Boot Camp

Princeton University program manager in applied and computational mathematics Howard Bergman, of Branchburg, enjoys the Boot Camp workout.

Posted December 14, 2009 by Jen A. Miller

Personal trainer Tara Zimliki keeps a close watch on student Howard Bergman at Tara’s Bootcamp.

Photo by Chris Crisman.

Name: Howard Bergman

Age: 42

Profession: Program manager in applied and computational mathematics, Princeton University.

Fitness goals: Bergman played baseball for Rutgers, but his personal life cut into his fitness time. He wants to get back in shape and keep up with his 4-year-old son.

Workout of choice: Boot camp, which mixes cardio with strength training and weight-resistance exercises.
Location: Tara’s Weight Loss and Toning Bootcamp in Branchburg (tarasbootcamp.com), run by ACE certified personal trainer Tara Zimliki. Classes are also held in Flemington and Hillsborough.

Frequency/cost: One-hour classes are held three days a week for four weeks. The cost for the three-day, four-week session is $199 (two-days per week also available).

How’s it going? “The workout isn’t always the same, so class is different every day,” Bergman says, who lost more than twenty pounds in two months through boot camp and changes in his diet. Mondays are dedicated to cardio and strength training, Wednesdays to sprint drills, and Fridays to circuit training.

“It’s motivating to be out there with other people trying to achieve the same goals,” says Bergman. “For the last few years, I’ve thought about [getting in shape], and tried to start, but never completely committed. In boot camp, we’re on a schedule, and you form camaraderie with other people in the class. You push each other.”

But not too hard. Zimliki is no drill sergeant. “It’s a workout but it’s a fun, friendly thing,” Bergman says. “It’s called boot camp, but Tara doesn’t yell in your face. She’s great about letting people do things at their own weights and speeds.”

The results? “I feel really good,” he says. “I have a lot more energy. My son loves to run, and I’m constantly chasing him. I am a lot better at doing that.”

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