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Fitness fanatics get a serious workout at B.A.M. Boot Camp
She even sounded more like a drill sergeant than an athletic trainer as she barked out commands during a recent B.A.M. Boot Camp at Driscoll Park in South Strabane Township, showing absolutely no mercy during the hourlong workout.
In fact, several of the students audibly reminded and chastised themselves for actually forking over cash to endure such agony, with one woman overheard asking, to no one in particular, “What the hell was I thinking?”
But she and her fellow students have their co-worker and friend, Jamie Ivanac, to thank – or curse – for that.
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“We’re hoping for the same results,” Natalie Chaido said.
When she started, Ivanac said she maxed out at three push-ups. Now, she can do 75 military-style push-ups in succession.
“When I first took her class, I thought, ‘This woman is insane,’” said Ivanac, who was introduced to boot camp, Diamond-Murray style, at Complete Fitness in Bridgeville after missing a class taught by another instructor.
“The first month, I lost four inches off my waist,” Ivanac said. “I’ve been working out since I was in college. But I never ever pushed myself like I do now.
“Cheryl makes you use muscles that you didn’t even know you had. … Cheryl is a great motivator. Even as you’re swearing at her under your breath for making you do the stuff, you want to do it right and you don’t want to give up.”
B.A.M. is an acronym for Beyond All Measure, a concept to which Diamond-Murray is no stranger.
The Pittsburgh native competed in the 1972 and 1976 Olympic Trials and was an alternate for the U.S. team in the Bulgarian Games. She later traveled the states for two years with the first-ever U.S. Professional Gymnastic Classic tour.
After the tour, she returned to her hometown, where she married Rick Murray, who owned a gymnastics school with his sister, Debi. She coached at the school for 23 years, sending 25 girls on full scholarships to major colleges, such as UCLA and the University of Florida.
“My girls used to call me ‘Sarge’ because I was always pushing them to do their best, never accepting anything less,” Diamond-Murray said. “While coaching, I ran next to them, did push-ups, sit-ups; any and all conditioning I had them do, I did as well. The girls hated me doing this because they could not complain or quit.”
And it was with her young charges in mind that she decided to develop the boot camp.
“They were high-level kids. It was pretty intense,” she said. “Plus, I love doing outside stuff.”
B.A.M. Boot Camp is a one-hour, full-body workout, and it definitely is not for the weak of heart, mind or spirit.
“The guys are a little wimpier,” Diamond-Murray said. “I had six guys throw up because it’s so intense. Women have never thrown up. The first week is the hardest. You are sore everywhere.”
She recalled that one guy had to rest his arms on the table to shave because he was too sore to lift them.
The workout consists of a quick warm-up, which begins when Diamond-Murray calls out the name of each student, and they respond with a jumping jack and shout, “Here, ma’am instructor.” Late-comers to the 5:30 p.m. class must drop and do 20 extra pushups.
After the warm-up, Diamond-Murray wastes no time diving into the grueling, fast-paced workout.
Although workouts vary, on this night, she quickly handed out small paper cups, open end against the ground, in preparation for a 20-minute round of push-ups that included full-body, pop-up pushups and the walking wheelbarrow. For the stationary pushups, students must try to touch their nose to the cup.
This is followed by 15 minutes of abdominal work and three cardio stations in which students are divided into groups and rotated. One station involved securing a harness around their torso and dragging a 100-pound truck tire 30 yards, then whacking it with a sledgehammer.
Students also threw – and chased – medicine balls up and down the hill, and pumped car tires over their head while walking.
“Jamie talked all of us into it,” Martina Thomas said. “I love it. Maybe not halfway through it, but when it’s over …”
Ellen Heckman, who was just starting her fourth week of class, previously took pilates and yoga. That, she said, helped this country girl from Fredericktown build a base for boot camp.
“It helped my flexibility and strength,” she said. “This gives me a lot of endurance and a cardio workout. It’s a little more physical.
“There’s not a better feeling than when it’s over and you did it one more day.”
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Video : 11/9/2009
I think I would have to witness this live and review before I signed up for this. It looks difficult.
