Have you ever worked out in high heels? Kelly Mac has. In fact, it’s her trademark. Kelly, the founder of Back 2 Basics Fitness Boot Camp, greets her campers at 5:30 AM wearing sweatpants, heels, and a smile.  She kicks off her heels, turns up the tunes, and gets the blood pumping for the work out, but pops her heels back on for the cool down portion of the work out. Needless to say, her campers get an ab workout from the laughter. Kelly is all about laughter; during any given workout, you can hear her telling her team, “Come on, we’ve got to find that six pack—and it’s not at Albertson’s!” It can be hard to work out while laughing, but Kelly thinks it’s important to have fun while getting healthy. But don’t be fooled by the fun; B2B Fitness Boot Campers laugh hard and work hard. I met with Kelly to hear all about her healthy approach to losing weight and keeping it off. “You don't have to get stuck in a gym paying lots of money and dreading the work-outs,” Kelly says with a smile. “You can come outdoors with us for a fraction of the price and enjoy the fresh air and have fun doing it!” Whether you want to lose over 50 pounds or simply shed that extra ten for good, Kelly has a customized four or five week boot camp for each individual’s fitness goals, and she’ll have you laughing all the way through it. 

Although she uses the term “boot camp,” Kelly Mac’s approach is radically different from the gruel-camps of shows like The Biggest Loser, where unlucky individuals work out five hours a day, cut calories below 1,500/day, and drink minimal liquids in order to shed water weight. Studies show that this is far from a healthy approach to weight loss; in fact, it’s dangerous. That’s where Kelly Mac has changed the game. Her program is called Back 2 Basics Fitness Boot Camp, and as the name implies, she’s focused her program on the basics of fitness for a safe and effective approach to losing weight, retraining your body, and regaining your health.

Whatever your age, gender, or physical condition, if you’re trying to get active and energized, Kelly has an affordable boot camp for each individual’s fitness goals that is both fun and healthy. The best part is she promises that you’ll see results and enjoy the process. “One thing is for sure, after the 4 weeks is over, you will see an improvement overall,” says Kelly.

[ Left to right: Kelly in her kitten heels; A clever turn of phrase - “Fit Happens.” ]

Kelly wasn’t born with the “healthy/active gene.” She coaches her B2B Fitness Boot Camps from experience—with the methods she employs in her camps, she reduced her own weight by 65 lbs. “I’m here to embrace people who have fitness goals,” Kelly asserts.  Kelly’s been involved in fitness for over 15 years, as a cyclist, a roller hockey coach, and as a member of a coed hockey team. She is a NESTA (National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association) certified personal trainer and is also certified as a fitness nutrition coach.

“I understand where people are coming from, and I can give them the tools and work with them to get where they want to be.” She cautions people, “Be careful what goals you set, because I will get you there.” When one of her clients sets a goal—whether it’s a to run a 3K or to enter a cycling event, a mud run, or a triathlon—she’s right there, helping them meet it through individually tailored exercises. “Over the 4 week program you’ll lose inches, gain strength, and you’ll look and feel better,” says Kelly. “You might get tired, but I’ll say ‘this was your goal. Let’s go!’”

Her unique approach evolved years ago, after Kelly attended a few different fitness boot camps, and realized that something was lacking. She felt compelled to start her own. “I knew it was my niche,” she explains, “and I wanted to make it my own.” After careful planning, she successfully started Back 2 Basics Fitness Boot Camp in Corona in 2006. Last May, after numerous requests, Kelly expanded her fitness boot camp to Riverside and Mission Viejo.

Back 2 Basics Fitness Boot Camp is a program that relies on positivity and teamwork to help clients thrive. Kelly explained that, “A positive attitude equals better results from the work outs. Here’s an example; it was the last week of camp, and I arrived in my heels as usual. I turned my back to get the music going. When I turned around all of my campers were in high heels! Now is that team work, or what?” She laughs. “But seriously; people have fun here and they get in shape. It’s the best of all worlds.”

[ B2B Boot Campers at a Mud Run - a sight none of them thought they would ever see. ]

In addition to creating a team environment, Kelly sets her boot camps apart from the others by her personalized approach. “I’ve found that to have the optimal results for everyone, it was necessary to create different B2B Fitness Boot Camps. I work with people who have all sorts of fitness goals; a 28 year-old who needs to lose 100 pounds, a 32 year-old woman who’s a new mom and wants to lose the baby weight, and people over 40 who want to lose over 50 pounds. People need to be around people who can understand and support them.” Kelly knows that different people have different fitness goals; accordingly, she’s organized her camps so that campers will be surrounded by people with similar goals. “I want everyone to feel like a winner,” Kelly says.

B2B Fitness Boot Camp caters to the client by offering specialized options. This is best demonstrated by the Back 2 Basics Special Interest Boot Camps. Kelly developed this program after working alongside doctors from 1988 to 1996 to help people with weight loss goals of 50 pounds or more as well as patients undergoing the gastric bypass procedure. Gastric bypass surgery makes the stomach smaller and individuals feel full more quickly, and consequently, eat less food.  Kelly works alongside an increasing number of individuals who undergo gastric bypass surgery, providing emotional support and encouragement, hospital visits during and after surgery, as well as offering health programs that focus on areas that the surgery doesn’t.

“The surgery doesn’t focus enough on the fitness aspect,” Kelly says, “I gear work outs toward their food intake, which dramatically decreases after the surgery.” The topic hits close to home for Kelly; roughly four years ago, her older brother died of heart failure while waiting to be approved for gastric bypass surgery, just ten days after his 45th birthday. Kelly’s commitment to helping individuals who are over 50 pounds overweight needs no further explanation. While she provides support for her campers who undergo the surgery, Kelly knows it takes more than a quick fix surgery to make a life change in health and fitness habits.

“We’re here because there are so many people who want to do this who never have,” Kelly explains, “I’m working with teachers, new moms, young adults, older people who want to get healthy—we’re hitting all gamuts.” Kelly believes strongly that everyone deserves a chance to get back to basics in fitness; even during this economic downturn she has lowered her boot camp prices and works with individuals to create affordable packages. “I’ll make it work for you financially. I want you to be healthy—to eat healthy and live healthy.”

I asked Kelly what her end-result experiences tend to look like, after her clients have finished a Back 2 Basics Fitness Boot Camp. “In the end, there are a lot of tears of happiness. That’s the best possible feedback. It’s not about me, it’s not about my instructors; it’s about these people meeting their goals. I’m just the conduit to their success.”