Genesis Fitness Ctr

10/18/06

For EVERY BODY

by sarakephner at Citysearch

I am a beginning camper and have never run anywhere except to the phone and I feel Genesis camps provided exactly the push I needed to reach my health and fitness goals.

Yes, it took me a while before I felt like I wasn't going to die from the workouts. The combination of weights, calisthenics, sprints and group drills left me so sore that there were days I couldn't even pick up my 3yr old! And yes, there is some running every day, but the workouts vary and are both inside and outside so that we dont just run all the time. And when we did run, although I was the very last person because Im not in the best shape, I was never left by myself nor did I feel I had to keep up with the group. Heidi, one of the instructors, ran and encouraged me every step of the way. She encouraged me to run a block, walk a block. Run to a tree, walk to a car. Now I can run around Cheeseman without stopping and as a result Ive lost two dress sizes and feel great! Granted I have a long way to go, but at least now it feels possible. THANK YOU Genesis for pushing me, although I wouldn't mind if you pushed a little less during those damn flutter kicks... ;o)

• Pros: Fun, Friendly instructors that pushed me out of my comfort zone which helped me achieve my fitness goals

12/02/09

switzerland

by rbcden at Citysearch

i too was in the class and neither account is accurate. it is more down the middle than either point of view, from what i observed. in this instance, both the student and the instructor were wrong. it was wrong of the student to walk out and it was wrong of the instructor to make her feel belittled. i knew of her injury because i was standing next to the instructor when she informed him of it but was not sure how it affected her and we should be careful to criticize as no one can know the extent of it. either way, the matter should have been handled more maturely on by both parties.

i have been through three genesis fitness programs and have had interesting experiences in each of them. most of the instructors are incredibly friendly and great at motivating but i have seen a few of them, including the one involved in this matter, use slightly negative means to motivate students. while it is a good workout, i am still not convinced. i prefer the 5 day workout to the three day as the instructors are more committed to the students progress but after going through this last program and reading what people are saying im not sure this is the place for me.

• Pros: good workout
• Cons: strange experience

12/01/09

Another observer in the "injured" person's class

by Chasidey Geissler at Citysearch

I was also in the class with the incident between the instructor and injured person, if it can even be called an incident. The particular class that we were all taking was only a 50 minute workout, and she consistently came 15 minutes late to every class, and then proceeded to do a completely different workout than the rest of the class. I'm still confused as to what her injury was as she was able to do some things for all body parts - it seemed like she was just avoiding the things that are difficult, or not the most fun to do. (Like running on an incline - not the most fun, but a fantastic workout). This was extremely disruptive to the class as a whole - motivation is hurt when there are such negative people present. On the particular day in question, the instructor very kindly told her the proper way to do an exercise (as they do for all campers, caring about form and trying to avoid injury), and she freaked out. At this point the instructor nicely (not in a raised voice whatsoever) that for rehab she might be more suited to personal training instead of the group workout environment. At this point she threw down her weights and stormed out.

I have been a loyal customer to Genesis Fitness for almost 3 years and have taken numerous classes. I have never seen an individual use the classes the way this particular individual did. If you are not going to attend the whole class and are going to do your own workout, why would you not just go to the gym or work out on your own for free?

I have also taken classes where I've had an injury going into them, and the instructors are more than willing to show you how to modify the specific exercise to accomodate the injury. I think part of the problem was that this girl not only did not communicate what her injury was, but didn't even seek the advice from the instructors as to what she could do differently, but rather would snap at them whenever they offered suggestions.

As a member of this specific class, I was relieved when she was finally gone, and that seemed to be the mood of the entire class.

• Pros: Best workout and best instructors around

11/25/09

The other side of the story

by Bill Johnson at Citysearch

I have to rebut CO24's post "Personal Trainer Instead". I was in the class that this person is referencing and their comment is a very biased view of the incident. It looks like someone is using the third person to try to legitimize their personal complaint.

As a neutral observer in this class, the fault for this incident does not belong to Genesis Fitness, but to the person that took the class. This person was consistently late to class, forcing the instructor to stop instructing the entire group to bring this person up to speed on the workout. I am empathetic to this person's injury, however this person went well beyond asking for a replacement exercise to accommodate their injury rehab. Virtually every exercise presented in the class she asked for a replacement exercise. Her antics were consistently disruptive to the class. All of the trainers we worked with tried their best to accommodate her, but her constant demands for individual attention were over the top.

In regards to the specific incident, the trainer merely suggested the correct way to do the exercise. This person threw down her weights and snapped back at the trainer. At that point the trainer nicely and not in any way aggressively told her that this is a group class and she might be better suited for a personal trainer. At that point she stormed off in a huff. At the end off the class, the trainer apologized for the incident to the rest of the class. Not a single member of the class seemed upset by what happened and I think everyone was a little relieved because we were all tired of her distractions, tardiness and poor attitude.

I have taken several Boot Camp classes at Genesis and I have enjoyed every class. It is an enjoyable and challenging workout. The trainers are top notch and are quite respectful to the different fitness levels within each class. If you are looking for an engaging and unique workout, I highly recommend taking a class at Genesis Fitness.

• Pros: Variety of workout, great instructors

11/17/09

Personal Trainer Instead

by co24 at Citysearch

I was recently in a class at Genesis Fitness and witnessed an incident which shocked me. A woman in the class had been hurt and using the class as rehab. When she could not perform the stated task she was yelled at, told to get a personal trainer, and to get out of the class immediately. IF you are looking for a fun way to get in shape with great instructors, this is not for you. While the instructors are knowledgeable, they are brash and dictatorial. If it's not their way its the highway. And if you are not in shape enough to do a push up i guarantee you will feel unwelcome.

• Cons: negative workout environment

04/24/08

Best Fitness Boot Camp

by bnt2008 at Citysearch

This gym is not for someone that wants an easy or light workout. Everyday has been different and draining, but worth every minute of it. Each day I leave feeling like I am getting stronger and stronger. Great instructors, very professional and highly motivating. They are not going to just leave you on your own. Don't join something like this if you are not willing to make time for it either, you need to go often to see results. Will do another one for sure, loved it!!!!

03/13/08

Great way to get in shape with friendly people

by gatzby at Citysearch

Being completely out of shape, I was quite nervous about joining any sort of fitness group. I looked at gyms and was scared away. When I finally got dragged into a fitness boot camp at Genesis, I felt welcome, comfortable, and not looked down upon. It's rough at first, but the trainers are kind and willing to help people of all levels. Every night is a different workout and they keep it balanced. If you're looking for help getting back into the realm of being fit, this is definitely the way to go; don't be scared off by the suggested requirements.

• Pros: Friendly trainers, comfortable environment, low pressure, variety of people in class, motivational
• Cons: Beating the heck out of your tailbone ;)

03/06/08

Best Butt-Kicking Workout for EVERYONE!

by heatherfx at Citysearch

Genesis Bootcamp is truly the greatest workout training facility I've been associated with ever! I'm into my second bootcamp right now, and will absolutely continue to sign up for consecutive sessions. I started camp as a non-athletic, depressed, soft-body and now I feel so confident, my running, endurance and strength training have measurably improved. In addition, I've lost several inches and lbs. The camps are great for all levels of fitness; there's a camp for everyone. It's a great way to support a healthy lifestyle and make some great friends!! The five day a week classes are wonderful and there's a level of accountability and responsibility to participate in each session (you pay for it, may as well show up!). The classes are fun and lively, very upbeat and challenging all in one. There is a variety of different trainers who are all top-notch with incredible personalities and vast training knowledge. I love it, and I promise, you will too!!

• Pros: Every day, different adventure

11/08/07

Most fun, intense workout in a while.

by agreen80203 at Citysearch

I took bootcamp on a recommendation from a friend and honestly, I was a bit skeptical. I had a blast though, def was not easy, but that is what I was looking for. My instructors were a lot of fun. It was nice to get my butt kicked but still have a smile from the ones in charge. I did do another bootcamp , which shall go nameless and i can tell you, there is a reason a lot of people wrote nice things about this place. I even had the owner of the company teach a few classes, NICE! Highly recommend this camp. I said goodbye to my own boring workouts and hello to my old size 32 jeans.

• Pros: Great instructors, good music

05/31/07

Changes your outlook on pain!

by squido at Citysearch

I came to Genesis Fitness as a former runner who had not moved in about 5 years unless you count the distance between my computer and the fridge. I wasn't horribly overweight, just soft, squishy, and weak. You know, when you look okay in clothes but chunks of cottage cheese are lurking beneath the surface? Yah, that was me!

I signed up for the downtown PM fitness class. I started the class very slow at running, and hating it. During the course of the class I discovered I actually like running, and can't do without it. My time dropped 5 minutes in the 5 week course. I never thought I could do pushups, much less 50 of them in a row (with no cheating!).

As the instructors say, this is not curves. You will sweat, you will grunt, you will learn to embrace pain as a friend that leads to results and that happy feeling you get after a good workout. Most of the people in the class are 23-35 years old, normal folks. People are friendly, not snobby, and not critical or competative (except me, I like to race for fun because I am a spastic dorkweed :P) I know it is hard to drag your flab into workout clothes and bounce around in front of people...but at genesis you have nothing to be ashamed or or worry about.

One of the most positive things I gained from it was losing my fear of looking stupid in front of people. I'd never done a group activity like that, and was shy about not knowing what to do. The shyness probably came off a little standoffish. Now I'm probably the goofiest, happiest person in my class. Clothes fit better, I have muscles and tone coming out in places that never occured to me (say bye to those dreaded backfat handles and muffin tops!), but I'm equally grateful for the shameless way I can toss myself at any exercise with energy and fearlessness. Although I think they would rather I not jump down 5 stairs at once. =P

• Pros: ^^
• Cons: Saturday class is too early

11/30/06

Ultimate slackers, yes, you can do it.

by aortell at Citysearch

Yes, this is hard. Yes, this kicks your a**but afterall, it is called boot camp. I am a beginner from the word go. I am about 25 lbs overweight and haven't worked out regularly in years. I also have a PhD in procrastination and excuse making. Have a hangnail? Cool, can't go to the gym. Had a hard day? Right on, I'll bail the gym so I can polish off a bottle of wine and eat an entire Chipotle burrito. This class has changed me. This class is worth the money, time and effort. A previous review mentioned that for beginners, it is hard. This is true, very true, however, you are not there to compete against your peers; you are there to compete against yourself. I am in my second 5 week class and I can't believe how much progress I have made. I am still the slowest runner and the last one to finish every single time we run, however, I cut an entire minute off of my total run time during the first boot camp. I do not measure my success by comparing it to others. I am the one in the back of the class who has to stop often while those around me are still going but I push through it. I take a lot more breaks than the others and can't do as many reps but for me, just showing up is a success. The instructor at the DTC Evening class, Lori, is amazing. She gets to know your strengths and weeknesses and helps motiviate you every step of the way. The other upside to joining these camps is that you bond so closely with your class. We encourage eachother and focus on what we can do rather than what we can't. We truly become a team by the end of the five weeks. Feel free to show up one night and take the class for free, Garth won't charge you. You will get your butt kicked but we'll all be there to cheer you on-Just look for the chubby chick in the back; the one who is the slowest runner, lifts the least, sweats the most and all around struggles through it-that's me. I just show up and do my best, knowing that the ultimate payoff in the end is losing weight and looking great!

• Pros: Challenging, fun, consistent, good value
• Cons: Hard workout, hard to go from sedentary to boot camp but you have to start somewhere