EmpowerFIT Boot Camp

I’ve been going to Empower Fit Boot Camp in Central Park in San Mateo for 3+ years now and it is the best work out ever! Coach Kelly leads the group through great, diverse workouts every day that are fun and also work all the different muscle groups and improve core strength. Never the same work out twice. And Kelly makes sure that ever camper, whatever fitness level, gets a safe and great workout. As a runner, I’ve gotten much stronger and faster because I’ve strengthened my entire body through boot camp. I highly recommend this boot camp for anyone who wants a great workout!

EmpowerFIT Boot Camp is the first fitness group that I have been able to stick with for more than a few months. Gyms are boring and crowded with classes that rarely challenge me, Pilates and yoga are great additions to my fitness schedule but I was looking for something more challenging.
EmpowerFIT coaches offer diverse workouts that are challenging but can also be customized to fit different fitness levels. Let’s be real, some days I struggle and I like that because it means I am being challenged. The support from the coaches and other boot campers is amazing; I’m surrounded by other active people and that keeps me motivated and accountable. Being outside every day is just icing on the fitness cake.

EmpowerFIT boot camp is amazing! I’ve been working out at the 6:30 class for about 1.5 years and it’s the best way to start my day. The workouts are always challenging and I love the every day is different. If you’re looking for a great workout outside in some fresh morning air — I definitely recommend coming and checking EmpowerFIT out!

I have been coming to this bootcamp for years and it is a terrific workout. Coach Kelly in San Mateo is very engaged and tries to give each student individual attention, and you can tell she is quite passionate about fitness. I honestly do not think she has ever given us the same workout twice in all the years I have been coming and her creativity in designing fun, challenging work outs is truly amazing. You can scale up or down as needed. As a working parent, I also appreciate the early morning start time, as it is the only thing that works for my schedule and allows me to be consistent with a fitness routine. It is hard to get up that early, but I love the sense of accomplishment and the increased energy it gives me for the rest of the day. Plus, once you begin working out outdoors, you will never want to go back to a hot, stuffy gym. Also a shout out to coaches at other locations who have subbed in San Mateo and are also very good – Larissa, Angelica and Genevieve. This is a very well run and organized boot camp and I am really thankful I found it.

EmpowerFit offers 2 free classes before you sign up. I decided to see what this was all about. I had be on INSANITY for about 2 years inside the house, so I needed to see if I can withstand the outside elements.
Kelly, the San Mateo Coach, is so amazing! She welcomed me along with the other campers and we got right into it. I thought I was in good shape, well Kelly provided me WRONG!
We train hard, we use the park like its a gym and it makes you realize that you can workout just about anywhere.
The 5:30 am classes is where I attend and Kelly is the best coach ever! I also reach out to her for food ideas and have been on their Shakology.
I started bootcamp to get toned, to be challenged and to feel good and this has been the best decision I could have made for my mind and body!

Joining EmpowerFIT San Mateo is one of the best fitness decisions I’ve ever made. It’s a terrfiic workout — I’m in the best shape I’ve been in since college, and have had so much fun (the kind of fun where you sort of want to lay down because you’re so tired :)) at every class. We’ve literally never done the same workout twice, and we use every inch of Central Park in San Mateo — the bleachers, the playground, etc… I started out going a couple of times a week and now I routinely go 5 days a week. Kelly is an extremely careful and thoughtful trainer — she makes sure to correct you when you’re doing the exercise wrong to prevent injury, suggests modifications for folks with chronic pain, injuries, or other limitations. Coach Kelly does a terrific job of walking that line between supportive and challenging — pushing you to try your hardest or go a little faster, but not in an intimidating way.
The community that Coach Kelly and the rest of the team has created at this boot camp is really special as well — I love that people notice when you’re not there and ask about your vacations after you get back. It makes it so much easier to get out of bed early in the morning when you know you have a great group of people to see. Our coach recently created a private facebook group for us where we can post pictures from the workouts or share motivational tips or recipes with one another.
I would highly recommend this boot camp to anyone, at any age or any perceived fitness level. Whatever your fitness goals are, Kelly and the EmpowerFIT team will get you there.

It’s a quality program, run well with a great variety of exercises. But do they have to be so condescending to new people? Didn’t feel any warmer after a few sessions, so I was too intimidated to go back! Good workout, for sure! But if you’re getting up at 5 in the a.m. to give your best effort, you don’t want to dread the instructors’ attitudes.

I took a free Saturday boot camp class, with a friend who was a member, at the San Bruno location this summer. I thought I was in decent shape from working out at the gym but got winded within the first half of the training. So I realized I wasn’t in shape after watching a lot of football & baseball games, at the bar, in the last two years.
My initial 2 months with the program I made steady progress going 2−3x’s a week to boot camp in San Mateo. I finally starting getting comfortable with the exercises, spoke to Kelly, the San Mateo trainer, on how to improve my eating habits and saw further improvement. On my first fit test I ran a mile over 8:30 minutes. Three months later I ran a mile in 7 minutes. Also lost eight pounds and feel great.
Like everything in life you get out of it, on what you put in. I started going to class 5x’s a week and began to eat better. The variety of workouts, coaching, and team environment is what helped me reach my goals. I’ve had a gym membership for ten years and didn’t get the results I put in with five months in Empowerfit.

I purchased the deal they offered via LivingSocial in 2012. I am pretty athletic, healthy, young… I went to the boot camp to see what the fuss was about, honestly.
I could not have been more impressed! I hated getting up at the crack of dawn, BUT after that hour (full 60min), I was full of energy and had already done hard core workout! I did not lose significant amount of weight in the month I attended, but I saw my thighs and arms shape up nicely – what a great feeling! Basically I began building muscle and rebuilding my body.
Heather was my primary coach, and she was The Most Amazing coach!!! She motivated but also realized our individual limits. There was no yelling, as I envisioned before attending :) Also, her workout plans were fun and innovative, barely any if any at all repetitions of workouts. She made the workout flow so perfectly, even I noticed how well-​thought-​through her exercise plans were. I have never gotten better overall workout! I felt sore in muscles I never realized I had. but that passes, only to discover new muscle groups. You can expect to be sore, often, but it is so worth it!
Heather also sends out emails with good health and fitness tips. She is an expert in the field and is surrounded with fitness coaches (coworkers, etc), so I think there is not a question she can’t answer you.
One down side that affected my ability to continue with boot camp is their price. It was well out of my budget; but I was happy to have been given a chance to try it out with Groupon (or living social) discount last year.

Who: I’ve taken classes from Kelly, Jen, Tiffany, Larissa, Genevieve, Christine, and Heather. They all have different teaching styles but all are amazing.
What: A great boot camp workout that can be tailored to your needs, fitness level, injuries, etc.
When: I have taken classes at 6:30 am, 9 am, and 6 pm.
Where: I’ve been to San Mateo’s Central Park, Laurelwood Park, Burlingame Track, and San Francisco’s Conservatory of Flowers.
Why: AlaVie boot camp literally changed my life! I started it a few years ago because I was getting bored of the treadmill and pool at the gym. Not only was it really fun, but it brought my fitness to a whole new level. I suddenly had muscles where I never had any, and because of my newfound strength, I got into surfing, rock climbing, and half marathon/​marathon running. Even after so many years, the classes continue to challenge me and make me sore sometimes. In addition, the coaches and the people in the classes are really great and supportive. I would highly recommend this boot camp to anyone!

It’s a good workout that’s for sure!!! only complaint is that the price is a bit steep. I would most definitely continue this program if it was a little more reasonably priced. I get a good workout in every morning, the coaches are great and the other members are very nice!

I have made many attempts at getting fit and I just dont ever stick with anything more than a couple of weeks. I just started my third 4 week session of bootcamp and am loving it. I signed up with a friend which keeps me accountable and makes it extra fun. The workouts are challenging and I have really noticed a difference in my strength and speed. I have lost 11lbs so far and counting. All the coaches are personable and keep you in good form. My favorite coach is Tiffany– she really keeps the class going and chats with us between instructions as we work off our butts. Before I know it– class is over and I feel great for accomplishing yet another class. I highly recommend bootcamp! You will get out of it what you put in.

I have been coming to the Palo Alto bootcamp for almost 2 months and I love it! It is painful to wake up before 6am several days a week, but I always leave feeling accomplished. It also seems to help me be more productive throughout the day because I don’t sit there all day dwelling about how I have to exercise later and trying to come up with excuses — you just get there early and get it over with.
The Palo Alto coaches are awesome. I love how they construct the workout in a way that allows individuals with wide ranges of fitness levels to get in a good workout. I also like having their encouragement along the way :) To me, this is better than personal training or working out on my own because there are other people there motivating to push through the pain when, if you were on your own, you might otherwise decide to quit.
I guess results vary by person, but I have been working out a lot over the past year trying to lose weight and get in shape before my wedding in June. Just running (3 miles/​day, 4 – 5 days/​week) worked for the first few months, but after I had lost about 10 lbs, I plateaued. Since joining bootcamp (to boost my work out), I have lost a few more pounds and seen significant results in my fitness levels which is awesome!
My only complaint is on the administrative side of things. Sometimes they don’t respond to emails and I also think the price is a little expensive (even for PA). I think most people around here can afford it, but for myself as a grad student (and a few other students in the class), it’s not something we can afford to do every month even with the student discount (10%). I’ll definitely sign up when I see a promotion but otherwise it’s Stanford gym + running for me :(

I completed my first 4-​week program in San Mateo and am about to start my second tomorrow. This boot camp is great! I was a bit hesitant to sign up for the 5:30am class but it turned out to be a great choice.
Dana and Jen are great coaches. In one month, I shaved off 36 seconds from my timed mile and added 12 push-​ups and 11 curl-​ups to my timed tests (1 minute for each).
My husband is doing the AlaVie camp in Palo Alto, closer to his work, and his results are noticeable as well. He regularly worked out before camp started so his instructor, Dana, makes sure that he doesn’t get bored (e.g., running around the track with a medicine ball over his head.) Our soccer team has even noticed that he is running faster and playing harder than before boot camp started.
I would recommend trying this camp at least once. It is perfect for people who need a little outside motivation to get fit.

I have never been in better shape and it’s all due to EmpowerFIT! I have drop significantly in weight, inches, and body fat. Their workout program is challenging and always changes so it never is dull. The coaches are professional, caring, and a wealth of exercise knowledge! I would highly recommend EmpowerFIT to anyone looking to get into the best shape of their life. My only word of advice… be careful, EmpowerFIT boot camp is ADDICTIVE!!!

I’ve been doing Alavie’s Boot Camp since 2007. It’s the only thing that keeps me in shape — they have excellent coaches (kelly & jen), they always change up the workouts and best of all, you are outside — not in a stuffy gym!
I’ve lost 20lbs since starting boot camp. I do the 3x week 5:30am classes in San Mateo and I love it. It’s not always easy to get up early, but you feel extreemly happy once you’ve completed your workout — I’m full of energy all day!
No pain, no gain! You have to work hard, be consistent and try. If you’re on the fence about it — I say give it a shot and do at least 1 session … you may be dissapointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don’t try!

I have to admit the 5:30 class was hard to get too. I took the 3 day a week course and each morning I had to fight with myself to get up and get to class. But I always left the class feeling great and happy that I went. Don’t get me wrong. The class is hard for a beginner. I was at the back of the pack even in the starter group. I just kept reminding myself that I’m not there to compete with others. I’m there to get healthy and fit. I thought the instructors were very friendly and didn’t mind my lack of coordination. They were always very supportive and never said anything if i needed to take a break from a particular routine. I would have continued with the classes but 5:30 was a bit too early and they didn’t have a 6AM class (just a 6:30AM).

Recently completed a 4-​week boot camp with AlaVie Fitness. I did the 4-​day a week program for $ 265 in San Mateo. I’m not going to lie — I am glad it’s over. I dreaded every single day of boot camp. But who said fitness was easy? What I wanted out of this boot camp was a good swift kick in the ass and it sure delivered. For that, I need to award a 5-​star rating.
My main goal was to improve physical endurance. The level of physical activity in my life was shameful and it was time to take action. The first day was overwhelming. As other reviewers have mentioned, there is no introduction whatsoever — it’s straight down to business. «One lap around the flagpole! 20 jumping jacks! 20 Jack and Jills! 20 mountain climbers! Another lap around the flagpole!» I doubted I could survive an entire month as I trailed behind everyone else, huffing and puffing. It can be intimidating at first, and I do agree it might be too intensive if you are seriously out of shape. But having fit people in the class should motivate you to try even harder. Every day was truly a struggle, but it always felt great afterwards.

I enrolled in the 6−7pm co-​ed class. Probably not a good idea in the middle of summer. There was a heat advisory one week and I was usually breaking a sweat before we even started. I took the 5:30am class as a make-​up once and actually preferred it. No blazing sun, plus no lookie loos or teenage riff raff to harass you while doing your drills. The morning class was significantly larger than the evening, but there were 3 instructors instead of 1, and the class was broken down into beginning/​intermediate/​advanced campers. The variety of instructors throughout the course was good, although some relied too much on running. Running to me is the most boring, unimaginative exercise in the world. If I really wanted to run, I would do that on my own — don’t need to take a class for it.
The fit test was given 3 days into the camp and I was so not prepared for the mile-​run. Walked a good portion of it. When I took the test again, I managed to actually jog the entire mile and shave off a minute and a half! I also improved on all the other fit test exercises, but I was definitely trying a lot harder to beat my previous results. One gripe I do have is that the final fit test results were not posted online in a timely manner. One week after the test, the results were still not posted.
If you want a jumpstart into fitness, this boot camp is worth checking out. It’s not something I would choose to do on a continual basis, as I prefer doing a wide variety of activities, but I would consider doing a less intensive program — maybe 2 days a week. I now feel lazy if I miss a day of working out — exactly what I wanted.

I signed up for the April class and really enjoyed it. I have quite a bit of muscle strength but my cardio conditioning was low. After 4 weeks I did see an improvement and lost almost 45 seconds on my mile. What is great about Boot Camp is that you can work at a level that suits your own ability — yet they push you to challenge yourself. I know that my cardio function is much better — jumping rope and jumping jacks will do the trick!!!
FYI — In San Mateo the 6:30 am class is far less crowded than the 5:30 class.

If I was reviewing this solely on my experience, I’d give it a two. I think it could be really good for other people though, so I give it an average of 3.
Me: dual athlete in college, slacked off after college. I graduated from college in 2000 and since then have worked out, but have gained weight and lost a lot of muscle. I needed something to help me get back into shape so I could maintain it.
I really wanted to like boot camp. They promise a lot of results in 4 short weeks. I went three times a week and pushed myself every time. I saw results in my mile time and the number of push ups I could do. The trick: they test you the first time in the middle of the first week when you are so sore you can barely walk. It’d be really hard not to do better than when you feel like that. However, at the end of the four weeks I saw no results in the way my clothes fit.
If you’ve checked out the web site, you see they do a fat composition test before you start and after 4 weeks. I saw some results in the fat composition. Although, the person that did the first test was different than the person that did the second test. The fat pinching test is really only accurate when the same person does it.
I thought I was expecting too much for 4 short weeks. So I signed up again. I bought a heart rate monitor. I checked in with the coaches to make sure I was doing things right, staying in the proper heart rate zones. I bought their vitamins. I took their advice on my diet. I tried even harder.
And I saw no results. I didn’t do the fat testing after the second session. It would have been done by yet another person.
The average person in this class is someone 30+, that hasn’t worked out in a long time, if ever. This is great for these women. I bet they would give it 4 or 5 stars.
It didn’t do much for me. If they offered another session for more advanced people, I would try it again. Being paired with a person that can’t run a mile or do push ups without being on their knees only slowed me down. I want to be in a class where I’m not the fastest because I’m not all that fast. I want results.