At around 5:50 a.m., Thomas arrived with D'Shaun Crockett, who is a boot-camp trainer in West Jordan, and Heather Carlsen, who owns the Draper site where I trained.

We were told to put on our weight vests and stand at attention. There were about seven new PTs and just more than a dozen experienced participants.

Thomas put camouflage paint on all of the new PTs, and we were given glow sticks to distinguish us in the dark from the other participants.

After a brief warmup, everyone was instructed to stand in three lines. First, we did a walking march around the football track. Then, we jogged while Thomas led us in military chants.

After finishing the jog, new trainees were instructed to do push-ups and jumping jacks. We were then taken to a separate field for another run while Thomas quizzed us at random on the things we had learned during boot camp.

As the sun began to rise, our workout ended. The new PTs were instructed to stand in a line, and we were told we would no longer have to wear our weight vests.

Hallelujah!

At this point, I think I could understand why trainees are put through "hell week." It is challenging, mentally and physically, but you leave feeling empowered. And yes, I'd do it again.

There are five "Bootcamp with Jess" gyms across the Wasatch Front. Each class is an hour long and they start as early as 5 a.m. and go as late as 7:30 p.m.

The cost ranges from $450 to $495 for a six-week session. At most, seven people are allowed to participate in a class.

During a person's first week participating in boot camp, they are required to wear a 30-pound weight vest. It's meant to symbolize excess weight that most Americans carry.

Jess Thomas, CEO and founder of the program, says he has a 97 percent retention rate. Workouts are tailored to people of all fitness levels. More information is available at: www.bootcampwithjess.com.

E-mail: nwarburton@desnews.com