We had a company contact us that was interested in promoting FitMania and asked for reviews or testimonials. I don’t know of anyone in the valley that does reviews for fitness businesses so I sent them the following comments. These are all e-mails except the last one which was posted on a blog. I have included the text and the link for that one.
I LOVE bootcamp! I have never found a workout that is so easy to learn and so effective. There’s no complicated steps to learn and no 90 minute commitment. I am getting an awesome hard workout in a half hour and seeing great results. In the first 3months I have lost 20lbs and I feel great! My strength, stamina and energy levels have greatly improved and I find myself seeking out other ways to exercise, like hiking and dancing. No more couch potato for me, just more confidence and better fitting clothes! Amber L.
“I tell all my friends that they should check out FitMania. It is a GREAT place. I have never stayed with a workout program in my life. I have been at FitMania for 5 months and I feel better than I have felt in over 15 years. Sherry and crew provide a lot of real motivation to help you and challenge you every session! (and no I was not paid for this endorsement) Come in and get hooked on the workouts AND the people that are at FitMania.” Brian G.
“Sherry, I was sad that I missed saying good bye to you. I was in Boise just for 3 months taking a midwifery course. I am now headed to work with women in developing nations. I want to thank you for all your encouragement and support over these last 6 weeks at boot camp. I really enjoyed the class and loved the environment you created. You are such a good balance of challenging us, supporting, encouraging, motivating and empowering. Thank you again for a great 6 weeks of work outs and motivation.” Christine L.
“I am so happy to be back. This program has been the best thing I have ever done for myself! When Chris and I were cutting wood I felt so much stronger. I can tell every week that I am getting stronger, have more endurance and my body is changing. I am finally coming to terms with no weight loss because clothes that didn’t fit before are starting to fit now. My water skiing was so much better than last summer. Chris said that I looker so much more confident and aggressive. I did have one rad narley crash and did a side ways face plant and bounced twiceover the water. So, the good news is I recovered so much quicker than I know I would have last summer. I am so grateful.” Kathy F.
“Sherry Fernandez teaches the best boot camps in town. I started attending her camps 8 months ago and cannot believe the changes in both my body and mind. What sets Sherry apart from the others is her positive attitude and encouragement. She pushes each and every one of us to our max no matter what level of fitness. She believes in us before we believe in ourselves. I was overweight and out of shape when I started and she helped me believe that I could really do this. I felt nervous being with others in the class who were so strong and fit. But Sherry pushed and encouraged me to do my best for my level. And that level has gotten higher now than I ever thought possible. I have lost almost 40 pounds and am stronger than I ever have been in my life. And I’m not done! That excites and empowers me. Sherry is always saying “You can be as lean and as strong as you want to be.” It’s so true and I’m a believer. I cannot speak more highly of Sherry Fernandez and am very grateful for her strength, guidance and encouragement.” Patrice S.
“Fitmania Bootcamps are truly amazing! I am so thankful that I was able to attend the boot camps through 40 weeks of my pregnancy. The program gave me more energy and strength, I was able to keep my weight gain at a healthy rate, and I had great mobility during my pregnancy. The workouts are all so different and have great results! I originally came to your boot camps when my son was 1.5 years old and I was still struggling to loose the 45lbs that I gained with my first pregnancy. This time, I have already lost 20lbs in the first 4 weeks since my daughter was born, and only have 10lbs more to get back to where I was pre-pregnancy. Of course, I still have another original 10lbs to loose, but am confident with the discipline of the boot camps and following the nutrition information you have shared, that I can succeed! Thank you Sherry & Fitmania!” Sarah S.
“FitMania is unlike any other gym or workout program. Unlike a box set of workout DVDs, FitMania offers continual motivation to exercise: a welcoming, friendly environment. When you know someone will notice when you miss your workout, it is easier to get out of bed! FitMania is so much more than a monthly gym membership that we’ve all struggled to fully utilize. FitMania’s workouts never get boring because they are hand-crafted every single week. Whether you’re overweight or chiseled, FitMania’s High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) will do more for you in 45 minutes a few times a week than multiple hours every day at a regular gym. At FitMania, you’ll learn how to push beyond boundaries both physical and mental. Whether you’ve got weight to lose or you’re a star athlete, FitMania is for you.” Stacia H.
“I am a casual mountain bike rider (casual because when the weather turns cold, my bike goes into hibernation, and during the “good” weather season my rides can often get put off for other priorities). For the last 15 or more years, each year, I have mountain biked up the quarry trail in Boise up to the table-rock cross, so I have a pretty long standing baseline to judge my fitness level. On the first ride of the year this is my typical baseline- About half way up the trail my heart is pounding well into the anaerobic phase, and my breathing is fast with heavy gasps for oxygen. Some years I do not make it to the top on my first ride of the season, but in years when my fitness is a little better I have to stop once or twice to rest before I make it to the top. When I get to the top I am typically moments away from collapse, and I must get off and spend several minutes recuperating and getting my breathing under control before I can start the ride down. As the riding season continues I can ride to the top without stopping but typically with still a couple minutes of recuperation time at the top.This year on New Year’s Day I started doing boot-camp workouts three times a week for 45 minutes at FitMania. After a cold wet spring, finally on Saturday May 21st, I got my new mountain bike out (Christmas present) for its first ride in the dirt. I was a bit concerned about my energy level as I started my ride towards the quarry trail, because I had spent Friday night camping with some boy scouts who kept me up well past 1:00AM… I got to the trail, about a 5 mile ride from my house, and started up. I got through the first section with relative ease and was feeling pretty good. At about the half-way point I was breathing comfortably, but my legs were feeling a bit fatigued. On this trail, the last three sections are the worst- one climb straight toward the hill-top, then a left turn and steep climb up to an outcropping of rocks, followed by a right turn and the last long climb up to the top. As I headed into these last three sections I started entertaining thoughts about where would be a good place to stop and go back, but I finished the first climb and turned left heading up to the rocks and I was feeling OK. My legs, again, were feeling the fatigue, but I was still moving at a reasonable pace. When I made the right turn for the final climb to the top, I realized that I was going to make it all the way without stopping. As I reached the top I slowed my bike, popped my feet out of the clips and got off the bike. As I stood there, I realized that I did not need to rest before heading back down and that I was ready to go! The ride down and back to my house was much stronger than I was expecting it to be. In my 15+ years of riding this trail, I have never had this good of a ride on my first ride of the season!” Roger L.
(You can read this one on Roger’s blog http://rwlthoughts.blogspot.com/2011/05/do-boot-camp-workouts-work-case-study.html )
On Injuries
“I started working our seriously about 12 years ago. My work outs consisted of weight lifting three days a week and cardio two to three days a week. As I got stronger I started adding more weight to my lifting routine. Over the years I did some damage to my right shoulder. I found ways to work through or around the pain. The last couple of years the pain in my right shoulder had gotten so bad I couldn’t even throw a ball overhand. Two years ago when I switched over to Fit Mania’s boot camps there were some of the exercises that I couldn’t do like a full arm extended side plank, or a pike pushup. I kept with the workouts and modified them to ease the pain. Gradually the pain lessened so that I could do those exercises. The other day I was playing a game that involved throwing a ball. It wasn’t until after the game was over that I realized that I had been throwing the ball with no pain. I am convinced that the boot camp work out has made the difference. The workouts are more of a natural movement plus I feel like there is less isolation and I am strengthening the whole area, which reduces the risk of injury.” Ken F.
“When I started teaching the boot camps I was worried about my “bad” shoulder. I have had problems with it for years. I was able to do the workouts full out and after a few months the pain I thought would be mine forever was gone!” Sherry F.