North Suffolk boot camp program delivers results

Tom Shepard thought he was in pretty good shape at 178 pounds and 18 percent body fat when he decided to join the Makeover Bootcamp, but after his first class, he realized there was plenty of room for improvement.

After ten minutes at his first session led by physical trainer Scott Toney, Shepard said he thought he wouldn’t be able to keep it up for six weeks, but he stuck with it.

Now, Shepard has completed four of Toney’s boot camps and is about to finish his fourth. He has lost 28 pounds and 10 percent of his body fat along the way.

“It’s a different lifestyle,” he said. “It’s a complete body makeover.”

Shepard is one of 90 people who took part in Toney’s spring Makeover Bootcamp.

For six weeks, the boot camp groups meet at least twice a week at Parkside Circle, near Bennett’s Creek Park, for hour-long sessions to work themselves to the limit.

But these workouts are just one part of the program Toney developed 10 years ago.

Toney, who is a certified personal trainer, said what makes his program effective is that it combines the three main components of fitness: cardio workouts, resistance training and a nutrition plan.

“I put them all together,” he said. “You just don’t get one when you’re with me, you get all three.”

In addition to the group workouts, Toney develops diets and weight-lifting regimens for all of his participants to follow.

Toney said his program isn’t just about exercising more. It’s a lifestyle change.

He said most participants think the hardest aspect of the program is the diet plans, which are based on caloric intakes.

Toney said he tried to find a happy medium for the diet, so people don’t feel like they are missing out on some foods.

“I found that folks miss both the fats and the carbohydrates when you take one out of their diet,” he said. “What I’ve done is lowered both, but not as low as some other diets require. I lower both just enough to get results.”

He plans the diets step-by-step throughout the day to help the participants stick to it. He suggests foods with a lot of nutrients and no preservatives.

Scott Pruitt, who has lost 18 pounds during five weeks at the boot camp, said the diet definitely took getting used to, but by buying different groceries, he feels he has more energy.

“It’s a hard six weeks,” Toney said. “But in the end, you get the reward.”

Toney said during his time in Suffolk, he has seen amazing results. On average, he said, most people lose 15 pounds during the boot camp, but one participant lost 36 pounds in six weeks.

Both Toney and many of his repeat participants said the key to success is sticking to the program exactly.

Pruitt said he thinks he has had so much success because he is fully committed to losing weight through the program, but also because Toney is there to cheer him on.

“Scott gives you individual attention,” he said. “It’s that kind of motivation that I never had before.”

By cheering them on during workouts and staying in touch with them during the week, Toney motivates and encourage the participants in the boot camp.

Toney said he loves running the program because he is able to help people reach their goals.

“I meet so many great people,” he said. “To hear people get excited about fitness, it’s very rewarding. I’m constantly rewarded by this.”

The Makeover Bootcamp takes a summer break, and the next program will start in the fall, around the middle of September.

For more information on the program, visit www.makeover-bootcamp.com or call Toney at 402-9756.