I have seen what lives in the trash cans at Hermann Park. I've experienced freezing rain and 40 mile per hour winds before dawn, and endured swarms of mosquitos at daybreak.

I've pushed cars around parking lots, carried tires uphill, done repetitions of pushups and lunges and burpees until I thought I couldn't move.

And I pay for it.

The same can be said for hundreds of campers who, like me, enroll in Camp Gladiator session after session, for four weeks of outdoor boot camp — because who needs a gym?

No workout is the same, and each is self-paced and filled to the minute with cardio, body weight and hand weight training, sprint and agility drills, plyometrics and hill sprints.

And though all of this may sound miserable, don't be misled: Thanks to the leadership of dedicated trainers, all workouts incorporate an element of fun.

That was the initial goal of Ally Davidson, an Austin native and a crowned champion of NBC's American Gladiators — yes, the often campy competition show that included contestants jousting against each other while on platforms in the air. ​Davidson set up a boot camp with her winnings from the show and thus, Camp Gladiator was born.

The camp has seen steady growth since its Dallas start-up in 2008, first expanding to Austin, then to San Antonio. Next month, the Houston branch celebrates its one-year anniversary. Next week, camps will open for the first time in College Station and San Angelo, Tex., and Denver.

Camp Gladiator now operates in more than 200 locations — outside of Texas and Colorado, camps have also opened in California, Oklahoma, Illinois, Florida, Minnesota and Louisiana — and the options for attendance are expanding even within individual cities.

In Houston, Spotts Park has added a second after-work session. Suburban locations are increasing, with camps already in Katy and ones forthcoming in Conroe, Deer Park, Friendswood, Jersey Village, Kingwood, League City, Pasadena, Pearland, Sugar Land and The Woodlands.

The atmosphere at camp sometimes leans competitive, and pain is often inevitable, but the overall experience remains positive.

My preferred location (from 5:30 to 6:30 a.m. at Hermann Park with head trainer Rozell Jones) has a small, tight-knit group — all eager to get in a workout before work, and all interested in holding each other accountable for showing up, no matter how early the hour or how severe the weather.

Evening camps at Spotts Park (on Mondays and Wednesdays) and Stude Park (on Tuesdays and Thursdays) have a happy hour-like mood. Saturday morning sessions are often followed by a trip to the farmers market.

Camp Gladiator fosters those relationships outside of camp as well: CG participates in league sports, hosts socials at area bars, restaurants and sporting events, organizes ski trips and canoe trips through CG Adventures and holds boot camps for charities.

So the next time you think of calling your friend crazy for their Camp Gladiator addiction, join them for a workout or two. You'll see.

The next Camp Gladiator session begins on Monday. Find more information here.