Boot Camp Fever!

The following is an article I wrote for our local paper back in March.  We are starting a special Moduvated Summer Evening Boot Camp here in Cabo, and I thought I would share it with you; as a way to inspire and motivate people in our community to joint the program, and also with the hope that, where ever you are out there, you will catch the "fever", get moving and "kick it" in your own area!

The best form of exercise is NEVER the easiest one, but rather the one that is sufficiently diverse to produce results in a short period of time, while keeping an individual highly motivated. 

This is what Modu Seye’s Get Fit Boot Camps are all about.   Modu’s favorite line is “you’ve got to mix it up!’’   A native of West Africa, Modu Seye ran a very successful personal training practice in Los Angeles which included a boot camp component.  He decided to move to Cabo last summer to continue training clients who live here.  He  admits that he was curious about what life in South Baja was all about.  Observing the many people dealing with weight issues, especially young people hanging around malls and on the streets, Modu decided to establish roots in Cabo and embarked upon a very ambitious project…to improve the lifestyle of those who not only need to do it,  but WANT to do it.   Driven by an unshakable passion to make a difference, he constantly strives to help people go beyond what they ever thought possible and to attain their personal best!

You really have to attend a session of Modu’s Get Fit Boot Camp to understand what it’s all about!  In the beginning, we all ask ourselves:” “What could possibly possess a group of people to get up at 5:00 a.m. 3 times a week, get to the beach for 6:00 a.m. and start warming up by jogging in deep sand for about 12 minutes?”  “Why bother running on solid ground?’’ Modu asks teasingly, “when running in sand is so much harder!’’  During early winter months, we run in pitch darkness, grumbling at first, and then realizing that we’re grateful for small favors such as when the moon is shining.   As the sun comes up, we line up to start a series of exercises, from jumping jacks to lunges and burpees followed by planks and push ups!  Our panting and grunting resonate in the stillness of early morning as we push ourselves to the sound of what we now refer to as Modu’s “moduvated’’ voice.  “ Abs tight,” Modu intones,  “give me 10 more, as long as you’re moving…you’re working for progress!’’

And progress there is, that’s for sure, and rapid progress at that!  Take Erika Kroll for example, who was kind enough to share with us her spectacular journey back to a healthy lifestyle.  Erika, an avid soda drinker, gave up all types of sodas at the beginning of January 2009, and also started Pilates and salsa dancing classes. By September 2009, she had lost 40 pounds and it showed!  However she hit a plateau.  It didn’t matter what Erika tried, she couldn’t lose the remaining weight to enable her to reach the goal she had set for herself.  With the help of a health and lifestyle coach, she fine tuned her eating habits and joined Modu’s Get Fit Boot Camp.  Today we celebrate Erika’s achievements because not only is she 20 pounds lighter, but she is fitter and feeling so much better thanks to her coach and Modu’s Get Fit Boot Camp.  She readily admits that she feels like a different person but that she was quite fearful of the boot camp experience when she first signed up.  She was sure that there was no way that she could complete it, let alone keep up with the rest of the group.  However, she was in for a big surprise.  Boot camp taught her to gain not only self confidence but to reach beyond herself, to achieve anything which she might set her mind to accomplish.  Erika confided to me that there were set backs along the way, but boot camp helped her to change her mindset and she is now on a different journey and there is no turning back. 

Those who attend the 8 week boot camp program forge close ties with one another and Modu is very adept at encouraging these friendships.  We challenge one another as we would if we were part of a sports team.  We even worry when one of us doesn’t show up for boot camp.  We all recognize that the work-outs can be brutal, but oddly enough they are extremely addictive.   This is due to the fact that we not only see tremendous results, but Modu’s enthusiasm is highly contagious. His passion is coupled with a gentle spirit and profound humility.  We all hang in there, puffing and panting with renewed vigor, reaching unbelievable levels of fitness while sharing each other’s successes. 

As we reach the final component of our boot camp session, we grab our resistance bands, jump through a series of hurdles and other well designed exercises, and we give it our last bit of gut wrenching effort.  The 75 minute session ends to the sound of crashing waves while the sweat pouring out of us in buckets, glistens in the morning sun and traces pearly paths down our forehead and cheeks.

Yes, getting up at 5 a.m. is absolutely worth it.   Hands down, this beats any gym session in which we’ve ever participated.  This really is the very best kind of fever!

Yours in vibrant health,

Isabelle Gagnon