Fitness enthusiasts in Montezuma County looking for a training tool to bridge the gap between the gym and the personal trainer will find a new option in Boot Camp of the Rockies.
The new fitness program, called BCOR, is a national model run on the local level by trainers Darren Murray and Rayna Hale of DNR Fitness.
BCOR is group fitness, Hale said. It is basically an outdoor boot camp-type training for all levels.
BCOR is a Colorado-based fitness model that operates mostly in large cities across the nation, with more than 400 locations. Cortez BCOR will be the first rural community program the brand has established.
A family connection brought the brand to Cortez.
My daughter is the fitness director for BCOR, Hale said. Thats how it all kind of started to move down here. I was approached by BCOR to expand to Southwest Colorado. They want to see how we could do it here, and the goal with us representing their brand in this area is to see if more rural areas will catch on. They want to see if they can tap into smaller areas.
Thus far, the plan has worked. Murray and Hale held a grand opening on Saturday, April 30, and have averaged 15 clients a session in their first week.
BCOR meets five days a week at Parque de Vida, and utilizes basic fitness techniques to garner results for those of every fitness level.
It is back to a lot of the basics you might remember from (physical education) class, Hale said. The push ups, the sit ups, the running. It is really about going back to the basics because that is what pays off.
The program, which mandates participants wear matching BCOR T-shirts, strives to meet people where they are at and allows for self-selection to determine level of performance.
A lot of the training is done as a group, then it splits into levels, Murray said. It will improve your skills for any activity no matter what level you are at.
A typical hour-long training session would include a warm-up run, stretching and station work, all geared around low, medium and high fitness levels.
Everybody is involved at the same time; it doesnt matter their level, Murray said. And they are all too busy to watch someone else. It takes the insecurity away.
Murray and Hale hope the group continues to grow and have a positive impact on the county.
Montezuma County is one of the most unhealthy counties in Colorado, Hale said.
We are here to change that, Murray added.
Though the program is currently held outside, the goal is to maintain the training year-round, utilizing the Cortez Recreation Center.
None of this could happen without the (Cortez Recreation Department), Hale said.
The program is offered from 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday and 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday. Prices are $3 per session, $15 per week and $25 a month. Family passes are available. Youths under 18 must have parent permission to attend.
The message Murray and Hale hope to spread through the BCOR program is fitness is not just for elite athletes.
Fitness is for everyone, Hale said. We really hope to see this spread through Southwest Colorado. We just want to give people the skills they need to be healthy.
For more information, contact Murray at 739-1834 or Hale at 570-3916, or email DNR.fittness@yahoo.com.
On the Net: The Boot Camp Network, www.bcor.net.
Reach Kimberly Benedict at kimberlyb@cortezjournal.com.