Buns of Steel Bootcamp

Don’t let the name fool you. Buns of Steel Bootcamp is anything but a militaresque exercise centre, with the focus instead on what owner Jay Quarmby calls “influencing positive lifestyle versus weight loss.” He’s seen far too many cases of people becoming dispirited trying to effect change in their lives and offers a gentler, longer-lasting approach. “A lot of time, people go through losing weight and it’s a very negative experience for them because they’ve been going to classes and have been yelled at and had to diet and drink soups and all that kind of stuff,” he says, “but we try to just make it as pleasant as possible and the results come almost better that way.” There’s no megaphone or weekly progress charts, just a relaxed space where people come together and incorporate exercise into their lives.

“Some people want to work out, but they’re not interested in what their body fat is and how much they weigh, and they’re not trying to lose 50 pounds,” he adds. “They just want to exercise regularly and they don’t like that kind of push of the results and the numbers.” Buns of Steel offers personal coaching and the option of keeping track of measurements for those who want it, but it’s definitely not the focus here.