Sergeant’s Fitness Concepts Bluemont Park

Excellent classes! I love the convenience of their 6−7am M-​F classes. I’ve got 2 small kids so I alternate mornings with my husband. We have finally found a challenging workout program that we can stick to!

Today marks my 1 year anniversary at CFC Bluemont. It is EXCELLENT. This is the first exercise program I have really stuck to. When I started, I was 49 years old and 35 pounds overweight. I had trouble running more than once around the parking lot. I can now say that I have run a 5 mile race, I can do most exercises without modifications (more on that next), and I have lost 30 pounds. The instructor Andrea is THE BEST! She manages to run the 6 am class in a way that challenges the most fit participants but keeps the rest of us engaged and encouraged, too. Everyone in the class is very supportive, so I have never felt bad about not being able to keep up. So while the instructor is great, there is also a great vibe in the group, too.
I think the reason this really works is that Andrea will have us do the various exercises, but she also offers way to modify them for those who — like I was — can’t keep up or who don’t have the strength yet to do them the standard way. She is also good at offering modifications for people with back or shoulder or knee pain, for example. As a result, everyone of all fitness levels can work out together, and we all get stronger.
I told her this morning that my goal was to hit this first anniversary and not have to modify the exercises. I’m pretty much there. Not only that, but the fitness improvements mean I don’t get winded when climbing stairs or hills anymore, and I can carry the 40 lb bags of dog food without relying on my husband!
So if you are looking for a place to work out where this is no judgment, where you can work on your individual goals, whether you are a marathoner or a just someone who wants to get healthier, look no further. This place rocks!

I wrote a review (see below) a few months ago for the «general» CFC site and wanted to put in a plug for the Bluemont location. The instructor, Andrea, is phenomenal — supports and challenges us at the same time. She is great with people of all fitness levels and makes newcomers feel very welcome. And since I wrote the earlier review, I’ve been complimented on my «toned» upper arms, and was able to out-​run my younger brother for the first time EVER.
Prior review:
«I’ve been a „bootcamper“ for over 5 years, and when I moved from Rockville to Arlington in November I was thrilled when I found CFC. I attend bootcamp 3 – 4 days per week at Bluemont and I have to say the workouts are more challenging than the ones I attended in Rockville. In just 3 months my fitness level has improved dramatically. I’ve shaved 1.5 minutes off of my per-​mile time and increased from 3 mile runs to 6 mile runs. The classes are structured so that people of all fitness levels can participate and there is a lot of encouragement from the staff (and fellow exercisers) without undue pressure. And the best part is being DONE at 7AM with a great, 500-​calorie burning workout. I highly recommend these classes! »

A little over a year ago I decided to do a Tough Mudder race (12 miles, 25 obstacles). At the time I could barely run a mile and would probably fall on my face after 10 burpees.
I was having a hard time finding a workout regimin that I liked… after noticing a Groupon for this bootcamp, I purchased it and joined. It was the first time I ever really enjoyed working out. I hit many firsts at bootcamp; first time I ran 3 miles in a row, first time I used a blue (and now green :)) resistance band, first time I did 20 non-​girly push-​ups in a row, etc. This past weekend I did my first Tough Mudder in under 3 ½ hours and if it wasn’t for bootcamp 3xs a week, I don’t think I would’ve been able to do it. Literally the only other training I did was running on my own.
My teammates actually joined me at bootcamp to support me once a week, but they like it so much that they now plan on continuing it. Our instructor Andrea is AWESOME. She keeps trying to find new ways to push us and just when something gets easy, she’ll add a little something else to it for a challenge.
Thanks CFC for coming up with something that keeps me motivated. It’s a hard thing to do.
BTW — this morning’s bootcamp was eeeeeeeevil… in a good way.