Better Body Bootcamp

Disclosure: This review has been long overdue. Like 2 years overdue. However, this place was special prior to my increased activity on Unilocal,so I believe it deserves a note in my book.
I first signed up at BBBC with a former friend who raved about the place. I had a «first-​timer» deal that allowed me a number of classes to see if I liked their system. This location is small — sometimes we had to sit out because there were so many people in the room. There also isn’t any parking unless you can find yourself a lucky spot on the street. So why am I giving this place 4 stars?
Despite the «start-​up» feel of the place, I thoroughly enjoyed how much attention the trainers gave you during the class. We usually attended Nick’s class and he was great at motivating you and was so friendly. I also had the pleasure of meeting the owner, Kaiser, and not only was he fit as the trainers, he was so pretty nice guy. Although I couldn’t convince him to lower our membership rate, I had a lot of group fun working out. The quality is there and if I hadn’t moved, I would have stayed with BBBC for a while.

In my opinion BBBC is the Best place out there. I have been to many places and nothing is quite like BBBC. I went for a full year and lost 39lbs. I stopped for 10 months, still doing other exercise, and gained all my weight back. It’s the best exercise I have ever gotten in my life. I have always been an athletic person. I’ve played tennis all my life but as I got older and had kids it’s been hard to keep the weight off. I can’t tell you how happy I am that I joined BBBC again in May. I feel alive again! All of the trainers are incredible and friendly and so are the people that go there. We root each other on and push each other to try harder. So when you ask me, there is no better place to work out than at BBBC. Hope to see you there!
Jami

Trainers create awesome workouts & the schedule of classes is plentiful. However as a business the memberships are non– negotiable and personally quite expensive especially for the area. Was disappointed when I had to leave the friends I made there but I’m not about to be taken advantage of when it comes to my wallet.

I was looking for a camp like this for a long time. Tried few Gym but didn’t work out well. After a wide search, I found this boot camp. I started going there since February 25^th 2013. After 2 & half months, I still can tell I made a wonderful decision by going there, I lost about 5 pounds, and my body is shaping up. One of the best is their wide range of class schedule which works the best out of my busy schedule! Class starts from 6am, there is no way you cant make any excuse not to go there. Trainers are absolutely professional, know what they are doing! I now signed up for 2 Years without any hesitation! If anyone is looking for a boot camp, don’t go any further! These guys are the best! Thanks to better body boot camp, keep up the good work!
AZ

As someone who has fluctuated between chubby and curvy her entire life, I have funneled hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars into the fitness industry in hopes of becoming fit for the first time. I got close in my senior year of high school, by working out five hours a day at a boxing gym that has now closed. Since then, I’ve been a member at Crunch, Equinox, New York Sports Club, Towers at Water’s Edge Health Spa, etc. Nothing worked for me because I wasn’t willing to commit to the goal — there was always something else that took priority, whether it be work, school, or personal relationships. Well, at Better Body Bootcamp you have no choice but to commit! The energy as soon as you walk through the door is infectious and it’s impossible not to ‘buy in’ when so many people around you already have. Anytime I wake up sore and dreading my workout, I remind myself that showing up to bootcamp is half the battle. Once you’re there, it’s easy to get swept up in the excitement and forget that you were ever talking yourself out of getting healthier.
Things I Love About BBB:
1. I’m always working out for MYSELF here. If you’re like me, group fitness classes give you severe anxiety. At places like Crunch and Equinox, I always worried that I wasn’t as thin or flexible as the people working out next to me. I thought my general rotundness singled me out as someone who just wasn’t trying hard enough to get fit. I dreaded the moment the instructor was going to yell at me to pick up the pace, or interrupt the flow of the class to correct my form. At BBB, I never have to worry about any of that. The trainers are attentive, but not to the point of being overbearing. If I run out of breath in the middle of burpees and I feel like I need a second to collect myself, I do so without fear of judgment. Then I push myself to do better on the next try. Everyone is working toward the same goal. Some will be flying and some will be dying, but you’re not alone in either category. It’s challenging at all fitness levels! I’ve marvelled at some of my classmates. There are some folks here that have no quit in them whatsoever.
2. THE STAFF. I can’t say enough wonderful things about the staff. Where to begin? The first trainer I had was Josh. He’s young. vibrant, with a great sense of humor that gives you something to laugh about even as your legs are about to give out underneath you. He was incredibly helpful, showing me how to use the TRX ropes properly and offering a quick word of encouragement when I looked about ready to pass out. Kaiser was also present throughout the workout. He signed me in on the first day, asked me about my eating habits, and gave me a printout of an easy-​to-​follow meal plan to maximize results. He also hinted at one of my classmates to pair up with me because I was new. I appreciated that most of all because I felt like a party crasher at first. By the end of class, I had made a new friend. And then there’s Holly, who I think manages BBB (?) She always responds to my questions via e-​mail in a timely manner. When I couldn’t go for three weeks due to a health issue, she helped me resume where I left off in my membership plan. Before I forget, Nick ran the hardest workout of my life this past Saturday (with some help from Josh).
Summary: the staff is made up of sweet, enthusiastic fitness professionals.
3. The schedule is insanely convenient. I work in the city, which is a two-​hour commute from Bayside on a good day. One of the most common excuses for not working out is that we simply don’t have the time. BBB’s schedule makes it possible for you to make time, no matter how your day is structured. There are classes early in the morning, late at night, and almost every hour in between. I can’t rationalize being too busy to go because there are so many classes offered throughout the day. If I have time to sit at home, I definitely have time to go to bootcamp.
So there you have it! If you want to lose weight in a healthy way, improve yourself physically as well as mentally and emotionally, and make friends, by all means check out BBB! We can pair up for a workout :)

i first bought a coupon from living social for better body bootcamp and i have to say, my money was 100% well spent!
I’ve been going to bbb for almost 3 months. I really love it here. Kaiser, nick and josh always make me feel super motivated ! The workouts are really really fun and it never get boring. We rarely do the same thing twice. We work on our core/​legs and arms basically everyday. It’s of course challenging but after the workout, feeling amazing doesn’t even describe how you feel. It makes me feel a lot more energized throughout the day (I usually go to the 6am class)
The members are great as well! (to me, that’s important because if people make you feel like a whale & give you dirty looks, I would not want to work out there :(!) Everyone is super friendly there and don’t make you feel like an outsider. I’ve joined 2 gyms before but I rarely went but I can say after joining bbb I’ve religiously gone 3 – 4 times weekly. I signed up for a whole year and I can already see that it’s def worth my money. and something i love is class schedule. they offer super early classes (6am, mid day and night to fit everyones schedule. it’s super fun :) i love it!

If I had to sum up how I feel in one line, it would be this: Better Body Bootcamp is the most time AND cost efficient, results-​oriented fitness program available, anywhere. Period.
I have been in and out of workout routines and tried every possible fitness trend over the last 15 years — in both NYC and LA. I’ve tried other bootcamps, spinning, going to the gym on my own and hiring a personal trainer. My weight has gone up and down a lot, on and off every diet you can imagine, but this was all BEFORE I started coming to Better Body Bootcamp. BBB (as the addicts love to call it) has changed all of that!
Three hours a week at BBB will melt the fat right off of your body, it did for me and faster than you can say «low carb.» Within my first three months, I was fitting into my skinny jeans, lost significant body fat and noticed my body toning and reshaping in a way that has never before been possible. RESULTS! And that was only coming three times a week. Now I come 4 or 5 times a week because I love the way it makes me feel. I get to work out with the greatest group of people and get skinny all at once.
Now, you can tell I love Better Body, so I’ll wrap this review up by giving you the TOP FIVE specific reasons why I think BBB is the best:
1 — Time and Schedule. There are so many classes every day, you literally have no reason to ever miss a workout. NO excuses! Since consistency is everything in fitness, this keeps me on point.
2 — Ease and Convenience. I don’t have to decide what I’m doing at the gym? AMAZING. I don’t know about you, but I’m a busy person. I don’t like spending extra time thinking about what to do at the gym. With BBB, you just have to show up and you get top notch training handed to you on a silver platter.
3 — Community. Everyone here is awesome, friendly, and real. There is no peacocking like at a typical gym. Just a bunch of cool people who want to get in shape and have a good time doing it. I love all the friends I’ve made here and it keeps me coming back!
4 — Staff. A great trainer has the knowledge base to put together a killer workout, in addition to that right balance of nice and tough — every trainer at BBB will push me to work harder than I want to and put a smile on my face at the same time. They are all experts in their field with stellar personalities to boot. You are getting more than you pay for. But don’t tell them I told you that. :)
5 — Facilities and Equipment. It’s always so clean and all of the equipment is cutting edge. BBB has everything from the tried and true to the new and hip on the equipment front — and all of which provide effective resistance training. I’m consistently impressed by the innovation and variety here. And I’m not always the easiest to impress. But I’m never bored here — thank god! They’re always mixing it up.
Hope to see you there!

I’m thinking that, generally speaking, there will be two categories of people reading these reviews about Better Body Bootcamp (BBB) — people who are already members and love it like I do — to the extent that we can’t get enough, so that when we’re not at BBB, we’re checking FB statuses and Unilocal!reviews about it, lol — and people who are looking for some kind of fitness program and want to see if BBB is for them. (If you’re in this second group and pressed for time, or don’t feel like reading a long, wordy post, just skip straight to the last paragraph.)
Let me address the first group first… If you’re already a member, then you already know! You already know what a great place/​experience/​bunch of people BBB is. You already know that it’s not just a gym; it’s not just about losing weight and getting skinny. You already know that it’s a place to get fit, to get stronger and to become part of a great group of like-​minded people — trainers and members alike. And you already know that it really works.
OK, now for those of you trying to decide if BBB is for you… If you’re looking for a place where you can just show up, blend into the crowd, put in mediocre effort and get equally mediocre results, then BBB is not the place for you. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a place where not only do the workouts work, but where the trainers and members take the time to get to know you, to motivate, support and encourage you, then you have to check out BBB!
I have been a member for just over a year now. In that time, I have lost 35 pounds, dropped five dress sizes and found a whole new group of friends. I had tried other gyms, tried working out on my own, had a personal trainer for a while, but none of them gave me the results, or frankly, held my interest so that I stayed with them for any meaningful amount of time… until BBB. The workouts are always challenging and always different. The approach at BBB is a mix of cardio, interval training and a lot of body weight exercises (push-​ups, pull-​ups, squats/​lunges, dips, etc.). Each class starts with 10 – 15 minutes of cardio, sometimes with core work mixed in, before moving on to the day’s circuit — a series of stations where you’ll spend two minutes apiece, for at least two full rounds. Mondays and Tuesdays focus on upper body; Wednesdays and Thursdays on lower body; and Fridays are more upper body, specifically back and shoulders. Saturdays are usually being a full hour of «killer cardio.»
But what makes this place stand out is the quality of «customer» care — because you’re not treated like customers; you’re treated like valued clients, and even like welcomed friends, by all of the BBB staff. First, there’s Kaiser, the founder of BBB. He is one of the most driven people I have ever met. His passion for fitness is evident in the energy that he puts into making BBB the best bootcamp around. He truly takes the time to get to know each of the members at both, the Bayside and Great Neck locations. And he’s genuinely interested and invested in everyone’s progress. In order to help ensure that all of his members get a great workout and the results that they want, Kaiser has surrounded himself with an amazing team. Nick and Josh make up the «dynamic duo» of trainers at BBB Bayside. They are both very personable and bring equal parts of professionalism and high energy to every workout. Then there’s Holly, who keeps things running smoothly and makes sure that every client is taken care of; how many gyms can you think of that have a person whose primary responsibility is to make sure that you’re happy? Together, this team — under Kaiser’s leadership — has created a real community of people, of diverse backgrounds, ages and fitness levels who are all brought together with the common goals of getting in shape and leading a healthier lifestyle.
Here’s the bottom line: BBB works. It is an effective mix of cardio, basic bodyweight and other fairly simple exercises done over the course of an hour, led by high energy, highly motivating and truly likable trainers. Just give it a try. Be ready to sweat, but stick with it and I promise, you’ll see results.

I’m the type of person who doesn’t like going to the gym, hates doing mindless reps of anything, or even worse… counting all those pushups or situps I can’t do. To top it off, I eat everything in my path.
I snagged a living social deal for 1 month of unlimited classes a couple months ago to Better Body Bootcamp, (there are always promos going on, call Holly and ask) and then I put it off until it was nearly gunna expire. Sound familiar? Uh yeah.
And then the torture began. Day 1– could not keep up with anything, wiped out in 3 minutes during the WARM UP. I’ll never forget that it was a Wednesday– Legs Day… I took it easy for the first week, since my body had just recovered from an epic year of college test-​cramming-​junkfood-​allday-​munching-​and-​pen-​weight-​lifting kind of lifestyle.
I committed myself to fully taking advantage of the unlimited aspect of this deal (I do the same at buffets), and so I went everyday nearly. Classes are flexible around normal work times with there being classes at 6 AM, 9, 10, and evening classes from at 5 PM, 7, 8, and sometimes 9 PM. On Saturdays (ultimate torture days), classes are from 8 – 10 AM, which is good so that you can still take advantage of the rest of the day.
Now for the honest details…
1) It can get a little crowded at times, esp if you go during the peak times (which are variable really). The only time when the population size is a problem is when you accidentally kick or slap someone else when you’re doing jumping jacks or doing kicks in a plank position. Sometimes I’m oblivious, but everyone is nice there, so no fights happen over this, lol. Just say sorry and continue your work out! Because it’s a group class, sometimes there isnt as much of individual attention that you would think a normal bootcamp class has (picture guy in track suit yelling at you army style…), which can be good or bad for you. Good because you can cut yourself some slack, bad because you are doing things wrong without knowing it or cutting yourself too much slack. I have noticed though as the summer days are drawing to a close, the classes have been getting smaller.
I feel as if Josh is the most helpful trainer at the Bayside location (never been to the Greak Neck location, although I have heard it’s more challenging). He is super sweet, has a killer smile, approachable, and gives good guidance without making you feel like a retard/​loser.
2) I am never bored. This should probably be number 1. It’s one of the most important things about any sort of physical activity. If it’s redundant. then yanoe. I’ve been going for about 2.5 months now, and I still am surprised with new activities (BUDDY ROPES? ISOMETRICS?). Some days focus on specific body parts (ie Monday Arms, Wednesday Legs), so it’s not impossible to roll out of bed and go the next day. Also, the work outs don’t repeat much so it’s always a fun, new challenge everyday!
3) How the classes are run. is a little hard to describe. What is this thing «bootcamp»?
It’s circuit style work out where you go from station to station, and sometimes its a group fitness class style, or a mix of both! Always a surprise
4) Activities are timed by a timer (1 minute per exercise) instead of counting stuff out– I like this. Moving from station to station gives me a chance to breathe… I also like this.
5) Massages at the end. Kaiser does them best, ngl.
6) I am treated like family here. The staff remember my name, and call me «christy» and not christine, or kristin. or. well anyways.
I’m no fitness expert (LOL me a fitness expert), and this is the first gym where I ended up joining for a few months, so I don’t have much to compare it to. I have picked up a really good exercise habit and somehow attained better eating habits since I started here. No regrets joining– best decision of the summer.
After 2.5 months, I’ve lost some weight (3 lbs), and have gotten toned everywhere. But considering I was mostly lard before and could be mistakened for being 3 mo pregnant, it’s a noticeable difference by far! And as Nick the trainer says «when you look at yourself naked, you’re gunna be saying *thank you Nick*»
So… thank you Nick.