Canadian soldiers Karth Sahadevan and Colin Reid founded Soldiers of Fitness in 2004, drawing from their military training to craft authentic boot-camp programs for the average citizen. Their routines mandate that students work together to conquer drills, bolstering a communal spirit through navigating obstacle courses and banding together to transport heavy objects such as a snoozing sumo wrestler. Though the classes embody the intense physical-training tactics of the military, instructors do not single out campers by barking orders at them. Instead, a positive atmosphere of support and accountability fuels each session, and a ratio of one teacher per 10 students ensures personalized encouragement. This vigorous yet uplifting approach has earned Soldiers of Fitness several shout-outs in the press, as well as the loyalty of clients who return for increasingly challenging workouts.