Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated is a Black Greek-letter organization with 250,000 members throughout the world, committed to uplifting the community through service, scholarship and perseverance. Omega Training Camp is a new fitness program designed to get members of the fraternity in shape, promote fellowship, and provide life-changing health results. Created by Omega Psi Phi brother Leon Spencer III, Omega Training Camp is a tool he is using to get his fraternity brothers into the best physical and mental shape possible.
“If you are a member of the fraternity and you know how to hop or if you can move, why not fellowship and be a part of something that is for us by us? Omega Training Camp is one of the few things with health benefits made strategically and exclusively for members” said Leon Spencer III, Omega Training Camp instructor.
Spencer created Omega Training Camp in 2020 as a way for his fraternity brothers to get in shape during the pandemic when gyms were closed. The program combines high-interval training with hopping, the fraternity’s version of strolling. Originally named the Lab Bootcamp, the program was just Spencer and frat brothers meeting up to practice hops. From there, Spencer collected data, refined the program, added a virtual component, and rebranded it into Omega Training Camp.
Members who participated in camp sessions burned between 800 to 1200 calories. Frat brothers who consistently did camp sessions have lost 15 to 25 pounds. Spencer includes a program manual with nutritional information for participants. The material introduces intermittent fasting, caloric deficits, and more approaches to maximize the results for members. The outcomes have been life-changing for participants who follow through.
“Terry Brooks is a brother that lost 20 pounds. His doctor checked his vitals and told him he was the healthiest 50-year-old he had ever seen. Before the camp, he was close to getting on cholesterol medication. After the camp, his doctor told him the medication wouldn’t be necessary,” Spencer said.
The first camp was held in Houston, Texas at Level One Fitness. Spencer gathered 75 frat brothers in town for the Texas Greek Picnic to learn hops and marches. The success of Omega Training Camp got on the radar of the fraternity’s state and district offices across the country, who requested Spencer’s services. Spencer had the opportunity to host a session at the fraternity’s 2022 national convention (Grand Conclave) in Charlotte, NC, which elevated the program’s visibility.
“It’s a milestone in the right direction. I did it at the Grand Conclave, the district meetings, and recently, the undergraduate summit. The camp is trending upward to be more incorporated into the fraternity,” Spencer said.
Since launching the program, Spencer created special contests of Omega Training Camp to engage more fraternity brothers to lose weight. He hosted Conclave Shred in April 2022, a three-month program to get members fit for the national convention. In August 2022, Spencer hosted Six Weeks Owt Homecoming Shred, a six-week program to get fraternity brothers in shape before homecoming season. Six Weeks Owt featured a prize of $1400 to the team of four fraternity brothers who lost the most weight.
March Madness is the latest weight loss contest Spencer is hosting in Omega Training Camp. Spencer partnered with Omega Psi Phi’s Seventh District council to offer free Omega Training Camp access to all fraternity members who live in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. The contest is live until March 16. The frat brother who loses the most weight during March Madness will be announced at the Seventh District meeting in Huntsville, Alabama.
Spencer assembled pieces that created a health initiative changing the lives of his fraternity brothers. Omega Training Camp is accessible enough for any member to join and challenging enough for those who want to test their limits. Spencer is confident that the camp’s gradual success will influence the next generation of men entering the fraternity.
“This is unofficially influencing the next generation of members. Do you know how many non-members look at this and say, ‘Dang, I see the Ques losing weight. If I join the fraternity, could they help me on my weight loss journey?’” Spencer said, “Now we have a different set of eyes on the fraternity for a different reason.”
Learn more information on Omega Training Camp at their website.