M.O.B. Fitness: Why Four-Week Boot Camps?

Feb. 10, 2010 - PRLog -- The class begins with a ten minute stretch and jump-rope warm up followed by 50 minutes of a progressive curriculum that will sculpt and tone your body as well as teach you authentic Muay Thai (Thailand fighting) such as proper kicks and punches.  

Most of the students are 9-5er’s that work in the Marina or the financial district.  They have found it beneficial to get their workout done early in the day so that they can relax right after work.  Morning workouts have been shown to correlate to better mood, focus, and energy throughout the day.

But there's something unique about this class. Each member looks like an ordinary San Francisco local, a friend on the block.  But these people have developed fighting skills that can help them defend themselves from an attack.

"Matt O’Brien is a genius when it comes to shaping regular people into fit machines and then having them partner up and practice defense skills in the more advanced classes," marveled Devon Johson, 28, who started Muay Thai bootcamp when it began in May 2008 at another facility. On the mat, Devon delivered an impressive series of fifty round kicks into a foam-filled target.

She remarked how her co-workers at first laughed at her: "They stopped laughing once they saw me go from a size 12 to a 6!”

Matt O’Brien has since partnered with Mariquit Ingalla who has experience running boot camps in San Francisco and they started the business called M.O.B. (Matt O’Brien) in early 2010.  M.O.B. Fitness is proud to have since become contracted to hold boot camp inside Krav Maga on Bush and Polk St. Many variables stand out with MOB (Matt O’Brien) Fitness compared to other facilities that offer Muay Thai.

Muay Thai in the bay area is not a new concept as a fitness vehicle, and more of these types of centers are opening up. However, not all of these gyms actually offer authentic Muay Thai. Most gyms that claim to offer Muay Thai are actually teaching American kickboxing.  
"American kickboxing is actually a blend of karate kicks, tae kwon do, and western boxing that altogether with a person’s unique body movements creates inconsistency,” Says instructor Matt O’Brien. “That’s why one kickboxing instructor usually differs completely from another.  Muay Thai has a set, technical way of learning, so students that learn Muay Thai from one gym can bet they can use their skills as efficiently in another gym.  Long-time members from Fairtex can easily catch up in a different Muay Thai school such as Fight and Fitness.  There are actually proven ways to show that Thailand-style kicks are very effective in producing power without causing harm on the joints.”

Also, there is a big demand for quality, science-based fitness training these days that has proven to produce the most results in a short period of time, and this is where Aaron and Matt’s skill set really comes into play.

Matt O’Brien and Aaron Miller began their Muay Thai careers in the late 90s at Fairtex Gym in San Francisco.  Since, they have trained in camps in Thailand twice for over a month each and integrated their skills into a training curriculum for students. Matt O’Brien is also a Certified and Conditioning Specialist and one of the more popular personal trainers at the Jewish Community Center.  Aaron Miller is an anesthesia tech at CPMC and teaches Muay Thai because he loves the sport.  

"Matt and Aaron work very well together," said Bruce Lu, who has been training with them since 2008. "They have complimentary skill sets and very good energy that keeps the classes alive so early in the morning!”

A four-week progressive boot camp in the bay area is generally priced at $500.  The reason for the seemingly high cost is due to the amount of energy and time it takes to develop the 4-week curriculum.  In other words, each day is planned purposely to optimize student’s weight loss and muscle growth.  However, M.O.B. Fitness can afford to lower prices because Matt O’Brien is the owner as well as the chief instructor, which does away with additional instructor fees.  Krav Maga members

Why four weeks? “People want to have a purpose and goal -- that's why the 4-week format is so ideal,” Matt declared.  “There is a start and a finish line in sight.  You won't get bogged down and find yourself doing the same class format over and over.  This bootcamp is progressive and planned out purposefully.  There is generally a one-week break between camps to allow members to have a break before starting again.”

"People love our camps," manager, Mariquit Ingalla said. "We have members signing up for a year of camps at a reduced price because they see how fast the results appear and they want to keep it that way."

Testimonials

“I have done boot camps with Matt since he started in early 2008, and though it's been tough getting up early I've enjoyed every minute of it.  If wimpy me can beat a punching bag at 6 am, then anyone can do it.  I went from a size 12 to an 6 after TWO camps and I’ve not only managed to keep the weight off, I’m still going to class because it’s different each time! Plus, Matt remembers where you left off last which is absolutely amazing and he will individually alter your routine as you go.”

-Devon J.


“Matt has been my Muay Thai instructor and trainer for almost 2 years now; and I can definitely see the results with my endurance, muscle tone and maintain an ideal weight. Matt is not only patient and genuinely caring about his clients, but also he's incredibly knowledgeable in physical conditioning; he has studied and been conducting biomechanics and motion capture videos as a visual guide, to help his clients a better understanding of skill and form development.”

-Bruce L.

“I’ve been training with Matt O’Brien for about a year.  I’m really excited to have found a trainer that I like and trust. His passion for fitness and for working with people is evident in the way he treats his clients.  He is enthusiastic, personable, and encouraging. Also, he is available for questions that come up outside of training sessions and is quite knowledgeable about the human body. I decided to take his Muay Thai Kickboxing Bootcamp starting this past January. His humor, warmth, and expertise makes it fun and lively.”

-Sarah W.

"I started training with Mr. O'Brien last march, when he was employed at another gym. I had such great results and so much more energy I decided to stay with Matt on more of a maintenance basis after I reached my target weight and shape.  Matt introduced me to Muay Thai in July and I've been hooked since. He pushes me to do better and work harder than I believed I could do.  Now I'm at my ideal health and wellness, but more so, I'm toned.  His personality and humor works well with me and helps me feel less like I'm working, and more like I'm having fun.  

I didn't have my outdoor mat with me one time and was dreading the hard pavement pain, and he said, ‘No problem, I picked one up at Lombardi's in case of emergencies like this.’   Wow, preparedness...takes my breath away."

-Joanne I.

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Matt O’Brien has since partnered with Mariquit Ingalla who has experience running boot camps in San Francisco and they started the business called M.O.B. (Matt O’Brien) in early 2010. M.O.B. Fitness is proud to have since become contracted to hold boot camp inside Krav Maga on Bush and Polk St. Many variables stand out with MOB (Matt O’Brien) Fitness compared to other facilities that offer Muay Thai.