As an Ancoats local the new OperationFIT BOOTCAMP is hard to miss. Having observed the class since January and started regularly going in the Spring, the people of Manchester love Susie and Ben.
If you live near Ancoats give their FREE BOOTCAMP Sunday am class a go. It is fun, energetic and the people who go are great!
In our latest blog, ZZ chats to owners Susie and Ben about creating a neighbourhood fitness bootcamp that’s not only get people fit, but creating a tight community, which metres from the City Centre is what the world 
needs more of
My fitness journey
I got into fitness 5 years ago. Me and my best friend decided to take a pole dancing fitness class and we fell addicted to the exercise. Since then, I advanced in the area and decided to take the leap and start teaching pole fitness as a group instructor as well as developing into a personal trainer using HIIT and Functional fitness training to help my clients reach their goals.
Lovin’ Manchester
I love how lively and vibrant the city is. It has so much to offer socially and I absolutely love that its filled with culture and history.
Why is a neighbourhood project so important to you?
Because it helps bring people together from all different backgrounds who share the love of working out. I want people to recognize the importance of physical daily activity and to give them the confidence to be more active as well as thinking to themselves – “you know what? I CAN do this, and I will!”
My background
I grew up in Leeds and moved to Manchester to study Psychology and Marketing. I love the city so much that I stayed living here even after I graduated. For the past 5 years, my fitness and coaching has centered around pole dance fitness, running and body weight interval training. I discovered pole fit in 2012 to increase my general health and strength levels whilst exploring an area of fitness that I’d never encountered before.
Not only has it improved my health and wellbeing, it has also increased my passion for fitness and coaching. I find myself challenging my abilities everyday whether it be entering a 10k/5k run, completing tough mudder or improving my core and flexibility through various forms of Yoga. I’ve spent a few years teaching pole fit to an advanced level. Since then, I have taken my passion to the next level to help others achieve their goals.
My work
I love seeing my clients really push themselves and work hard. Seeing my clients challenge themselves and overcome their own fitness boundaries. I love seeing how much they’ve developed and grown confidence in themselves. There isn’t anything I dislike about training people. I guess some early morning starts can be a bit of a challenge but once I’m face to face with the client, my passion and drive kicks in and I forget about the time altogether!
What piece of advice would you give to women who say, I can’t do bootcamp?
You are stronger than you give yourself credit for. Feel empowered by the bootcamp, let your inner warrior come out and show us what she’s made of!
Bringing people together
With the growing awareness of health and wellness, I think people are keen to find a way to be more active.
Our approach with functional urban fitness provides an easy way for everyone and anyone to come and join in and be more healthy. Being outdoors in the local community lets everyone see how much fun it is, and how diverse a range of fitness levels, shapes, sizes and ages can attend.
Creating a fitness community has always been a focus for us, as changing your lifestyle is so much easier with the support of other people who are trying to do the same.
Backing
We are a personal training business that offers one-to-one sessions, body transformations, urban bootcamps and online training. We aren’t funded. Our bootcamp on a Sunday in particular is completely free to help everyone get fit and build a fitness community for the people who are local to us , as well as for our clients who train with us.
Expansion plans?
We don’t have any plans as of yet to roll this out further than the city centre, but it may well be something we consider in the future should there be more demands for bootcamp in other areas. We’ve had people travel into Ancoats from Stockport, Wilmslow, Moss Side, Eccles, Urmston & Didsbury and even Leeds!
Fitness goals
I want to get stronger and leaner. I want to see what my body is capable of achieving if I just keep pushing it to work harder and harder.
I exercise and train 6 times a week and pole dance once/twice a week. My training usually consists of strength and endurance. I achieve this through a combination of weight training and HIIT. I don’t run nearly as often as I’d like to so that’s something I need to embed into my day to day somehow!
ZAAZEE thoughts
I’m usually one for struggling to find a sports bra that fits me. I gave your sports bra a try and realised that it was a great fit. From that, I tried on several items including the award-winning Zara leggings and the Ella open back vest. I literally have several outfits now because the clothes are just such good quality and very flattering. The rest is history!
What’s next?
Online personal training. It’s great to see that we get asked all the time where we are based and whether or not we can help individuals across the country and world. We’ve now launched our online training packages and are on a mission to help the world get fit and focused!
Thank you for reading, Susie xx
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