Dream Body Boot Camp, Carlsbad

At Dream Body Boot Camp, which was voted San Diego A-List's best boot camp of 2012, trainer Matthew Johnson and his staff of specialized trainers help patrons to quickly sculpt physiques into top form during indoor and outdoor workouts that pair cardio moves with strength-boosting exercises. Instead of painting muscle ripples onto participants’ abs, each of Johnson’s instructors draws from a kinesiology degree or a national personal-training certification when designing a new 60-minute workout each day. Before their first class, students meet with Johnson to get acquainted and set their fitness goals, such as looking good in a bikini or ripping through a T-shirt to reveal their swimsuit with one powerful body flex. In the course of 10 minutes, he asks clients what they’d like to achieve in class and how they’ve pursued their goals in the past.

Once the talking ends, the training begins, and the motivational instructors put patrons to work hefting dumbbells, straining against Trx suspension gear, and flipping giant tires end over end. Johnson and his trainers leave long runs out of their workouts, opting instead for tire hopping, jumping rope, and other dynamic exercises to elevate heart rates.