that I listened to my gut instincts and took my own path.
9. I enjoy watching people interact with and support one another. Sometimes during a Boot Camp workout, I get goose bumps. I remember all of those first year struggles as I tried to figure out how the hell to put effective workouts together, and really help my clients get the BEST results possible. I had no idea what I was doing most of the time, but I kept going. I kept learning, and experimenting.
Now, as I look around the room during an intense workout I see people laughing, high-fiving each other, grimacing in pain because they’re taking themselves to the edge of their comfort zone. I see a room full of people who have all gathered together to learn, and improve themselves in some way. A group of people who care about one another’s success as much as their own. I love watching someone introduce themselves to a new person who isn’t quite sure what to do, or interrupt their own workout to go and help someone else with their form, etc.
10. Teaching a diverse group of people what I know is the best kind of self-development. This one might be a little selfish. I learn something new from my clients everyday. I am constantly learning and growing. If I don’t immediately have an answer to a question, you better believe I’m going to find out the answer. I take what I do as a fitness coach very seriously, and a large part of being a professional in this industry is constantly learning. I chose to become a fitness coach so I would be motivated to stay fit, constantly learn new things about the ever evolving fitness industry, and strive to be the best version of myself.
So, there you have it. Ten reasons why I started FF Boot Camps! While things haven’t always been easy, I wouldn’t change anything. Figarelle’s Fitness has been shaped by each and every person who has given us the opportunity to work with them, whether it be for just one session or for many years. Thank you all for your contribution to who we are. I am incredibly proud of the FF culture we have all created together.
– S.F.