I walked through the doors of Burn in August of 2016. I was terrified! After having 3 kids and never being athletic or in shape, I was needing something to help me become a better me. I was tipping the scales at 230 and was so depressed. I had tried basic gyms in the past and never stuck with it because I never really knew what I was doing.   

From day one at Burn Boot Camp I fell in love! The trainers were amazing, the women were welcoming and the workout was top notch! Eleven months later and  I am on the right track to becoming the best me possible. Burn Boot Camp has become a home for me and is part of my daily routine. Ashley pushes me to work harder than I ever thought was possible. The people that I have met at camp are more like my family.

When I started I wanted the number on the scale to drop and drop quick. I soon realized that it isn’t all about the number on the scale. While I have lost several inches and 20lbs, my muscle has dramatically increased. My husband finds it quite humorous when I chase him around making him feel my muscles. I am no longer depressed because I feel better about myself. My self confidence is at an all time high! I love that I’m on this journey with so many beautiful women and it makes me proud to be apart of the Burn family.

Jessica Benson, Burn Boot Camp Huntersville

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Walking  and mowing my yard has been my only exercise in the past. I love to cook so my meal Prep has become very creative and filling. I am inspired by so many strong women everyday who are positive and confident. I am a nanny and I care for Burn Boot Camp kids so I need my energy to be high!

I’m proud to say that at 53 years old I’m in the best shape of my life! Love yourself first and you can do anything, one day at a time. #StrongNotSkinny

Christine Byrnes, Burn Boot Camp Huntersville

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Burn Boot Camp has become an integral part of my life in a short period of time. I originally became a member a little over 2 years ago. I enjoyed the camps and found them to be a very good, challenging workout. However, I had a pretty busy schedule and never really got into a good routine of going. Then I became pregnant which added to my inconsistency. I did keep my membership even though I wasn’t going very often, because I knew I wanted to get back to working on my physical health after my son was born. I figured that having the free childcare while I worked out would be the best way to do that.

Once my son was born in April 2016 I decided to stay at home with him instead of going back to work. As soon as I was able I started attending camps and taking him along. I found that going to boot camp helped me establish a new routine and was a great way to get out of the house with a newborn. Those 45 minutes of camp were a way for me to turn off my new “mommy brain” and have no worries focusing on myself, because he was just in the next room in very capable hands.

This January when the “Raise My Bar” challenge was announced I decided that was my time to really go all in. I committed to the challenge and started attending camp 5 days a week. I could see progress in my abilities during camps and results in my body. I’ve lost 28 pounds since then and have gained so much more. I’ve gained an amazingly supportive community, feelings of accomplishment towards my goals, along with a good routine and social interactions for my son. I look forward to going to the gym now and that’s not something I would have said in the past

Jennifer Hopkins – Burn Boot Camp, Cornelius

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It has been nearly three years since I joined Burn. To say it was life-changing would be an understatement. I was parenting three kids ages five and under at the time, including a baby who didn’t let me get much sleep. I am also a teacher, so I felt like I was giving to others all day long without much left for myself. My self -confidence was low and my energy levels were lower. I would drive past Burn Boot Camp and I would see women running or inside lifting weights and I was curious but too scared to stop and sign up.

Then one day I found out one of my coworkers was attending the 5am camp and I asked if I could join her. Everyone who has had a first day at Burn knows how intimidating it can be. You have a million questions: Will I embarrass myself? Will I get yelled at a ton? Will I be able to keep up with the other women?

In hindsight, I now know I shouldn’t have been so apprehensive to join. Everyone was so welcoming and encouraging, and immediately I felt at home. One of the most unique thing about Burn is the sense of
community. My 5am tribe has become a family to me. We challenge and support one another in the gym, but we have also forged friendships outside the gym too. I am so thankful to Burn every day for bringing my “swolemates” into my life!

Today, I am a happier and healthier version of myself. At 35 years old, I have never been more confident or felt more comfortable in my own skin. The challenges that I conquer inside the gym have taught me that I can conquer anything outside the gym too. I have so much more energy to get through the day – even with 4am wakeup calls! I am proud of the person that I am today and I know that my children and my husband see that every single day.

Chrystal Cavanagh – Burn Boot Camp, Huntersville NC

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She has learned so much, gained strength, increased her endurance and bettered herself little by little… and it’s not ending any time soon! Maggie is adopting habits and routines that are more than temporary – they’re a lifestyle.

Read her latest journal entries below…

May 22

“Take pride in how far you’ve come and have faith in how far you can go.”

My baby girl graduated from Elon University this past weekend! I am so immensely proud of her and look forward to watching her move into her next adventure.

Of course, graduation weekend meant eating out several times but I am proud of the choices I made. Before we went out I would pull up the menu of the restaurant so I could take my time reviewing the best options.

When we went to a franchise place, I used the tool on the Lose It! app to look up food and nutritional information specific to that place. It really helped to have a game plan going into the meal and not feel pressured to make a quick decision. Was I perfect with everything I ate (or drank…)? No, but it was all in moderation and I enjoyed the celebration with family.

May 24

Will it be easy? Nope. Will it be worth it? Absolutely.

Have you ever noticed that there are no light weights at Burn Boot Camp locations? I tend to  underestimate myself and I like the option of starting a little lighter and working up. You know, bicep curls with say….six pounds. Nope, not a thing for Burn Boot Campers.

It is funny though to see a handful of us heading straight for the limited number of 10 and 12 weights when an exercise is announced. I admire the ladies that can do reps with the massive 30 pound weights; hoping to get there one day.

May 25

“The difference between try and triumph is UMPH!”

My daughter is home for a couple of weeks before heading off on a post-graduation trip and then onto a new career in New York City so I brought her along to a boot camp this week. She’s a relatively fit young person, but the intensity of a 45-minute camp definitely came as a surprise to her. Maybe she thought that dear old mom was doing a fun little “jazzercise” class with a bunch of other ‘mature’ ladies…. She kept up, but I think she was surprised how intense the whole thing was.

She’s only home for the month of July before her big move and when I asked if she was going to do a short-term membership at Burn Boot Camp I was first met with silence and then the noncommittal answer of, “We’ll see…” Rack one up for mom and her high intensity workout program – take that you young whipper-snappers!!!

May 29

“The only bad workout is the one you didn’t do.”

I have to be honest; I was just not feeling it this morning. I debated with myself about whether to even go to camp. I was up late and then woke up super early for some reason and that all just put me in a bad mood. But I pushed through and started the drive (still agitated and dreading what was to come). Today’s camp was Strength Training and it was Tough (yes, that’s with a capital T)! My face was red as a tomato by the end but I had challenged myself more than I’d done before and that felt really good.

It’s been 13 days since my last Focus Meeting – I’ve dropped another .7% of body fat for a total loss of 4.2%. I’m only down about a pound but had a good conversation today about building muscle and that whole process. Most notably, my clothes are fitting differently (in a good way!) and I know my stamina and cardio is improving.

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Maggie Greene, the mother of one of our headquarters staffers, willingly volunteered to blog about her ninety day journey with Burn Boot Camp! Maggie is taking it back to the basics – starting with day one. She’s providing you, our readers, with the ability to walk through the Burn Boot Camp journey; the good days, the hard days, and the days where you achieve more than you ever thought possible.

Let’s start at the beginning….

May 1

“Change is hard at first, messy in the middle and gorgeous at the end.” – Robin Sharma

I embarked on a new adventure today. Not one where I get to sample all sorts of new wines from around the world or sample new and creative desserts; instead I agreed to work with Burn Boot Camp for the next 90 days to fully immerse myself in their program and share my experiences. Crazy? Sure. Intimidating? Definitely! Outside my comfort zone to share something as personal as my fitness journey and details about my body? You bet!

But I am at a point in my life where I really need this challenge. We’ve all heard the term, “dad bod,” and I think society is a little scared to utter the phrase “mom bod” because that just wouldn’t fly. I’m here to tell ya, I have a mom bod. I’m 49 years old, have two grown kids, been happily married for 25 years and have spent the past few decades caring just a little bit more about the three of them than myself. Sure, I walk on the treadmill every now and then, walk the dogs, try to follow the newest exercise circuits on Buzzfeed or Pinterest, but I needed something challenging, inspiring and consistent.

Enter Burn Boot Camp! Full disclosure here…I learned about Burn because one of my kids works for them. As a proud (maybe nosy) parent, I was checking out the website and social media of this company my son, Will, was now working for. I would look at the workouts posted on Facebook and was completely intimidated, but also a bit curious.

Today was my first camp and though I don’t know if the word ‘fun’ is necessarily accurate, I did walk away with a huge sense of accomplishment. Was I the fastest or strongest? Um, NOPE. Did I collapse on the floor after the first set? Proudly, I did not (nor did I collapse after the last set!) It honestly felt really good to be in a room with women that are at all different fitness levels, but were working side-by- side in the journey. I had a complete stranger tell me after class, “good job!” I don’t care how old you are, getting that validation from another woman felt really great.

The nerves of day 1 are done and behind me. I took the leap, I pulled on the old sports bra, laced up my shoes and I walked through the front door – now I just need to do it 89 more times! (Ok, maybe not 89 times but you get the idea!) Besides working on my own physical and mental health, I hope that in some way I can inspire another woman with a little nugget to nudge them into taking the first step through the door!

May 2

“The first step to getting anywhere is deciding you’re not willing to stay where you are.”

Kjflspmerkwkfkdg…. Wooo, excuse that massive misspell. That’s what happens when you hit arms and upper body at Burn Boot Camp. My arms were literally feeling like noodles when I walked out of the gym. Have you ever been presented with an exercise to do and you think, “okay, that looks tough but I got this?” I had that happen to me today.

Picture this, you have a mini hurdle, aka an equalizer bar, in front of you and you lay down under it and try to do a pull up. My body did not move the first few times. I felt like a roach stranded on my back just flailing around! Eventually I managed a couple, but it was tough.

Another good camp with many encouraging women. So excited to see how my body feels tomorrow! LOL.

Here’s what I ate today…

Breakfast: Egg on toast with avocado spread, cold brew coffee with milk
Snack: Banana
Lunch: Chicken breast on flatbread with hummus, spicy mustard and spinach; cantaloupe
Snack: Greek yogurt and strawberries
Dinner: Grilled chicken breast and cauliflower salad with kale and sun dried tomatoes; “mocktail” (V8 juice and low cal orange juice)
Snack: Strawberries with cool whip

May 3

“If it’s important to you, you will find a way. If it’s not, you’ll find an excuse.”

Happy Hump Day! I’m someone that likes routine and structure and I know with this new exercise routine I have to stay at it 110% to really get in the groove. I had an appointment this morning that went longer than planned and I knew I would be pushing it to get to the gym in time for the last morning camp.

I think the old me would have said, “well, I planned on going, have the workout clothes on, but it is not worth the effort to fly down the road to get there. There’s always tomorrow.” But I’m proud of myself that I shut off that conversation and hopped in the car to get to the gym by the skin of my teeth (not proud that I probably broke a couple speed limits to get there, but we won’t focus on that…)

I’m so glad that I rushed to get to the camp because it was LEG DAY. I did a camp Monday and Tuesday that were not called “leg day,” but somehow my leg muscles were already making themselves known… and a full mini camp of all leg exercises was tough. But I persevered and made it to the end, along with my fellow campers.

Maybe it is the honeymoon phase, but I am still pleasantly surprised each time another woman gives me a high five for a job well done. As I continue on this 90 day journey, I hope I can give someone a high five that helps them get through a tough set.

Here’s what I ate today…

Breakfast: Egg on toast with avocado spread; toast with Simply Fruit spread; cold brew coffee with milk
Snack: Banana, almonds
Lunch: Vegetable soup, salad, Coke Zero
Dinner: Turkey burger on bun with cranberry/apple relish and spinach; sweet potato fries

Wow! Maggie is working hard and hitting the ground running. What advice would you give her? How did you handle your first 90 days at Burn Boot Camp? Sign up below and tune in next week to see how Maggie tackles week 2 of Project 90!

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I had no idea that a 30 day Groupon would be a life-changing purchase. Burn Boot Camp was my last resort. I had lost and gained weight more times than I can remember. I have an 11 year old daughter and 4 year old twins, and thought that my body just wasn’t meant to snap back to the way it was before having them. I had all but given up when one of my colleagues told me, several times, to come work out with her at Burn. I knew about Burn Boot Camp, and decided that I would take her up on the offer. I thought it would be a great way to jumpstart my workout routine. I was hooked after the first workout, and knew that I would be joining as soon as my 30 days were over.

I have lost 36 lbs. since starting, but have gained so many other things! I am stronger than I have ever been. When I started, I was looking for the 5 lbs. dumbbells (there weren’t any) and now I don’t go lower than 25 lbs. My energy is through the roof! I start my day at 5 a.m. with a great workout, and that carries me through the day. My confidence is at an all-time high. I feel good about myself, and I like how I look. Most importantly, my husband and my children see the difference, and also reap the benefits of my new lifestyle. I can play with them without getting tired, and they love how strong mommy is LOL! Even though my oldest daughter has always been confident, I see that my self-confidence has caused hers to increase. People always tell her that she looks just like me. I never thought about how she felt when she heard that before, considering that I didn’t speak highly of myself. Now when people tell her that, the smile on her face is priceless, because she knows that I feel good about myself.

Burn has become my second home. The trainers are awesome. They have pushed me WAY outside of my comfort zone, and it shows in my results. The women that I get to sweat beside have become family, they are my tribe. We hold each other accountable, and push each other to keep going. I love Burn Boot Camp and will always be grateful for the new lease on life that it has given me!

Jemekka Richardson – Burn Boot Camp, Huntersville, NC

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You know when you hear of these weight lose stories, that the people have this “AH-HA” moment as if they are sick and tired of being sick and tired? Well I had mine just before I found out about the transformation project. I had a focus meeting with Devan and he asked what my weight loss goal is?!  I said I would like to lose 40 LBS before my son turns two. Then he told me that they are started a transformation challenge. So I did all the paperwork thinking that there is no way he is going to pick me because I had only ever read about or watched these things… nothing like this ever happens to me! Then I get the email saying I was one of the lucky women chosen for this, and oh boy was I excited!

I can’t believe how much I have changed in 3 months! It amazes me everyday. I am getting my energy back and feel amazing! This is an amazing adventure Devan and the Burn Boot Camp community has provided! I did get a little discouraged because about a month in to this program I found out I was pregnant with our second child! As a family we were excited, but getting involved in this great opportunity I was nervous that Devan was going to be upset. When I built up the courage to tell him he was seemed just as excited as we were!

The first couple of weeks were brutal with pregnancy sickness. I still managed to get up every morning and do my work outs! So for those who make pregnancy an excuse for not being healthy, you shouldn’t! All my doctors are on board which makes it easy to continue this incredible opportunity that was given to us! Now that the sickness is kind of wearing off I’m feeling better. I would say my eating has been a struggle. I highly recommend meal prep because if I didn’t have my meals prepped I don’t think I would eat, but since they are prepped it’s all ready for me!

In the past six months I have learned that there are no short cuts, magic pills or special drinks to get you to a healthy lifestyle! You have to want to be healthy for yourself. Nobody is going to do it for you. Also,  I feel it’s important to have a great support system because it if wasn’t for all the my family and friends encouraging me everyday I wouldn’t have been as successful. I would have to say my mental focus has been the most challenging to me. With being 30 weeks pregnant you have to fight the hormones and cravings everyday, which can be quite hard. I keep reminding myself why I started this transformation in the first place! Physically I feel great. Never thought I could push myself the way we do at boot camp. The trainers make me want to do better each day I go and I could never do the workouts by myself. Emotionally I have mixed emotions because some days I feel great and other days I just want to lay in bed and sleep in, but I know I made a promise to myself and everybody who has supported me this whole time! So that keeps me motivated to keep going. So once again thank you to everybody who has been there encouraging me to keep going!

When I started this body transformation I started out 250 pounds. Now I’m 215 pounds. Which is amazing to me because when I found out I was pregnant never thought I could lose weight like I have. You always hear everybody gaining at least 25 LBS during pregnancy, and I have lost that and some! I am doing this the healthy way… but don’t worry my doctors are okay with eating healthy and working out! They say keep up the good work!

So when we had our first meeting I was thinking I was going sit and talk to “fun trainer Devan” … boy was I wrong. Now, don’t get me wrong because Devan is a nice guy and fun to train with, but stuff got real when I walked in. He got down to business really quick, telling us all the things we had to do like write blogs and do live social media posts and I was like ‘I thought this is just for weight loss?’ I quickly realized this is more then just how much weight you can lose, this was about how to get healthy and stay healthy.

After having a baby and being out for 6 weeks, not being able to do physical activity other than power walking is tough, but I’m back at it and so excited to get back to my routine. Although my little guy decided to wake up 30 minutes early on my first day back, I could have easily went back bed, but I made a commitment to myself and to the people that love and care about me which makes it easier to get up!

I can’t believe it has been a year already, wow! Some many things have happened. I had a baby by c-section which is surgery in its self.  Then trying to take care your family while your recovering from a c-section is also a challenge. I couldn’t have done it with all the help of my loving family, especially my husband. On top of that, trying to get healthy was tough as well. Being pregnant was the easy part! Now you have an extra person relying on you to take care of them. This is the part where I could have easily given up and gone back to my old ways, but I told myself I have come too far to do so. Plus I have such a great support system and I couldn’t and still can’t let them down. They’re cheering me on!

I never in a million years thought I would be a person to inspire someone to change their life style. I’m saying this because three of my family members – my mom, sister and sister in-law, have joined the Burn family! They said I have inspired them to live a healthy life style, which is great because now we can continue on our journey and we can do it together.

I would like to give special thanks to my support system. Starting off with my workout buddy (WOB) Melissa, for being there everyday at 5:30 am even when she didn’t have to be! You are so great! You have made my journey so easy. Thanks for sticking by me, pregnant and all!

For my husband Joe for encouraging me the whole way and taking care of our kids during the crazy hours I wanted to work out. I love you!

For my mom and dad for also encouraging me and keeping positive the whole way.

For my siblings for not thinking I was crazy for doing such a crazy transformation! Y’all were always staying positive.

Thank you to Devan and the Burn Boot Camp family for sticking by me and encouraging me the whole way.

Now that this year has come to an end I feel like it’s the being for me and my family. Turning 30 is not looking so bad! Now I’m on to doing things I never thought possible, because now I have that voice in my head saying  “you are stronger then when you started!”

Jen Creveling – Burn Boot Camp, Huntersville

Justina Fox – Burn Boot Camp, Woodstock, GA

Before Burn, I was overweight and out of shape. I suffered from anxiety and depression. Hormonal issues caused my weight to fluctuate up and down through the years. Getting fit on my own wasn’t working. Basically, I was completely uncomfortable and unhappy with whom I was physically and emotionally. I feared walking into a room full of women and being the most overweight person. I feared that people would judge me and focus on what I could not do. I did not want people to look at me and think to themselves “how does someone let himself or herself get this over weight? ”

Since August 10th, I have lost 74 pounds, 14% body fat, 31 inches and five pant sizes and it’s to be continued! Through Burn Boot Camp I found a community full of women that inspire and encourage each other every single day. (Thanks 6:30AM crew!) I was so afraid of being judged by my weight and ability. I found the opposite, unconditional acceptance. I’m a boot camp junkie! Going to camp every morning gives me tons of energy. I have met the best trainer, Jodie McGuff, who motivates and challenges me every class I attend. I have gained strength, and improved my coordination and balance. I no longer suffer from depression and anxiety. I do not shop at Lane Bryant anymore!

I am inspiring my children to make healthier lifestyle choices in nutrition and fitness. If mom can, they can too! The Burn Boot Camp lifestyle of clean eating, exercise and regular focus meetings to stay accountable has allowed me to take my life back again. For that, I am truly grateful. The past seven months have been difficult as well as challenging, but I’m looking forward to finishing my weight loss and keeping it off forever!

If you or someone you know is ready to transform their life and make it happen, follow our link below to sign up for your FREE 14 Day Test Drive!

Jen Van Cise – Naples, FL

When I walked into Burn Boot Camp 11 months ago, I had finally become fed up with myself.  I was feeling persistently exhausted and embarrassed at the example of poor health I was setting for my young son. I had gained 85 lbs. in two years in yet another cycle of yo-yo dieting and weight gain. My most recent weight gain was driven by a series of convenient excuses to eat poorly and to ignore my health, ranging from constant business trips to all types of career and parenting stresses. A former college athlete and marathon runner, I battled this cycle for 16 years as my career took center stage, and I never allowed myself time to benefit from any form of exercise at all. I worried that I had become too out of shape to work out in a Boot Camp format. Photos and videos of other women who looked like me and participated in the program encouraged me, so I decided I could probably do it too.

I have lost 75 lbs. so far as well as 25 inches on my measurements and 16% body fat. I am stronger and have some muscle tone, and I fit into the same jeans now that I could wear before I started gaining weight, 85 lbs. ago, even though I’ve “only” lost 75 lbs. of the weight I had gained.  Some of that difference is the weight of my increased muscle mass. Within one camp, I became committed to this place. I show up before dawn 6 days a week because I love it.  I’ve gained a new outlook about defining success, which is less about numbers and more about the great sense of accomplishment that I feel when achieving new fitness goals. I have run several 5K’s, improving my one mile run pace by about 3 minutes, and I have made progress towards many other goals that I continue to challenge myself to achieve.  I’ve also worked back up to 250 double-unders in a row and 13 triple-unders in a row with the jump rope, bringing me back in time to my school years when I competed and performed internationally on a jump rope team.  At least in some ways, I feel half my age again! I expected to get more fit when I walked through those doors, and I was prepared to put in the effort both in terms of fitness and nutrition. But there was more to the Burn Boot Camp experience than I had imagined. Over the years, I had barely noticed myself becoming rather private and introverted through eight job relocations and a myopic focus on career and family.

Now, suddenly, I was welcomed by a whole community of like-minded women of all ages, shapes, and sizes, all of whom encouraged me to succeed as they pursued their own fitness goals by my side. I didn’t realize how much I needed the friendship and support of the women I now proudly call my friends. Those relationships are incredibly important to me now, and I feel like I’m where I “belong” for the first time since I was on sports teams as a girl. I’d like to thank Holly Strickland and Ryan and Jen Day for their leadership, support, and talent as the owners and trainers of our Naples Burn Boot Camp. They are truly top quality, and they have now also trained a group of talented support trainers in their image. They are coaches, role models, and now friends as well. I’ve become an advocate for Burn Boot Camp wherever I go, and, as I take on the ownership of two new Burn Boot Camp locations in Florida myself, I’m delighted to be bringing the Burn Boot Camp experience to two more communities of women! 

We know that it’s not an easy decision to transform your life and change your mindset, it takes hard work, but we can guarantee you’ll be glad you did! Sign up below to get started on your own journey!