Taix Extreme Boot Camp to Be Franchised

The popular fitness program known as Extreme Boot Camp, based in La Cañada Flintridge, is about to become an business opportunity for others.

This weekend the outdoor fitness program will go public as a franchise offered during a business convention in Downtown Los Angeles. .

“If you told me five years ago the position I would be in now I would have laughed,” said Linda Taix (pronounced Takes), owner of Taix Workout Studio and Extreme Boot Camp who back then saw herself married with children. But her life took a different road, a road that she says has involved a lot of work and fun.

Individuals who embark on the rigorous six-week Extreme Boot Camp immediately begin to see changes, Taix said.

“There have been people who have come in here, in tears, and shown me a pair of jeans they used to wear in high school that hadn’t fit in ten years and they can now fit back into them again,” said the 45-year-old Taix.

“I’ve even had husbands call me and thank me for the amazing change and newfound confidence they’ve seen in their partners,” she said.

The structure of the six-week workouts are similar to those of the military. Rain or shine, Extreme Boot Camp participants still train, running in grass, on asphalt, and over dirt trails. They complete an obstacle course and do ground workouts as if they are going to duck underneath barbed wire, “which is great for the muscles and coordination,” said Taix. Scaling a wall is also part of the routine.

At the beginning of every workout session instructors do roll call. If members arrive late or don’t show up at all for a session, they are punished by being assigned a lot of pushups.

The fitness enthusiasts’ involvement doesn’t end at the door of Taix Workout Studio; they also participate in local health- related events such as running competitions. Part of the reason for the fitness attitude spiling over beyond the studio, says Taix, is due to the drill instructors’ credentials and passion.

The 14 instructors are certified physical training instructors and have either extensive fitness or military backgrounds.

All workout participants are required to keep a meticulous daily food log where everything they eat gets recorded. The food log becomes a big eye opener to many. “You don’t realize you are eating so much junk food until you are forced to write it down and reflect on it at the end of the night,” Taix said.

During the military drills the group says chants to stay motivated. “We do commands just like the military. We want to motivate, we don’t wan to intimidate or discourage,” said Taix. “We don’t yell at their face. We demand attention,” she said.

At the completion of the six-week training, members and staff share a breakfast where participants are recognized for attendance, best attitude and health progress.

“It’s not uncommon to have Extreme Boot Camp members come up to me and say they’ve lost three belt holes and now they have to buy new pants,” said Taix. “When I hear ‘Extreme Boot Camp changed my life and I feel so much better about my life’. That is the most rewarding thing about my job,” she said. “Knowing that I’ve had such a strong influence in an individual’s life.”

(Taix Workout Studio is located at 1424 Foothill Blvd. Call 790-7727.)