BB Wedding Fair Vendors: Captain Quinn's Fitness Bootcamp

By

Captain Quinn’s Fitness Bootcamp combines what Jon Quinn considers the best of all fitness worlds–fun, group camraderie and ever-changing workouts. The Captain tells us why his approach works and why brides and grooms alike will want to get onboard.

There are so many fitness options out there: videos, classes, traditional gyms, Pilates, running groups, one-on-one personal training. What makes your boot camp a good option for brides- and grooms- to-be?
Captain Quinn’s Fitness Boot Camp consistently produces results. The workouts (which are different every class) are designed to ensure that anyone who gives it their best effort (regardless of fitness level), will lose weight, increase muscle tone, become more flexible, feel an increase in their stamina and energy level, and see an improvement in their overall sense of well being. On top of that, they’ll have fun in the process.

Equally important is that we have a great sense of community, teamwork, and even family. People develop friendships within classes and those bonds tend to amplify the sense of commitment and accountability. If someone misses several classes, others will ask for them. And, members are rightly extremely proud of their personal commitment as it grows over weeks, months, and in some cases years. I get photos and videos from members on vacation as far away as China wearing their Captain Quinn’s Fitness Boot Camp T-shirt and even performing signature exercises.

Do you often train people with specific fitness goals–say women who want to lose 15 pounds to fit into a wedding gown or men who’d like to tone those abs before the honeymoon? How can you tailor workouts for them?
Yes. Absolutely. Using regular boot camp workouts as a foundation, I’ve helped clients do everything from losing upwards of 40 pounds to getting in shape for their first 5k to competing in a snow shoe race to improving core and upper body strength and stability in order to make everyday life easier and more enjoyable.

I will work with anyone who has specific goals to properly define those goals (are they realistic, measurable, and specific?), create a program to get them to those goals, and monitor progress and adjust as needed along the way. In some cases, boot camp alone is ample to get people where they want to go. However, in other cases custom tailored programs can include additional “homework” for clients to accomplish outside of boot camp, adjustments to exercises during boot camp, and nutritional and dietary suggestions specific to their goals.

Simply put, If the question is…”Can Captain Quinn’s Fitness Boot Camp help you lose xx lbs or drop x dress sizes before your wedding?” The answer, as long as the time frame is realistic and you commit to doing your part, is yes. I guarantee it.

How does the group mentality affect the workout?
It creates a wonderful sense of camaraderie and energy. Using call and response, some singing and chanting, and the power of laughter, I make sure that the most powerful and positive aspects of group dynamics fuel the sessions with positive energy. Almost every session includes a team or partner-oriented challenge in which members have to work together to meet a specific goal. While everyone works at their fitness level (from first timer to seasoned athlete), no one is ever left behind and everyone supports their team. We work together to get results but we never compete against anyone but ourselves. The energy in the group along with the sense of teamwork moves everyone to work a little harder and push a little further, and therefore get more out of their workout.

What do you recommend for exercise-averse couples who want to get in better shape?
Start today and start together. Anything is better than nothing. If starting a fitness boot camp or signing up with a trainer isn’t something you’re ready for, commit to getting out for walks or bicycle rides, or whatever you enjoy that will elevate your heart rate and work at least some of your muscles on a regular basis. Find activities that have you using your body and getting outside in a way that brings you joy. Make movement a constant in your lives and something you share together. For those who want to give a more formal program a shot, join together. I have many couples with whom I’ve worked and exercising together clearly brings a unique and powerful dynamic to their relationships. For example, a guy in one of my classes wakes up 2 minutes before his girlfriend and blasts “Eye of the Tiger” to wake her up before every class. Awesome.

Tell us about a typical workout session.
We always begin with an icebreaker/warm-up which gives people a chance to meet each other while getting their bodies moving and getting ready for the fun ahead. From there we move into a higher intensity group session to get everyone fully warmed up, loosened up, and energized through a series of rapid fire dynamic warmup exercises which include plenty of call and response and motivational group singing/chanting. Once I feel confident that everyone’s safely warmed up, we begin the meat of the workout. While the workouts change every session, every class includes at least 20-25 minutes of high intensity interval training where we cycle between strategically combined periods of timed exercises and short rest intervals. Within those intervals I make sure everyone gets their heart rates up and all major muscle groups are covered using bodyweight (like push-ups) and resistance bands. We always finish with some cool down exercises, usually core-focused, and stretching of all major muscle groups.

How do you cater to different fitness levels and interests?
I want everyone to feel comfortable. Since most of what we do is time-based, everyone can work at their own pace. For example, if I tell the class to do as many push-ups as they can in 30 seconds, the seasoned veterans in the group might bang out 20-25 while a new student may do just a few which is all good. I also provide guidance to new students with respect to proper exercise technique and exercise variations for different fitness levels, and I’m constantly walking around checking and adjusting form for all students. I’m obsessed with proper form, safety, and injury prevention.

The constant variation of exercises and workout routines ensures that nobody gets bored and, as I mentioned above, I’m happy to provide guidance for anyone with sport or lifestyle specific training needs. The bottom line is that people get in great shape while having an energizing, effective, and extremely fun workout. I’ve worked hard at creating (and Im constantly refining and improving it) a really powerful program which brings people back to the fun of their school yard days (but without the peer presure and bullies), adds a little military style group energy (but without the yelling and down talking), and creates amazing results consistently.

What’s one single thing that brides and grooms should do to get into their best shape for the wedding day?
Sweat smartly! If you’re not moving, sweating, and getting that heart rate up at least 2-3 times per week, you are not improving your fitness level. Period.

However, there is no reason sweating can’t be fun and there’s no reason you need to spend 45-60 minutes at a time on the treadmill or stationary bike. With the right interval training program (like we use in Captain Quinn’s Fitness Boot Camp), you can get in great shape with three to five, 25-minute sessions per week.

Captain Quinn is one of the many fabulous vendors at our upcoming wedding fair, Wedding Crashers. Meet him in person February 27th!

Megan Finnegan is a multimedia journalist and writer based in Brooklyn. She writes about split personality wedding planning at The Bride and the Journalist.

2 Responses

  1. Martincspencer -

    A friend do needs a wedding workout. Unfortunately, she gained weight and she’s afraid not to fit in her wedding gown. Thanks for this blog. It opened my friend’s mind.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

  • (will not be published)