Seasoned soldiers experience an all new boot camp

Photo By Spc. Nicole Bundas | Matthew Wachterhauser, co-owner of the East Lansing Adventure Boot Camp, demonstrates how to do push-ups using a ball. Wachterhauser and co-owner Patricia Brown joined the 126th Press Camp Headquarters, Augusta, Mich., during their 2012 Annual Training. Wachterhauser and Brown lead the soldiers through different stations each lasting 60 seconds.  

GRAYLING, MI, UNITED STATES

07.21.2012

Story by Spc. Nicole Bundas 

126th Theater Public Affairs Support Element

GRAYLING, Mich. – Pushups, sit-ups and two-mile run: it’s what the Army does. For 32 years, the Army has focused on testing its soldiers on their proficiency of these three physical fitness activities, leaving soldiers with an extremely predictable workout plan.

Bored by the repetition and convinced of the viability of alternate physical fitness strategies, a Michigan Army National Guard commander turned to civilians.

Lt. Col. Dawn D. Dancer, commander of the Augusta, Mich., based 126th Press Camp Headquarters, reached out to fitness experts Matthew Wachterhauser and Patricia Brown, co-owners of the East Lansing Adventure Boot Camp, located in East Lansing, Mich. Dancer was familiar with their workout style, a mixture of cardio and strength training, where every workout proved to be a different routine, a different challenge.

“As a Guard soldier with a military and civilian life, you have to find what works best for you and your interests and your life style while also maintaining the Army standard,” said Dancer. “I have access to a great gym at work but I needed something more inspiring. Boot Camp works for me.”

Dancer invited the fitness duo to provide civilian-style boot camp training to her soldiers at Camp Grayling, Mich., two and a half hours north of East Lansing, where the 126th was performing its two-week annual training.

Wachterhauser and Brown were very excited for the opportunity to train soldiers and quickly accepted. Convincing Dancer’s soldiers of the merit of being trained by civilians, however, was another matter. When Dancer first informed her soldiers of the “boot camp” themed physical fitness training session, her soldiers were leery. An apprehensive Broadcast Specialist Megan E. Wessels stated, “I went through boot camp once and I told myself that I would never do it again. What I really need is to learn some new exercises that I can do at home or even when I am out in the barn taking care of my horses, not spend my morning getting yelled at by a PT instructor.”

Notwithstanding the soldiers’ hesitancy, Wachterhauser and Brown lead the Press Camp through a typical 60 minute Adventure Boot Camp without ever raising their voices. The soldiers rotated through different exercise stations at one minute intervals. Each station focused on exercising a different muscle group. As Wachterhauser explained to the soldiers, “A great thing about this style of workout is doing something different every day and working different muscle groups to encourage muscle confusion and stimulation.”

Contrary to their initial beliefs, the soldiers of the 126th Press Camp learned that training, atypical of the Army pushups-situps-two mile run-mode, could provide a physical challenge and a fun change of pace.

“When I first heard about the civilian boot camp, I was not impressed,” said Sgt. Jeffrey A. Kreitner, mechanic for the 126th Press Camp Headquarters. “Having now gone through the training with my fellow soldiers, I can tell you that it was fun. I learned some new exercises and techniques that I can use to keep me ready for the APFT [Army Physical Fitness Test]. I am sore but I’m glad I went through the boot camp.”

Wachterhauser and Brown said that the session left them newly motivated. “I have trained hundreds of people, all with different levels of physical fitness, but today’s group showed the most motivation and commitment,” said Wachterhauser. “I wish some of my regulars could have seen the great attitudes.”

“It was such a joy and honor to work with this group of soldiers,” said Brown. “We just wanted to do our part in supporting these soldiers and the National Guard as they have done so much for us by serving our country and state.”

For more information on East Lansing Adventure Boot Camp, log on to www.eastlandingbootcamp.com

For more information on the Michigan Army National Guard, visit www.mi.ngb.army.mil

• Date Taken: 07.21.2012
• Date Posted: 07.27.2012 13:49
• Story ID: 92268
• Location: GRAYLING, MI, US