It with great sadness that I have just found out of the passing of Karen – our thoughts here at Celebrities in Marbella are of course with all of her friends and family. I will leave this post up as a lasting memory to an inspirational lady – RIP Karen.
Boot camps are all the rage right now and to be honest there is no better way to get in shape and shed those extra pounds. Whether it is general weight loss or getting that body in perfect shape for the beach a boot camp is the way to go.
Where better to lose a few pounds than in the hills above Marbella.
Recently we were whisked off to a secret location to have a chat with Karen Mackenzie the founder of the No1 Boot Camp which is already a hit with top celebrities and later that evening Arg and Jess Wright from the BAFTA award winning The Only Way is Essex were arriving for a few days of hard training in the Marbella sunshine.
There really is no better place to train than in the sun. The guarantee of great weather and the heat helps shed a few extra pounds as well. We expect to see lots of celebrities heading to Marbella to get in shape for the summer.
1 – Karen when did you run your very first boot camp?
Four years ago in Somerset and we had 18 people so straight away it was a success and we knew then that there would be a huge demand for them.
2 – Why did you start the No 1 Boot Camp?
Having been in fashion retail for years I decided to sell up and took a year off work to look for new challenges. I became obsessed with boot camps and attended all the top ones even as far afield as LA. As a result I decided to set up my own along with my business partner and friend Deena Reynolds, a fitness fanatic who was originally from a beauty background. Now we have one of the most popular and effective boot camps in the UK and now in Marbella and Ibiza.
3 – Where do you do your No. 1 Boot Camps?
We currently do then in Norfolk, Ibiza and work with the Babbington House Group and of course now Marbella.
4 – What can people expect to achieve from the boot camps?
It is mainly about weight loss, building confidence, lifestyle change and of course getting in shape. We have many different people who attend but most are people who lead very busy lives and need an intensive regime to get in shape and lose a few pounds.
There is no real typical client as such and we are the only boot camp where you can come and stay for 3 months if you desire. We have clients as old as 70 and have even had an ex priest attend.
5 – So who are more competitive in the camp, men or women?
Oh women for sure. We do this game called bucket ball and there was this one guy who was attending a camp which was mainly full of women (something he had failed to mention to his wife LOL). He had done rugby training and all sorts of physical activities and could not believe how competitive the women were in this game. I think he was genuinely scared!
6 – So if you could choose someone to attend your camp who would that be?
Ricky Gervais and James Cordon for sure. Would be so funny!
7 – When you are not running a boot camp what do you like to do?
I love being a great mum to my children and spending time with my little Yorkshire terrier.
8 – With so many celebrities attending you must get a few ‘Prima Donna’s’ so how do you deal with those?
Funnily enough men are never a problem but we have had a few awkward ladies although our trainers and staff have many years of experience so we make it into a bit of a game and anyone that plays up gets ‘punished’. It usually all works out in the end and is all taken in the way it is meant to be – fun.
9 -So what is your favourite boot camp so far?
MARBELLA!! Great weather, great setting and there is a special energy here.
10 – So you seem to attract a celebrity following who has attended so far?
Well we have had many different celebrities, too many to recall but some of them included Sophie Anderton, Darren Day, Jamie Lomas, Caggie and Gabriella from Made in Chelsea, most of the cast of TOWIE, most of the cast of Desperate Scousewives, Callum Best, Kerry Katona, Natasha Hamilton, Models 1, Select Models and of course Jess Wright and Arg arriving this week. Plus we have a couple of other big names lined up but we can’t reveal that right now!!
11- So tell us what a typical day would be like at No. 1 Boot Camp?
Before breakfast they would do three circuits then in the afternoon there will be anything from hiking, kayaking, or cycling then some self-defense classes with option Zumba for the ladies then some spinning. Of course they get a couple down-time in the day and they will have access to the celebrity hair and beauty salon Golden Tarts for some lovely treatments and blow dries. In fact if anyone makes a booking through Golden Tarts (find them on Facebook or Twitter) they can get a 20% discount.
We have found that the people coming to the Marbella boot camp totally love the layout and the log cabins and everyone goes away having made some new special friends and feeling much better about themselves and with a new found confidence.
Below are some photos of our ‘secret’ Marbella location and some pictures or Arg and Jess enjoying some treatments at Golden Tarts after a hard week of training.
