Workout Wednesday: STAX Boot Camp

Vitals

Class: free 1-hour outdoor bodyweight boot camp
Location: Rugby Athletic Center (behind STAX), 3722 S. Tryon Street
Class schedule: Mondays and Wednesday 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Class duration: 1 hour
Drop-in rate: always FREE
Monthly membership: no membership or contract; just show up
Good for: people on a tight budget, people with a membership elsewhere who are looking to mix it up a bit, people who want their butts kicked
Bad for: people who aren’t willing to get down and dirty in the mud

How to dress and what to bring

This class is outside on the rugby fields so dress for the elements. If it’s been raining, keep in mind the fields will still be wet and muddy (but this doesn’t mean the trainers ease up on you) so don’t wear anything you want to keep clean. Layers are a smart choice because you’ll start off cold and then slowly strip pieces away as the workout heats up. A bag is also a good idea so you can keep up with your keys, phone, etc. but it’s better to just lock valuables in your car. Bring water.

What to expect in class

STAX Boot Camp is led by CrossFit Games competitor Emily “Breeze” Watson and former NFL pro Randy Moss. Their celeb factor combined with the fact that this workout is free results in massive attendance twice a week. Expect at least another hundred people to work out with you, minimum. When it comes to kicking your butt, these two do not mess around. You’ll start with a warm-up before moving into a series of partner or team circuits and then wind it down with abs. It’s a lot of squats, lunges, sprints, pushups, bear crawls, burpees and other moves that don’t require weights. They do split the group into beginner and advanced levels so everyone does the same moves but at a different pace/intensity level.

A video posted by Randygmoss (@randygmoss) on

Where you’ll feel it the next day

All over but also legs, big time. One time our warm up was approximately one thousand walking lunges all the way around the field and I thought I would die.

Locker room situation

There are men’s and women’s locker rooms inside with showers and storage space but it seems like everyone just brings their stuff outside and leaves it on the bleachers.

My take

This is one of my favorite workouts in Charlotte. Barring doctor’s orders, I don’t know why anyone would not do it. It’s fun, it’s intense, it’s free. It’s also a great way to meet new people. I go alone so I get grouped into teams of people I don’t know, which is fun. Oh, and let’s not forget that Breeze is pregnant and still does the entire workout (looking better than all of us, I might add) right along with the whole crew. If it doesn’t motivate you to try and move at least a little faster than a pregnant woman then I don’t know what will. I regret to inform you that despite that fact that she’s working out for two, I have yet to move faster than Breeze. I need her to hit month 8 or be in labor and then maybe I can catch up.