A decade of working hard

Extreme Bootcamp, a La Cañada-based fitness business, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this month. The local fitness program, which was founded on Feb. 1, 2002 by personal trainer Linda Taix, consists of six weeks of outdoor exercise and a nutrition program. The program has grown into a franchise, with 12 locations in the Los Angeles area.

Taix, who also owns Taix Workout Studio on Foothill Boulevard, said that she thought the reason her business has been successful for a decade is that it offers an ever-changing regimen.

“I think it’s because you don’t get bored with it,” she said. “People try different things all the time … every day you show up and there’s something different, you don’t know what to expect.”

Taix said that she thought the boot camp’s outdoor emphasis, plus its rotating group of trainers, allowed it to keep customers engaged after other fitness options got stale.

“Curves in this area came, and then it’s gone; there are different classes that are really hot, and then they’re gone,” she said. “There’s been a couple boot camps that have been around, and then they’re gone. You’ve got to keep people interested. “

Since its start, Extreme Bootcamp has served more than 7,000 customers throughout Los Angeles, Taix said.

The inspiration for the program came after 9/11, when Taix saw a documentary about the American armed forces and realized she wanted to import their methods to her training.

“I saw that the reason why these men and women are in such great shape is because they do it consistently, they work out daily,” she said. “At Extreme Bootcamp, there’s accountability, there’s roll call every time, and if you don’t show up, we’ll call you.”

— Daniel Siegal