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Students Set Their Pace In Boot Camp Workouts

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By LAURA FRAZIER

The Tampa Tribune

Published: April 9, 2008

BRANDON - Bill Locke quit going to the gym a couple of months ago, but the Brandon man said he is in better shape than he has been for quite a while.

In February, Locke started taking an exercise class at Golden City Gymnastics on Lithia-Pinecrest Road. He said CrossFit Revolution Boot Camp delivers the quick, intense workouts and fast results it promises.

Eric Auciello offers the 25- to 45-minute class at 5:30 a.m. five days a week. He subleases the space and holds early-morning sessions when gymnastics classes are not in session. The high-intensity, military-style conditioning drills combine gymnastics, track and field and weightlifting moves in rapid-fire succession.

Auciello blows his whistle long before the crack of dawn to start the class on a series of 90-second drills with one-minute rests in between. They stretch, squat and press indoors and run four-meter sprints in the parking lot.

The boot camp, Auciello said, is geared toward people of all ages who want to lose weight, get in shape and make positive changes to their diets and lifestyles. Class members are free to work out at their pace - when Auciello calls for a minute and a half of pushups, one person might do 50 and another might push to do just a few.

"We have one guy who is a Special Forces Green Beret, and then we have grandmothers and everyone in between," he said.

Locke takes the class three or four days a week. He said the first time was tough.

"Yeah, 5:30 is a little early, but once you start getting used to it, it works out," Locke said. "I work all week until at least 6 p.m., so if I wait to exercise in the evenings, I tend to put it off."

He said the weight loss and fitness results he experienced after taking classes for about a month would have taken him four months to accomplish at a gym.

"I've been going to regular gyms off and on forever, and a lot of times it just feels like the money gets sucked out of your bag," Locke said. "Plus, it's the same routine every time and a big waste of time waiting to get on certain machines or use free weights."

Auciello said the regimens challenge every person, no matter how fit or strong they are, to push themselves to their personal limit.

"It killed me the first time I did it," said Auciello, a certified personal trainer. "After a half hour, everybody's dead."

People like it, though, he said, because it's quick, effective and over in about a half-hour.

"And you hardly ever repeat anything," he said. "Every day is a different workout."

CROSSFIT REVOLUTION BOOT CAMP

WHAT: Military-style conditioning workout using a combination of gymnastics, track and field and weightlifting moves in rapid-fire succession

WHERE: Golden City Gymnastics, 930 Lithia-Pinecrest Road, Brandon

WHEN: 5:30 a.m. weekdays; other CrossFit Revolution classes are at 6:30 and 7:30 a.m. weekdays

COST: $299 for 20 sessions; no contract or sign-up fee

INFORMATION: Call (813) 716-6717 or go to www .crossfirerevolution.blog spot.com

Reporter Laura Frazier can be reached at (813) 657-4523 or lfrazier@tampatrib.com.

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