Testimonials from some of our Fit Fun Bootcampers!
“At 44, I am in better shape than I have been since playing collegiate volleyball, I can’t wait for my next Fit Fun Bootcamp workout!”
“A little less than a year ago I was over 185 pounds, had no energy, had daily backaches and after getting home from work spent many evenings in front of the television. I was miserable and had finally got it through my head that I needed to make a change. I started taking MMA classes at Karate America along with my husband and daughter. It wasn’t easy, but with a combination of setting a goal: ‘Lose weight and eat healthier’, exercise: ‘karate 4 days a week’, eating correctly ‘portion control and cutting out junk food’ and a good support system: ‘my husband and karate instructor’, I was able to loose 40 lbs in about 5 months. At that point I was feeling much better but wanted to take it to the next level. I was introduced to Dustin at a ‘Grocery Store Tour’ that was set up through karate. I started getting his emails, reading his blogs and when the Fit Fun Bootcamps started up in McFarland, found that I was hauling myself out of bed at 5:00 in the morning to work out and actually looking forward to it. It has been 17 weeks since I started the bootcamps. I have lost another 20+ pounds, lost 2 1/2 inches from my waist, have significantly increased my upper body strength, have tons of energy, no backaches and actually like myself again. Bootcamps have allowed me to make new friends and build a great support group while at the same time giving me individual attention , support and motivation . They work you hard, but it is well worth it. At 44, I am in better shape than I have been in since playing collegiate volleyball. I can’t wait to get to my next workout.”
-Marsue 44, McFarland
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Busy mom takes back control in her life and drops 53 lbs, 3 dress sizes, and 7 inches in her waist!
“Where do I start? Ever since high school I was on the slow train to weight gain, when suddenly the slow train stopped off at “How on earth did I let myself get this far?” Each time I went up a pant size I would tell myself, “This is it – I refuse to go up another size.” Of course, this only worked until I could no longer zip my pants without sucking my gut in and hoping they would stretch quickly so I could breathe again. I had gained another 35 pounds when I was pregnant with our daughter and was so happy that I had lost it while I was nursing her only to be disappointed to see it all come right back once I stopped. One day a friend mentioned that she was going to sign up for a program that makes you keep track of what you eat to help you lose weight. I decided I would join with her because the “tomorrow we are going to start eating better” plan was obviously not working. In March 2008, I started tracking everything I ate and drank, actually measured my food to ensure I was eating the CORRECT portion size, made sure I ate breakfast everyday and ate fruits and vegetables every day. Following this plan I had lost 20 pounds – not bad I thought, but I still had so far to go. This is when I saw an advertisement in our company newsletter about a bootcamp. So, I asked my friend if she wanted to join. She said, yes, and so we started participating in Dustin’s Fit Fun Bootcamps. I was absolutely terrified. While I had some brief stints at the gym in the past, it was nothing like I was going to be experiencing during bootcamp. After the second week started, I was completely hooked. The feeling of accomplishment I would get after making through each session was amazing. It really made me feel good about myself.
After the first bootcamp session I had lost about 11 pounds – not bad for six weeks. I signed up again and continued to sign up for every session offered through December. As a result of eating better and going to boot camp, I have now lost 53 pounds and have more energy and can do more things. I am still about 45 pounds away from my goal, but am motivated to keep on going. I have learned that the number of pounds lost is not the only measure of weight loss success so I will list the rest of my stats. Due to the weight loss and toning effects of bootcamp, since March I have gone down 3 pants sizes and have lost 2 inches in my upper arm, 7 inches in my waist, 6 ½ inches in my hips and 4 ½ inches in my thigh. I encourage everyone to try Dustin’s Fit Fun Bootcamps – it is for people at all stages of fitness as you can see by my story. It is a fun and rewarding experience and I am thankful everyday that I had the courage to try.
Before I started bootcamp, my core was extremely weak due to a combination of my ‘un-fitness level’ and a previous surgery for a herniated disk. On a daily basis I would wake up with lower back pain, I couldn’t do much of anything without being out of breath and I couldn’t hold my daughter for very long. How has my life changed as the result of losing the weight and increasing my fitness level? I find that while I still do not always choose the right things to eat, more often than not I am eating foods that are good for me in the correct portion sizes. I can fun up the stairs or carry a laundry basket up the stairs without finding myself breathless once I reach the top. I can hold my daughter for as long as I want (or she will let me!) and do not have to pass her off to someone else. When I wake up in the morning, I find that my back hurts less because my core is stronger. Even though I am by far not the best and not the fastest, I can run up the Elver Park hill, not only because Dustin tells me to, but because I know I can and once I have done it, it feels great to know I made it.”
Lynn Krebs
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Abby Lost 23 lbs and 6 Inches Off Her Waist By Quitting Her Cardio Addiction and Beginning Her Fit Fun Bootcamp Addiction!
“Everyone has heard of the “Freshman 15;” well, I apparently decided to take it a step further and experienced something closer to the “Freshmen 20!“ But I didn’t stop there, over the next few years, I continued to gain more weight. Even after college, the weight continued to pile on, reaching an all-time high for me of 149lbs. During this time, I was quite the “Cardio Queen.” I would spend from 1.5 to 2 hours/day, 3-4 days/week doing any variety of cardio (treadmill, bike, elliptical, stair climber). This wasn’t exactly high-intensity cardio, either (obviously, I would not be able to keep that up for 1.5-2 hours!). Despite my numerous hours at the gym, engaged in my Cardio Queen activities, I couldn’t lose any weight…and more specifically, couldn’t lose any fat!
After years of frustration and low self-esteem, I signed up for Dustin’s Bootcamps. I enjoyed it so much and saw such great results, that I’ve been going ever since!
Bootcamp is great because every day is different. I never get tired of it because each workout is unique and continues to challenge my body. Dustin pushes me in a way that I would never push myself (but it’s always in a positive manner…none of that yelling that you might think of when you hear about “bootcamps”). Because of the continual challenge, I am down to 127lbs and 13.5% body fat, from a bodyfat of over 29%! More importantly, my self-esteem has risen and I feel better than ever!
I love going to Fit Fun Bootcamps. Not only has it helped me lose weight and tone up, but also the friendships I have gained are the best. It’s very motivating when you have a great group of people to workout with; the positive energy keeps me working hard and the accountability keeps me coming back!”
-Abby Brockman, 25
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Todd Lost 49 lbs in 16 Weeks and Got Below 10% Body Fat!
Having always had a love for food, I have never been able to shake the extra weight that I have carried around on my body for the last 25 years. November of 2008 was a breaking point for me. Thanksgiving Day I couldn’t button my dress pants and had no back-up plan for clothes. I spent the entire day with my belt holding up my pants. I became very good at covering up my weight with untucked clothes.
I have been running for the last 6 years on a regular basis. EXACTLY 3.8 miles 3 to 4 times a week (The same route every day) my legs were getting fatigued and the weight just going up.
In late November I heard Dustin Maher on Wisconsin Public Radio and was impressed with how he was able to answer caller’s questions. I signed up for FIT FUN BOOTCAMP to start on Monday, Dec 12th, 2008. This would be the FIRST time I have ever joined a workout group much less going to a health club. When I told my family and friends what I was about to do, I just got Blank stares. (I think they all thought I was kidding)
DAY 1 at boot camp was a day I’ll never forget! As Dustin demonstrated the circuit we were gong to do, my thought was “THAT LOOKS EASY ENOUGH”. After going through the circuit once my legs were shaking and my arms quivering. Then we had to start all over and do the same thing for a second time. I weighed myself after this workout and much to my disgust, I weighed 215 lbs. The next morning I could not get out of bed. EVERY PART OF MY BODY HURT. That was it, I wasn’t going to do that again. By Tuesday night, I was ready to go back at it Wednesday and prove to myself that I am not a quitter.
After the second day, I committed myself 100% to make this a permanent lifestyle change. I got to work and threw away ALL of my “SNACK STASH” (cookies, pop tarts, candy bars…) from my desk. I have eliminated candy and bad snacks from my diet and now journal my entire food intake for each day. After 6 weeks of no chocolate or candy, I no longer crave the junk! I’m happy to say that my wife now journals her food and it is paying huge dividends already with 20 lbs of weight loss and has even started doing bootcamps at her work and loves them!
Sixteen weeks later… I look forward to the challenges of FIT FUN BOOTCAMP and can’t imagine my week without them. I have lost 49 lbs and now weigh 166 lbs. The waist size 36 pants that I could not button on Thanksgiving are now too big and I have gone to size 32!
I have been very fortunate to have found Fit Fun Bootcamp and in good enough health to be able to make changes in my life for the better.
-Todd Bestul 44, Mount Horeb
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Busy mom with 5 kids stops making excuses and drops 47 lbs, and does 50 perfect toe pushups!
“When I went into deliver my 5th child I weighed 180lbs (I’m 5′3″). I know I know, I had a baby in my body, but it was the most I had ever weighed…even more than when I was pregnant with my twins! For whatever reason, and I’m sure I could come up with a ton of them, the weight was NOT coming off. By the time my baby was about 11 months old, and I weighed close to 170, I was frustrated and tired of not fitting back into my prebaby clothes (or any clothes in my closet for that matter). I accidentally ran across Dustin on Craigslist and his MamaTone class (similar to bootcamps) sounded intriguing. I met with him before signing up, took the complimentary class, and I was hooked! It wasn’t doing the same thing over and over again, but the perfect mix of cardio and weights (something I had never done before). The challenge was not only refreshing but most importantly, rewarding! Within a short period of time, my husband and I were noticing a difference, and my shame and embarrassment was melting away, literally! Dustin has always been extremely professional, comfortable, and encouraging. He’s the only person who has ever taken the time to show me how to do the exercises correctly, check up on me, push me, and get me to where I want to be. After 4 months of MamaTone classes, I lost 30 pounds and met my goal weight for October. Since then, I’ve lost another 10+ pounds while taking his Fit Fun Bootcamp classes. I have muscle definition throughout my entire body, energy to keep up with my family, and strength that astonishes me everyday! My prebaby clothes…are too big! 
MamaTone, Bootcamp and Dustin has changed my life for the absolute best!”
Jody 35, McFarland
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Tara needed to buy a new belt because of Fit Fun Bootcamp!
Hey Dustin I just wanted to share a little something with you. Earlier this week I had to go buy new belts!!! Since I started bootcamp with you this past summer I have slowly been tightening up my belts. Well I finally ran out of holes to go smaller so I had to buy some smaller ones! I still have a long way to go but the progress I have made so far is the most progress I have ever made – now I just have to get serious about the eating part of this whole weight loss thing and I am all set!
Thanks Dustin
- Tara Heller
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Megan hardly recognizes the person in her before pictures, since dropping 20 lbs and 3 dress sizes!
“When I had to buy larger shorts last summer I decided to sign-up for FitFun Bootcamps as a birthday present to myself. What a great gift! I was very hesitant at first and nervous about how I would do. The coach was so encouraging and my co-bootcampers were very supportive. Since my class only met twice a week I made it a point to duplicate my workout at home at least one more time in the week. I found a park nearby and went in the morning to run the hill and use the playground.
The eating wasn’t as hard as I thought. I followed a lot of Dustin’s suggestions; kept a journal, ate small meals throughout the day, drank lots of water, used a “cheat” meal once a week and, stopped eating of my daughters plate.
After my session was done I was not going to be able to continue with the next one. What I did though to continue my weight loss was make it a point to get up early during the week and found I could do a lot of the exercises in my living room. I continued with my food journal and packed healthy snacks for work.
Friends and family commented often about how good I looked but I really didn’t understand until I saw a picture of myself from 6 months before Bootcamp, I barely recognized myself! I pulled out the boxes in my closet I was going to donate and went back through them. It was like going to the mall in my own house, things I though I’d never wear again fit and looked good!
There were mornings I did not want to get out of bed, I was sore and tired. Now, 3 sizes and 20 pounds later I am glad I did! I am pregnant with my second child and am in better shape then I was with my first. My food journal is still active and my chart of progress from bootcamp with my burpee count and run time are still on the fridge, an everyday reminder of how far I have come.”
Megan Blankenheim-Villarreal
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Dustin,
8 weeks ago I saw your artical on NBC 15 with Todd. I was so impressed by this segment that I called my friend Dan and told him about your bootcamp. We came to the first class and was instantly hooked. The results have
been amazing for both of us. In six weeks time, I have lost 14 lbs 2 pants sizes and a cup size. Dan on the other hand has lost 26 lbs and 2 pant sizes. We both have toned up and had a great time doing it. We have
changed our diet and faithly worked out 3 days a week. The encouragement Dustin you give in class also makes us want to come back.. We look forward to going outside for the new class coming in May.
Thanks again for helpin us obtain out goals.
MaryAnn 40ish Milton
Dan 28 Janesville
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I participated in Dustin’s Fit Fun Bootcamp during August and September, 2008. I was to reintroduce myself to a workout, something that had fallen by the wayside in my busy life. I signed up for six weeks. I was very happy with the process and the results. The process was everything the name says: It was fun. We were shown an interesting variety of body strengthening and cardio tasks. The other participants and the trainer, Brandon, were a lively group, and I found it to be a nice way to finish out a work-day. I was much more fit by the end. I rediscovered muscle groups that I had long forgotten, and increased my overall ability to move well and move fast. I was impressed with the change in muscle tone in just those six short weeks. And it was a bootcamp. The trainer was well prepared with all kinds of torturous sets of strengthening and core building exercises. If we finished early, we were congratulated with a few bonus reps of a new exercise. This is something I would never make myself do, and yet I could feel my body liking the challenge. After we graduated, I missed the workouts and I missed the people. I recommend the Fit Fun Boot Camps for anyone at any level of fitness. It was a great time.
-Susanne Benton
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Dear Dustin,
Sorry I’m sending this to you instead of your site. I’m just a little shy. First, I would like to thank-you for allowing me to join your Boot camp. I joined your Boot Camp about two weeks ago. The story you posted this morning regarding Abby was very encouraging and has inspired me. I actually felt the same way for almost two years. To think Abby was my partner this morning in your Boot camp Class, and she looks AMAZING! Currently I’m 32 years old, I have a husband a daughter 10 years old and a son 5 years old, I weigh 146 pounds and my height 4’11. I felt I was eating O.K., but not great. I try and eat fruits and vegetables, when I do eat bread I use Whole Grain. I would try the trick of using a small plate for dinner to avoid overeating. I thought I was working out about three times a week. But nothing was working for me. I was to the point of giving up! But I saw you on TV., not ONCE, not TWICE, but THREE times, I saw you on the morning news. So I said this means I have to call you and join. SO I DID! Since I’ve joined, my energy has increased. Instead of coming home after my workout laying down for another hour before work, I’m actually cleaning, mopping, making breakfast for the kids, laundry, preparing dinner for the evening. I owe it all to your BOOT CAMP! So Thank-you, Thank-you! I would like to Thank Abby also for inspiring me! If I keep at it, I will see results SOON! HOPEFULLY!!!
Have a Wonderful Day!
April, mom of 2
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I’m 58 years old with muffin tops and belly fat! My personal work-outs consisting of jogging, walking, weight lifting, and yoga were not giving me the results I wanted. After the fourth week at Bootcamp, I could tell I was winning the belly fat battle. I am excited to see more results as I continue on to my second six- week session with the Madison Bootcamps!
-Judi Nelson
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I signed up for Bootcamp unsure what to expect as a non-athletic type of person who wanted to find a way to get in shape. I have been intimidated (read – unsuccessful) by health clubs in the past by their pace in fitness classes and my lack of coordination. Fit Fun Bootcamps have been a totally different experience for me. You are challenged to do your personal best at whatever level of fitness you are coming from in a supportive environment with individualized attention from a very knowledgeable and energizing trainer. It is a great workout and self-esteem booster for me and I know its working muscle groups I never knew I had!
-Deanne
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Ultimately I’ve gotten out of all routines I’ve had in the past with working out and am here to make it a priority again and have fun with Mandy (friend I signed up with) and encourage her and the others as we go through the next four weeks… also I’m getting married next July and my fiancé and I are really making it a priority to be more fit (the only reason he’s not at Bootcamp is because of serious back issues he needs lower impact exercise – water aerobics, walking, etc.)
-Elizabeth Burgener Age 26
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Jen was a cheerleader, in the absolute best sense of the word. She was enthusiastic about fitness and our progress throughout the six weeks. She motivated each of us to do our best and push us to our personal limits, which allowed us each to make progress at our own pace.
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Being a person that already had a good fitness level, this class pushed my limits and definitely made me stronger. I noticed improved strength and endurance in all of my activities like road biking, running, pilates, etc.
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I loved getting back into a work-out routine and the group atmosphere really helped motivate. I’m very excited about going from 2, to 20 push-ups and losing 6 pounds in 6 weeks.
-Patty Heinz
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I’m really happy with my results… 9 pounds and 2 inches off my waist in 6 weeks. Dustin and Brandon pushed me while making the class fun… it just flew by. I’m taking the next session and hoping to equal my results and then buy a whole new wardrobe.
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Dustin is great! He is motivating and pushes you past what you thought were your limits… and you realize that you are stronger (physically and mentally) than you gave yourself credit for!
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