Bodyrock Bootcamp & Executive Training

Still sweating for the wedding. We tried out this great little gym in West Philly as part of a Groupon fitness pass. Like crazy people, the first class we took was high intensity boot camp with Nate. Listen: you will sweat, you will feel like you’re going to die, you’ll lie down like you have died and Nate will come around, tell you you’re not dead and say do ten more reps of whatever it was that almost killed you. The class sizes are small so he definitely provides more personal attention and technique direction to everyone. Definitely intense but worth it. There were a few regulars but no one made me feel intimidated. I did what I could and listened to my body. My only gripe with the facility is its restroom space, which doesn’t look fit for public use and let’s face it, a gym’s got to have an adequate restroom space. Otherwise, we’ll be back! After all, a sista’s got goals AND Summer’s coming!

I have been to two of Nate’s outdoor bootcamps, and they were both really tough.
The regulars are really nice and will show the typical warmup people do while class is getting started. Obviously, when the instructor gets there — he goes over it with you too.
The first class I attended had a lower body focus, and we did running, step ups, single leg things, squats, running, jumps … It was no joke, and a good workout.
The second class I attended was seriously killer. It was apparently cardio day, and boy did we run. We ran to the penn track area and did a ton of running, sprints, etc. He made it sort of competitive, but in a way that didn’t make people feel bad. The «break» between sprinting was running up and down stairs with your hands over your head. (Doesn’t sound hard, you say? You try being exhausted from sprinting and then do it. You can get back to me.)
I will definitely be going back to early morning classes in the fall and spring (I am a teacher and don’t so 6ams in summer. And winter is too cold for me.) They meet rain or shine (or snow?) so be sure to check them out.
One thing I wish they had was a better website! But they are on classpass!

*OUTDOOR BOOTCAMP REVIEW* (2400 Walnut under the bridge)
Ughhhh Nate, I hate you. But I love you.
These classes are legit brutal and you feel like dying the whole time. Because there are no weights, you’re using body weight the whole time which is infinitely harder. Each class has a focus (upper body, cardio, lower body) 6am or 7pm. Class size approx 5 – 10 people, ⁷⁵⁄₂₅ women/​men.
The workouts are different than anything I normally do at the gym/​other studios, again because it’s all body weight. He varies it up every class and every so often so you’re not bored. And most likely you’re dying anyways so you can’t really be bored while dying right? Be prepared to rough it! You’re going to be doing pushups on the gravel so gloves help. You’re going to be doing ab work on the muddy grass, so don’t come with fancy clothes. And you’re sweating the whole time!
Nate is tough, but also super nice. I love that he compliments you when deserved so you feel so much better. He does some competition stuff, which also pushes you to want to beat the others in class, but in a friendly way.
I took Nate for 2 months in the summer via a Groupon (btw very worth the $) and got a ton of comments from friends on how I looked more tone and stuff! So glad they’re on Classpass!

The trainers here are very nice, and the workouts are fun, challenging, and extremely productive. They definitely push you hard, but you will see the hard work pay off quickly.
A big benefit of the gym is that its smaller size allows the trainers to give more individualized attention to each member. That’s something you won’t get at a larger place.

All I can say is that I had never worked out in my life before Bodyrock. I wanted to lose 20lbs before my 30^th birthday in August. I started in June and it was a lot of hard work, but w/​the expert tough love of Nate & Kendrell I lost 25!

I was a bootcamp client and Nate & Kendrell are thee best trainers! They push you to do more than you would ever think you could possibly do, until you do it… with ease! Whether you do indoor, outdoor or one on one sessions, you will sweat all your clothes and hair… out! But get the burn, sweat the pounds away & see the results you’ve been waiting to see! I got to my smallest size in my adult life working with BodyRock! You can too!

I took the Indoor Bootcamp class (in west philly)– it was killer! My whole body hurt for days. It was a great workout.
I also took zumba class at the west philly location, it was a lot of fun– didn’t feel like I was working out more like dancing :)

There is nothing like a workout with Nate! I’ve done the outdoor classes and the indoor. Both types have been the best workout classes that I’ve ever attended. Nate is fully invested into each individual’s fitness. He tailors classes to your level and pushes you to your limit. Trust me — you won’t get a better workout in Philadelphia.

I got a 10 class pass through Groupon and MetaBody Fitness. There is a morning or evening class every day right on the Schuylkill River path under the Walnut Street bridge. I tried a 6am upper body class. The other options are lower body and cardio. There were about 6 of us, and I think I was the only new person. The other ladies had been taking the class for awhile, but were very friendly and let me know about the stretches they usually do while waiting for the trainer. I can’t remember the name of the instructor, but she is a basketball player at Drexel. After a warm up we got down to business doing a lot of different kinds of push-​ups. In between sets we would do cardio. For example, we had to run up and down the stairs to the bridge, and also had to do some sprints with squat thrusts. My arms and chest were sore, and I was out of breath by the end, a good feeling when you are trying to get in a good work out. I definitely plan on returning.

I love these guys. Just ended my membership (but you bet I’ll be back as soon as my schedule permits) and I have nothing but good things to say about Nate and Kendrell.
Having never done any free weights, Kendrell paid amazing attention to my weaknesses. Over a few months, I went from BARELY being able to do a push up to doing 30 of them with the rest of the regulars. When I told the guys I was ending my contract, they went out of their way to give me enough information/​exercises so I could continue my training outside of their gym.
I’m obnoxious and I pout when I don’t ‘get’ things the first time. Kendrell saw that, called me on it and pushed me. He has the patience of a saint, for putting up with my whiney crap (I talk my way through discomfort and training at this gym does make you sore in an awesome way).
Either way, I went from having a very sad excuse of an ass to having something to call home about and my arms just keep improving.

I do the ‘bootcamp’ program from this gym. I joined back in July and am still going strong (even through winter!) So it’s been 6 months.
It’s run by a fitness trainer/​the gym owner (formerly a Villanova football player) who has really transformed the way I think about outdoor fitness training. I used to only consider outdoor training for runs. After 6 months w/​Bodyrock (that’s the bootcamp’s name, as well as the gym), every bench has potential for a full body workout…
After I joined, my husband also joined, and we’re both very happy with the results. Most importantly, there is definitely a team spirit here, as there’s a group of ‘regulars’ who show up several times a week. It has really helped me motivate to keep coming.
Training is 5 days a week, 6am on Tues/​Wed/​Fri, 7pm on Mon/​Thurs. The group meets under the Walnut St. bridge on the Schuylkill footpath. You’ll be able to pick out Nathon (or Nate) easily (usually wearing a red BodyRock t-​shirt).
Of-​course, the level of fitness you achieve depends on how many workouts you make (and 6am isn’t easy!), but Nate will definitely work with you to achieve your full potential.
Check out the link for more details and contact info. Group rates available, first workout is free (
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