Shape up! Boot-camp training is fast-paced, high-energy, brutal, yet friendly

I cried on the third day.

It wasn't during class, mind you. It was at home, as my husband attempted to massage the soreness from my legs.

Let's just say there's a reason Jess Thomas calls the first week of his "Bootcamp with Jess" fitness program "hell week."

You will be miserable. Your muscles will ache.

Now, before you go and judge my fitness level, let me state for the record: I am in decent shape. I run most every day, lift weights, and I do Pilates and yoga.

But I've never done cardio, squats, or push-ups while wearing a 30-pound weight vest. And none of my workouts have involved a drill sergeant-type instructor paid to yell in my face to work harder.

Strangely enough, I'd do it again. Thomas' boot-camp program is fast-paced and high-energy. The people you train with are supportive and friendly.

Plus, after the first week, your (stupid) weight vest comes off and there's no more incentive to give up. If you can survive the first week, you can survive anything.

Let me walk you through my experience.

Monday

After working the previous week with Thomas to arrange my boot-camp experience, I was enlisted as a member of the "Echo Company" in Draper for the week of Feb. 9-13.

My class time: 5 p.m. My instructor: Gary Richins.

I arrived 15 minutes early. I wanted to see how "scary" my instructor would be compared to Thomas, whom I had met with earlier.

At first glance, not too bad. Sure, Richins yelled, but there appeared to be an underlying niceness. Compare that to Thomas: Built like a tank. Served in the U.S. Army. A former SWAT team member.

At 5 p.m., our class began. There were six people, including another new "physical trainee," or PT, like me. We were instructed to stand at attention and then the experienced students were sent to warm up on treadmills.

The new PT and I stayed behind to get instructions.

The rules for the first week: Never look an instructor in the eye, never call him "sir" and follow directions with exactness.

After acknowledging we understood everything, the work began. Prior to class, new PT's are told to bring a three-day food log. You have to do 10 push-ups for every unhealthy item on the list.

I did 50.

And that was only the beginning. After our push-up-fest, Richins brought out a pair of weight vests: our "friends" for the next five days.

We then proceeded to warm up on a treadmill, then throughout the class, we mixed weights with the cardio.

For me, the cardio was easy. I run regularly. But the weights were a challenge, particularly because of the added weight of the vest.

During one exercise, while sitting in a squat position, I lost my balance as a result of the vest and tipped over. Kind of funny.