Fitness bootcamps – the new extreme trend

When it comes to fitness, most people are looking for quick results and fitness bootcamps promise to give them just that. From Fit in 42, Fit in 30 to Fit in 5, the names may change but the thrust remains fairly consistent – fitness is achievable within a restricted timeframe through extensive hardcore exercise sessions, coupled with a nutritious and balanced diet. However, achieving such results does not come cheap as on average bootcamps charge between Rs 10,000 to 15,000 for a four or five week programme. They also promise to bring about a fitness revolution in Pakistan.

Despite the plethora of bootcamps to choose from, there are some clear frontrunners. The profile of the trainers, online testimonials from previous participants and plenty of online advertising have a role to play in this process. Here, we talk to three of them: Fit in 5, AQ Power Yoga and M for Fitness (The 42-Day Challenge is another extremely popular option but they declined to be interviewed for this story).

Fit in 5
For Mustafa Totana, a software and network engineer by profession, Fit in 5 was a journey based on his downward spiral into bad working and eating habits and inevitable weight gain. He first tried one of the many standard diets in his bid to lose weight. After moving to the US for higher studies, he joined several different weight loss programmes and began to see results and his love affair with fitness began.

On his return to Karachi in 2012, friends and family were shocked at Totana’s transformation (an overall weight loss of approximately 60 kgs). Some of them started to train with him and lost a few kilos in a couple of weeks, following the meal plan that he had made for himself. Based on these modest successes, Totana decided to start exercise sessions for larger groups in the evenings, while working with a qualified nutritionist to develop meal plans.

Fit in 5’s first session was held in late 2013 with a total of 13 students; now the bootcamp boasts nine trainers, a five-week programme offered six days a week and trains on average 450 people in each batch. All applications go through a selection procedure. Totana says he looks for people who are genuinely interested in becoming healthier. “Once I see the spark in them, and assess their capabilities I start training them in terms of diet plans, workout as well as posture which matters a lot.”

As the bootcamp has grown in size, partnerships have also come into play. For example, Detox Generation produces detox juices for the participants under the strict eye of Fit in 5 representatives who ensure the quality of ingredients used. Similarly, Totana, also partnered with his grandfather’s company, Crispo to manufacture whole wheat spaghetti and macaroni. Another partnership is with the optical business, EyeLand. Every week Totana picks the best male and female performer and the winners are awarded a nifty pair of shades for their hard work.

However, Fit in 5 is not only about a short term association. Totana does a live chat session via Facebook every month so that “anybody can talk to me and get advice. We want Fit in 5 to bring about a lifestyle revolution across the nation and that is where we differ from our competitors. They are using Facebook as an advertising medium – we build relationships with the people we serve.”

AQ Power Yoga
For Aqil Amin, who currently offers power yoga, the fitness journey began as the result of a severe back injury in 2008. Amin decided to combat the injury and the stress that resulted from it by taking up yoga. After a year of doing this, he decided to forego joining the family’s textile business in order teach others what he had learnt – and established AQ Power Yoga in May 2009.

Amin initially offered a month long programme. However, he soon decided to modify it. “I worked with a test group of eight people and monitored the changes in their bodies with a new workout regime and a special diet. I then had this regime approved by experts abroad.” The result of the research is the current five-week programme aimed at overhauling the body.

“Power yoga is at the core of this programme; it is aided by hit training, cardio and body weight exercises. At the end of the five weeks, our clients experience changes in their balance, focus, endurance, stress levels as well as weight loss,” says Amin.

Offering almost 200 classes a month with a line-up of 10 instructors, AQ Power Yoga is one of the most extensive training programmes available in Karachi. Registration in the yoga bootcamp involves an email interview where potential participants are asked about health issues, medication, injuries and why they want to join the programme. Shortlisted candidates can come in for a free trial class to help them decide whether AQ Power Yoga is the right place for them.

Similar to other bootcamps, Amin provides all participants with a sustainable nutrition guide. AQ also has a private Facebook page for participants only. “It is a fascinating experience,” says Amin. “If people have cheated on their diet plan, they will confess on the page and receive plenty of encouragement and advice. Many times I also get looped into these conversations. I feel this is a great way to connect to the people participating in the programme.”

M for Fitness
In the male dominated field of fitness, fitness consultant and physical therapist Mehreen Hussain is a departure from the usual suspects. After completing her Bachelor’s degree in physical therapy and rehabilitation from Liaquat National Hospital, Karachi in 2005, she joined Shapes Active Lifestyle Karachi in 2009, where she eventually became the fitness manager.

Simultaneously, Hussain worked as a sports physiotherapist for the PCB, helping the Pakistan women’s cricket team. She also conducted private fitness workshops for different organisations, such as Engro, GroupM, Interflow, Searle and Ufone, and she was hired as a fitness consultant by Continental Biscuits to promote LU Wheatables from a health perspective. She is also a regular on morning talk shows, talking about exercise, staying fit at home, weight loss and obesity.

As a result of these successes, Hussain decided to start her own fitness bootcamp specifically for women. “My passion is to train people,” she says, and thus, in 2014, M for Fitness was born.

As fitness director at M for Fitness, Hussain has introduced various group exercise programmes, such as her signature fitness camp and power camps (which include high intensity interval training, mixed martial arts and TRX suspension training), as well as her popular bridal bootcamp specially designed for brides-to-be who want quick results.

“My knowledge in kinesiology and biomechanics plays a vital role in designing a safe and effective workout routine for all the different boot camps. The exercise regime is based on interval training – a method that maximises fat burn by alternating between high and low exercise intensities keeping the rest period at a minimum.”

Hussain currently conducts her trainings at Core Gym, Depilex, Health Act and Ramada working in partnership with these properties. She says that each partnership works on a predetermined share involved. “On average, the share comes up to around 50%, and the margins are pretty good. In fact I make several times more than I ever did working in the corporate sector and the freedom is great!”

Haneen Rafi is a reporter at DAWN.