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"You will be doing push-ups while we're down here," Brown says.
"Good morning, by the way. No rain this morning."
She blows the whistle to launch Tiffany's Kick-Butt Boot Camp.
"Tiffany" is Tiffany Brown, a 28-year-old military brat who switched careers from computers to fitness when the tech bubble burst.
She got a job at L.A. Weight Loss, got certified as a weight loss and personal fitness trainer, whipped herself into shape ("I was a little pudgy," she admits) and launched her own business. She has a contract with the Mallard Creek Recreation Center.
But why would someone pay $15 to get up before dawn and work out in a parking lot?
"If I hadn't paid for it, I wouldn't get up. That was the only way," says Clem Mbote, a financial analyst with Wachovia. He works banker's hours, has a wife and 2-year-old daughter at home. And he's a graduate student at UNCC.
Plus, he sees results, he said. His body fat percentage dropped from 22.8 to 18.3 after the first four-week session.
6:20 a.m.: Two latecomers show up, bringing the total to 19. They go straight into crunches.
Next it's time for sprints and skips.
"Hustle for me. We're not done. Burn everything that you're going to eat in advance over this weekend," says Brown.
"How are we feeling?"
"You don't ask that wanting an answer, do you?" says Paula Mercer.
Mercer, 46, came into camp with golf as her only exercise. She wants to lose weight and quit smoking. But not smoking leads to more eating. So she replaces eating with exercising.
Yes, it is hard to pry herself out of bed before daybreak. But it's worth it.
"I sleep better. I feel better. That's the only reason I keep coming back."
6:44 a.m.: A half-mile run, followed by five cardio stations.
Running is routine for Debbie Dempsey, 39. The challenge for her is upper body work. She likes getting a morning workout with people like her - striving for health but not uber-buff.
"It's just normal people."
7 a.m.: Daylight brings backward push-ups at the picnic tables.
"Take a deep breath. Ponder life for a moment," says Tiffany.
"OK, now I need another round of those."
Campers, most of whom live five minutes from the rec center, say they joined because they're bored with their old routines, have plateaued or just want to jumpstart their fitness routine.
Daryl Anderton follows Tiffany's nutritional advice, too, even on vacation. He likes the variety and the outdoor setting and the timing gets him into his real estate office by 8:30 a.m.
"She's tough, but at the same time, understanding. I would have it no other way," says Anderton.
7:10 a.m.: They run to the exterior gym door to pick up pairs of weights stacked there.
There are arm lifts. Then squats.
Tiffany blows the whistle one more time.
"Regretfully, I have to let you go to work."
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Kick Butt
The boot camp is $15 per day. The next four-week session starts Sept. 25. For details, visit www.tiffanysfit4life.com | 
