By Alison McFerrin

The Selma Times-Journal

It’s that time of year when people start thinking about looking good for summer outfits, and everyone’s looking for a workout that will work for them. But if you’re tired of the gym, boot camp might be a good option.

In Selma, one such option is Extreme Fit Boot Camp.

“The beauty of this program is that it is designed for all fitness levels,” instructor David Johnson said. “You can come in and set your pace.”

Selma’s Extreme Fit Boot Camp classes begin this week; one class runs three days per week, and it began Monday. Two additional classes run two days per week, and they both begin Tuesday.

Johnson said Extreme Fit Boot Camp began two and a half years ago, when stay-at-home mom Rachel Hunt wanted to begin her own boot camp company in Birmingham. Hunt contacted Johnson to start the program in Selma.

“We will come in and just have a great workout for an hour and get your heart rate up and burn calories and build strength, all at the same time,” Johnson said.

And although everyone sets his or her own pace, that pace is going to be fast.

“We combine strength training and cardio into one hour-long workout,” Johnson said. “It’s great because it’s really fast-paced.”

Johnson said although they make sure people stay hydrated, they’re not going to sit around resting and drinking water.

“It’s not a whole lot of rest time,” Johnson said. “We’re not going to sit there and have a five-minute break.”

Johnson said some of the exercises include push-ups and lunges, as well as working with the 8-pound weights every attendee is supposed to bring.

“We do a lot of high repetitions,” Johnson said. “Anywhere from dead lifts to bicep curls to shoulder presses; I mean, you name it, we do it.”

Extreme Fit Boot Camp, Johnson said, is designed for weight loss and tone up with guaranteed results.

“We’re going to do everything we can to make sure you get the results that you want,” Johnson said.

As a trainer, Johnson said his job is to demonstrate the workout and then provide motivation.

“We push each client to their max, whether it’s 3 reps or 300 reps,” Johnson said. He added that if you give 100 percent in the workouts, as well as complete the at-home workouts, they guarantee results.

Selma classes are taking place at Crescent Hill Presbyterian Church. To see a full schedule and register for a class, you can visit www.extremefit.com. The two-day/week classes are $100, and the three-day/week classes are $150.

“I’ll probably leave registration open, because our classes are filling up, but they’re not full,” Johnson said.

Classes are open to all ages and accept up to 15 people per class. The next session will begin July 4.