The day we just chilled out for real

Lt. Col. Bob Weinstein must be doing something right.

How else to explain 20 people showing up for a workout on Fort Lauderdale beach in the dark on the (so far) coldest night of the year just a day removed from New Year's Eve hangover? Plus, amid a couple hoots from bundled passerby, laughter punctuated the class frequently.

These people were enjoying running an obstacle course of tilted lounge chairs on the soft sand (which makes running rather difficult) or around a series of palm trees in a round of follow-the-leader as Weinstein called out orders. We didn't mind the 100 or so crunches with legs raised at various levels as the wind -- health club and chill -- kicked up an hour into the 90-minute class dipping temperatures into the upper 40s. (Yeah, yeah, I know Michigan was blasted in a blizzard on the same day and we're whining about 40-degree weather but, then again, I bet our neighbors to the north weren't doing push-ups, squats, lunges or working with resistance bands outdoors at night like we were when we could have been curled up at home watching, well . . . nothing on TV.)

Weinstein, who spent 30 years in the Army Reserve, started his popular Beach Boot Camp classes on the sands of Fort Lauderdale beach six years ago. Among other fitness-training endeavors (he's also a motivational speaker and this trait comes in handy on nights like this), Weinstein, 56, holds these classes three times a week.

The goal isn't to turn students into Army cadets. The bilingual (English/German) instructor won't bark orders in your face like you saw in An Officer and a Gentleman. If you can't run you can walk. If you can't curl your biceps all the way up in proper form, halfway will do for now. The class is open to all fitness levels. Doing what you can but showing up regularly and advancing as you get conditioned should help you hit your fitness goal.

''There's no punishment here, just reward,'' Weinstein teased, smiling, as he commanded us to do 20 push-ups against the A1A beach wall because we didn't run to formation fast enough not far from the moon-lit waterline health club. (Bet he had that exercise planned all along.)

Beach Boot Camp's aim is to tone the body with its series of cardiovascular calisthenics and strength-oriented exercises. Weinstein sells a DVD, Beach Boot Camp Upper Body Blast, on his website which we could presumably do on even colder nights but then again, when do these ever happen, and the camaraderie of his class is fun.