Even if the weather is acting all coy about it, summer is around the
corner, signifying the moment of truth of donning your bathing suit for
the first time and taking stock of your situation. And while this space
is usually dedicated to clothes, they’re just not as much fun without a
healthy body to pour into them.
I’m not a big fan of the gym. It’s boring, there’s never anything
good on the TVs, and trying to read while climbing the StairMaster
makes me nauseated. I’m a fan of classes—everything from yoga to
boxing to pole dancing—and a firm believer that variety and
competitive instinct are key to being able to stick with a program. So
I was excited to learn about the arrival of
Fitness Works, a new “boot camp” style workout program that
takes place throughout the week in various picturesque settings around
town.
The boot camp fitness trend is nothing new, but this is the first
independent program of its kind to start up in Portland, and its small
class sizes and outdoor settings (choose from courses on the
waterfront, Mt. Tabor, or Laurelhurst Park) set it apart from the
typical class experience. Headed up by Adrienne Middleton and
Christopher Chapman (Middleton has worked in the fitness industry since
the mid-’90s, teaching group classes and personal training; Chapman is
a lifelong athlete with experience in everything from bicycle racing to
hockey), the Fitness Works classes tend to fly by, mixing up jogging
with calisthenics, obstacle courses, and circuit training. You’re
constantly moving, and never doing one thing for very long, making it
ideal for anyone who gets easily bored on a machine.
The class is still only a couple of months old, but it’s gaining a
following quickly due to the friendly tone (no one’s going to scream at
you to drop and give them 20 here), dynamic program, and frankly, the
results. Like any reasonable fitness program, the boot camp is based on
achieving a personal, individualized best, rather than reaching a
specific marker of success by which everyone is judged. Nonetheless,
the natural competition of working out in a group setting, especially
once you get to know each other, is usually an effective motivator.
Fitness Works represents the latest thinking in the fitness world,
which is moving away from the idea that you need stuff to get in
shape (a physical gym building, machines, equipment), and which focuses
on what’s called “functional” training, which basically just means a
program that challenges your whole body, improving overall strength
rather than fixating on specific muscle groups. With the warm months
ahead, working out just makes sense, and working out outside even more
so. With flexible times and commitment levels (you can drop in, or sign
up for one to three classes per week), Fitness Works is a fast and fun
way to shake up your routine. (fitness-works.org)