With a new location, the Connecticut Boot Camp Center at Balance Fitness has room to grow into something that more people in the community can benefit from, according to owner Mubarakah Ibrahim. Teenage girls, especially.
Ibrahim this past week opened her new gym — which features women-only exercise and weight training — on Davenport Avenue in the Hill neighborhood. She moved from Whalley Avenue.
“The space actually gives me a great opportunity for some education courses,” she said, “like teaching people to lift weights properly,” and how to use other exercise equipment. She said the programs are affordable for most people, with the most expensive being personal training.
Ibrahim said she’s excited about a free mother-daughter’s night she’ll start for young girls and their moms or guardians. She makes it clear that she doesn’t want income to hinder families from coming out.
“Donations will be accepted,” said the mother of four, “but if people don’t have anything they can still come — and it’s just going to be a fun time for just moms and daughters to do fun things.”
Ibrahim said many of the programs that were available at the former 363 Whalley Ave. location will be available at the new 370 Davenport Ave. location.
“I’m still gonna continue to do one-on-one personal training class, but we’ve expanded, now we are the CT Fitness Boot Camp Center at Balance Fitness,” she said. “So, that means that we’re going to do a lot more short, intense, result-driven programs.”
The new location, with 2,000 square feet of space, allows clients space to move around and do more exercises, so that they don’t have to go outside to do certain workouts, as they would at the old location.
“This is nicer because it’s bigger,” said client Terri Tulli, who’s from Oxford and participates in the boot camp.
April Chevalier, one of the trainers at the center, said that’s what she likes about the new location, more space, but she’s not giving her clients any time off because of the new arrangements.
“We just moved to this facility tonight and we’re gonna be starting tomorrow,” said Chevalier.
A nationally certified trainer, Chevalier gave a demonstration of one of the boot camp classes at the grand opening Saturday evening.
“I definitely needed that work-out,” said Barbara Fair, after the demo.
Ibrahim said she wants to offer more family oriented programs as well.
“We’ll have the programs for women in the morning and in the evening, and in addition, we’re going to incorporate an afternoon program for kids,” she said, pointing towards where her children were sitting. She said the program for kids will “be a boot camp-type program really, focused on fitness and healthy eating.”
Terri Tulli said she met Ibrahim when she became involved with the CT Fitness Challenge, where teams of three competed to lose the most weight for a $3,000 prize. She said her reward was even greater than the money.
“I went to my doctors two weeks ago,” Tulli said, “and because I lost so much weight they were able to take me off of my blood pressure medication because my blood pressure came down to a normal level.”
“If I’d won the money that’s just an added bonus, I actually got a life,” she said. “I can feel healthy, I can run and keep up now.”
“We came to her boot camps on every other Saturday,” said Tulli, who drives from Oxford. “I lost almost 22 [pounds].” She said she went to Ibrahim’s boot camp for 12 weeks and did some exercise on her own and has even seen a change in her health.
Sherri Post, Tulli’s sister-in-law and teammate in the CT Fitness challenge, said she doesn’t mind the drive and wishes she lived closer so she could come more.
“I lost 17 pounds,” said Post, “in 12 weeks.”
She said the boot camp pushed her to jog when she thought she’d never be a runner.
Post said she likes the group aspect of the boot camp. Both women said their cholesterol levels dropped as well.
“That’s what it’s really all about,” said Adrianne Mayo, one of the three trainers at the center.
“I think it’s wonderful that people can exercise and make dietary life changes and come off the medication.” Mayo is certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine and is presently taking classes to become a certified massage therapist in order to focus on therapeutic massage. She gave a demonstration to a small group during the grand opening.
Mayo, who teaches evening classes, said she is happy about the new space. “I think it’s great, I like the space and there’s more flexibility to have other people train while we teach other classes.”
Karin Krochmal of New Haven started at the former location in May of this year. “I’m excited to try some of the indoor stuff that we can do,” she said.
She said the trainers are tough, but in good way.
“If someone is having a hard time, it’s not a lot of pressure for them,” said Krochmal, who said she likes Ibrahim’s attitude and the atmosphere she promotes.
For more boot camp info, click here.
