Powelton Village: Body Rock Boot Camp

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The old adage of “Don’t judge a book by its cover” is evident at The Body Rock Boot Camp and Executive Training Gym in Powelton Village on Lancaster Avenue near 38th Street. It’s easy to walk by this workout locale without noticing due to its plain exterior, surrounded by empty stores and vacant apartments. But once inside, the building seemingly transforms featuring brightly colored graffiti on the walls, chalk boards detailing fitness classes and workout equipment not always available at a typical gym.

Nate Mcintyre, owner of the Body Rock Boot Camp and Executive Training Gym, has been involved in boot-camp-style workouts for the past ten years. After attending Villanova University, where he played football, Mcintyre went on to play a year of professional football. After his brief pro career, he said, he got out of shape. Eventually, Mcintyre started doing core-strength training, something he wishes he had learned in college. The workout programs at the Body Rock gym specialize in what Mcintyre called, “back-to-basics, core-functional, old school fitness.” Through the use of things like sandbags and ropes, an individual builds strength from the core that then transcends into other aspects of their life.

Mcintyre originally began holding boot camp classes outdoors in various places throughout Philadelphia. He opened the gym at 3858 Lancaster Ave. in 2007. “I actually lived in the area, about two blocks down, maybe half a block over.” He said the building was having work done, and after asking how much the rent was, he was convinced. “I was walking down the street one day, popped my head in this place, and that was it.”

The Body Rock Boot Camp and Executive Training Gym offers a variety of classes, individual or group, inside and outdoors. Mcintyre says his  6AM outdoor workouts remained popular after the gym’s opening. The outdoor workout program meets at the Art Museum and then proceeds through various parts of the city. At six in the morning Mcintyre said “the city is pretty much open game.” His early morning class can be seen anywhere from Drexel’s campus to South Philadelphia.

The gym is unique not only because of its back-to-basics workout programs but also through the atmosphere provided. Mcintyre seeks to lay a platform for people to not only workout, but form bonds and enjoy themselves. The gym often hosts events such as parties, concerts and shows. Classes like the increasingly popular Zumba are offered regularly to keep the energy flowing. The relaxed environment seems to constantly encourage people to laugh. The many signs both on the website and at the gym promote the workout programs by invoking hip-hop lyrics to encourage exercise. Slogans like “You Down With O.P.P.? (Outdoor. Pushups. And Pullups.)” and “You Hate it When They Call You Big Papa,” twist the lyrics of popular hits by Naughty by Nature and the Notorious B.I.G.

Nate Mcintyre’s Body Rock Boot Camp and Executive Training Gym emits a positive feel from a block without much visible development. His workouts are enjoyed by people of all ages. Some of his older clients, Mcintyre said, come to strengthen themselves in order to eliminate the aches and pains they would typically experience. Being so close to University City, college students and professors alike often take part in the programs. And local residents, young and old, have enjoyed Mcintyre’s facility so close to home. Through his unique core-strengthening programs, Nate Mcintyre has provided Powelton Village with a supportive and fun environment to get a tough workout.