Surgeon General's Warning: Camp Gladiator is addictive. After only a few hits, you'll be hooked. It's a dangerous mix of highly-effective exercises; an early morning start at a convenient location*; a very skilled lead trainer; and inspiring and supportive fellow contenders. Research has shown that this intoxicating elixir has side effects, though. Weight loss (if that's your thing); increased strength and improved conditioning; enhanced self-esteem knowing that you're a total Bad Ass; and smug satisfaction that you're simply superior to those slobs who slept in. (Ok, maybe CG doesn't cause alliterative self-righteousness, but it is gratifying at 6:30 am to know that you have done more than most will do all day.)
*I train at "CG Watermark" (the Watermark church on 635 @ Hillcrest). It's a great venue because the church parking lot is located right off 635 & 75. If it is raining, "cold" and/or windy, we use Lending dot com parking garage to help with the elements.
CG's sessions focus on full-body conditioning with athletic movements that come naturally. Rather than a bunch of obscure, overly-contorted postures and poses, these are practical, easily-executed (but intense) movements and drills. ("Drills? But I'm not coordinated." Can you put one foot in front of the other? Do you have functional joints in your knees and shoulders? Do you have lungs? Then you can do this.) CG employs a few features, however, that aren't utilized to the same extent in other bootcamps. Many of the CG drills are done in smaller groups of roughly 5-7 people, and often the groups "compete" to see who finish the drills first. It's not intense competition (no one is the "winner" or "loser"), but it may cause you to move just a tad faster knowing that your "team" for that morning is counting on you It's called "HTFU," and it's another layer of motivation and accountability.
Mason, the lead trainer, runs every session in a very deliberate, thought-out manner. It appears that each week of a four week camp has a focus that, when taken as a whole, builds upon itself with a cumulative conditioning effect. It's not a random collection of disjointed days or drills. There seems to be a bigger purpose and you're always progressing toward the next level so that by the end of a four week camp, you will see improvement and you will see and feel improvement. If you're out of shape, the first week will suck. You will think, "Why exactly am I getting up a 5am?" You will still be sore by the time the second week comes around, but if you gut through it, the third week is when you'll hit your stride. The early morning wake-ups will be easier (they're never easy); the drills will become more familiar (you'll know what a Sexy Spider is); and you'll see pay-offs. By the time Week 4 arrives, you'll realize, "This is it? That was fast. When's the next one start?"
About mid-way through a recent camp, I went online to find out when the next session started. I noticed that there is a camp located much closer to my house than Watermark's location: "Hey, there's one right down the ... meh, never mind. I'll stick with Watermark." Why? Mason has a following. The "regulars" also know there may be CG location closer to their house too, but they go to Watermark nonetheless. He moves the entire group through their paces with a sense of urgency. No wasted time setting-up overly-complicated drills; no "pep talk" or lectures on diets; and no unnecessary instructions. "Do this. Get started. Now do this." [Repeat] You've got one hour and you're doing something 95% of the time. Also, Mason has this trick, and it's really complicated and I'm sure no one else has ever tried this: He learns your name. What a concept! When you sign in, grab a piece of masking tape and a Sharpie. Scribble your name on it. He'll remember it a year later, which is not an exaggeration. I took off nearly a year between camps while I was training for Ironman. I came back and Mason said, "Good morning, Ryan" as if I just saw him yesterday although he'd probably trained 1,000 contenders in the interim. That's talent, and it is an infectious and highly effective commitment technique. We hear him encouraging individuals by name; we learn their names; and we encourage each other. The payoff is when it's 5am and you want to sleep in, you know there are people out there - people you *know* - who will show up and they'll notice you aren't there. "Who are these people," you ask? In my unscientific observation, Watermark "contenders" skew mostly toward the 20-something female. Yes, there are dudes, and some women north of 30, but not many. Does that mean that they're all former Collegiate cross country runners? Hardly. Although the demo seems somewhat consistent, the fitness levels vary and anyone can modify effort and/or exercise to get results from every session. read more
