Outdoor Conditioning Classes: A Fun Alternative to Gym Workouts

I lined up in the parking lot in the dark alongside ten other students facing instructor Tom Kalka.

“Body builders, begin!” barked instructor Tom Kalka with a grin on his face.

We chanted back in unison:

“One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, ONE!”
“One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, TWO!”
“One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, THREE!”
“One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, FOUR!”

We did 25 of the eight count body builder exercises which consisted of dropping to a push up position, performing two push ups then returning to a standing position.

Over the next hour of our Outdoor Conditioning Class (AKA Boot Camp), Tom led us through a series of lower body and core conditioning exercises designed to build strength and mitigate injury. This is exactly what I needed! Each day of the week has a different focus and no day is ever the same so boredom is never a factor. What differentiated this workout from other boot camp workouts that I’ve experienced is that the atmosphere was positive and motivating. Tom was able to challenge and encourage each of us to our own unique fitness levels by offering variations to either make an exercise more or less difficult.

I first crossed paths with Tom a few years ago on the RATS (Reston Area Triathletes) message board. We share a common background in that we both served in the military – me in the Navy and Tom in the Army. Tom spent over 5 years in the Army as an Infantry Officer, graduating from Air Assault and Airborne Schools, two of the military’s toughest schools while also earning the coveted Ranger Tab and Expert Infantryman’s Badge. I experienced the toughness of the Army’s Rangers at the Special Operations Force Academy that I attended in April this year.

Tom now runs Custom Fitness Concepts, which provides residents and businesses of VA, MD and DC with a variety of fitness programs (in addition to the outdoor conditioning classes) with a special emphasis on customer service.

This type of group outdoor program is a fun alternative to going to the gym each day. I’m looking forward to attending more classes and integrating into my workout routine as a way to build strength and stay injury free.

For more information about Custom Fitness Concepts, please visit their website at: customfitnessconcepts.com.

Live life richly and boldly!

David

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David B. Glover
Experiential Writer, Elite Athlete, Coach and Race Director
Author of Full Time and Sub-Nine: Fitting Iron Distance Training into Everyday Life
Blog: davidglover.net
Web: enduranceworks.net

©2008 David B. Glover