Fitness 'Boot Camps' Coming This Fall to Edina Parks

Doug Evans, the head trainer for a new series of Sgt. Peterson’s “boot camps” in Edina parks, plans to apply his four years of experience in the marine corps to whipping Edina residents into shape.

“I was in the infantry for four years,” he said. “It’s probably one of the toughest, most physically demanding jobs in the world.”

But Evans says the boot camp program, which will start Sept. 4 in the Weber, Todd and Cornelia parks, differs dramatically from a Full Metal Jacket-style ordeal.

“There’s no hostility, no name-calling,” he said. “We’re there to motivate people to succeed in whatever goals they set, not to break them down or belittle them at all.”

The outdoor camps, which, for $90 a month, can be attended as frequently as your body can handle, last about an hour.

Sgt. Peterson’s currently has six gym locations in the Twin Cities and San Francisco, and plans to open a seventh in Edina within the next year. The gym is looking for a space within the city between 1,000 and 3,000 square feet.

Weber Park

Dates: Sept. 4 to Dec. 18 (No program Nov. 27)

Session I: Mondays and Wednesdays, 6:15 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.

Session II: Mondays and Wednesdays, 7:15 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.       

Cornelia Park

Dates: Sept. 4 to Dec. 18 (No program Nov. 27)

Mondays and Wednesdays, 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Todd Park

Dates: Sept. 4 to Dec. 18 (No program Nov. 27)