Warrior Fitness found guilty of stealing trade secrets
Former Marine Ruben Belliard deserves a dishonorable discharge from the fitness world
Former Marines Ruben Belliard and Alex Fell, creators of Warrior Fitness, proved themselves Captains of one thing: Shady Business.
When we tried out Warrior Fitness—a Marine-style group fitness experience—a few months ago, something didn’t sit right. We got the fitness version of food poisoning, but we didn’t know what ingredient had tainted the soup.
We never wrote about the experience on Well+Good because to us their drill sergeant shtick seemed played out and predictable, and they weren’t particularly good instructors. Plus the showers smelled moldly. We weren’t about to send Well+Good readers there.
Turns out, a body larger than us—the law—was drawing up papers for their dishonorable discharge from the fitness world.
Belliard and Fell have been ordered to pay their old boss Lauren Brenner, the founder of Pure Power Boot Camp, nearly $250,000 in damages. The duo “stole documents from Brenner’s private office and personal computer, including PPBC business plan, start up manual and operations manual,” says Federal Magistrate Theodore H. Katz. “Belliard also stole a folder with employment agreements of PPBC employees, including his own, and destroyed those agreements. In addition, Belliard, without permission, downloaded a copy of Pure Power’s confidential customer list onto a thumb drive.”
This is the wellness world’s own Watergate.
Have you ever worked out at Warrior Fitness? If so, what did you think? Given this news, would you ever try it—no matter how good the Groupon deal?
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I tried it a couple of years ago and found it a tough workout in a good way, and Ruben and Alex were supportive and encouraging. I felt the price was a little steep, but met a lot of devoted followers of their program who were happy to pay.
warrior fitness bootcamp is BY THE BEST workout Ive ever had and the instructors mentioned above are 100% the reason for it…and WHY they have the following they do! Will keep on going..regardless of what this article says…
I have worked out at Warrior and just love it. It’s the best workout out there and it’s fun and intense. This legal mess is not my concern (nor is it yours). As long as I get the workout I want, it works for me. Proud to be a warrior! Thank you for giving us the chance to submit comments.
I love Warrior Fitness!! They are great guys and there is nothing better than their workout (don’t think their ever will be)!!
WFBC is the best workout in the city. The instructors are amazing and are constantly switching up the routine to challenge us on a daily basis. I get ready and shower at the gym everyday and find the bathrooms to be VERY clean. These are REAL Marines that fought for our country. This isn’t a schtick. This workout is not for weak minded, they push you out of your comfort zone and obviously not everyone is looking for that in a workout.
I love WFBC. Best workout in the city, best trainers in the country and one of the cleanest bootcamps/gyms I’ve ever been to. The trainers are good people, seems like they just wanted to build a better Bootcamp. I don’t think you can copyright bootcamps otherwise there wouldn’t be 1000′s across the country. W&GNYC should stick to promoting fitness and stop trying to create drama!
OMG! I didnt know about this! It’s one thing to open a competing business but to STEAL someones documents in order to get on top is just wrong!!! I would never trust a business based on lies!! DISGUSTING!
HOW TRASHY! I did a groupon with these people and they were so rude and disorganized that i did not continue.. now I see they were a BAD replica!
I understand that these people may give a good workout. I personally love the bootcamp workout but that cannot take away the fact that these men (and I hesitate to call them Marines cause their behavior is not even close to worthy of being one!)STOLE numerous things from their previous employer to start their business is disgusting. I would STOP going to this gym in a heartbeat. Why would I want to give my hard earned money to 2 people who can’t figure out a way to make their own money without having to do it dishonorably. Shame on these men! They make Marines look bad!
The only thing W&G should rethink is using an authenticating comment system so that the same 2 people don’t litter the comments section with their BS drivel. Get over it.
The people who own Warrior Fitness make me sick. Not only were they former employees of Pure Power Boot Camp, they completely went behind the owners back to rob their clients and steal PPBC’s idea. The trainers have no idea what there doing at Warrior Fitness and they are beyond unethical when it comes to business. They are fake and had to rob someone elses concept because they were unable to create their own progressive gym brand. Absolutely pathetic.
you people are missing the point these two thieves were found GUILTY..!!!! they stole someones idea whom they worked for!!!! did you not read the article?? …these two marines obviously were absent when they had the course on morals and loyalty and being always faithful!!! you don’t mind giving your money to a program based on lies and deceit..be fore warned of the caliber of exactly what they represent…dishonor distrust disgrace…!!! Not me never…!! PURE POWER BOOT CAMP is the original and anything else is just a rip off..!!! keep paying those guys your money…they owe Ms Brenner a ton of it…!!!!!
Gee I wonder who Jen is…could it be the co conspiritor who lied to her friends and stayed on asa member at Pure Power to steal clients? Or is she the Jen who works for Bobby Flay and misused her position to lie to her employer and promote Warrioir fitness….Warrior Fitness is a poor copy….and regardless of who and what they offer they stole, lied and broke the law. To support this business in anyway is a bigger crime…This could have happened toyou…take a stand and show these peopl how much of a disgrace they really are..How can any one support this buiness in any way….go to Soul Cycle, go run in the park….do not go to Warrior Fitness Boot Camp..
This article is nothing more than true. I felt the same way when I tried Warrior Fitness. There was something very shady about the place. Low and behold. . . These marines give REAL marines a bad name. . .
Good for W&GNYC for posting this! Your’e not creating drama – just creating an educated consumer. What’s right is right and what’s wrong is wrong. Period. Consumers have every right to know these things as some of us are actually BOTHERED/UNCOMFORTABLE knowing that our money is going to support people that have no character and are ok with those going into someone’s personal office and stealing everything that does not belong/or is not theirs to begin with. Yes, they are former Marines but so what, that does not give them any right to steal someone’s core business documents. Let’s get some higher standards here people, as shit if we don’t this whole world is going to pot. I highly doubt any of the people that posted would actually be “ok” with Ms. Brenner going into their office and stealing their businesses documents and using it for her own benefit. As I highly also doubt the Marine Core would say this was an act they are proud one of their members did. Nothing wrong with wanting to create a bootcamp if it’s your work that makes it happen – this was not the case and that’s the point here as they broke into Ms. Brenners office and stole these documents that were never theirs to begin with! Why couldn’t they make their OWN business plan with their OWN ideas to create their OWN business?? Let’s wake up and see things for what they are and not make any chestnut excuses for everything that’s is just wrong…And to answer W&GNYC question, uhh no I wouldn’t go to WFBC no matter how cheap it is on Groupon as I work hard for my money and want it to go to a business that has some kind of Integrity. Thank you for the write up as every consumer has the right to know what their money is supporting.
Pure Power Boot Camp is the number one fitness facility. I’ve lost so much weight and gained so much confidence working out at PURE POWER BOOT CAMP. The trainers care so much about each person and Lauren Brenner is AMAZING!!
I took one class at Warrior Fitness (WF)earlier this summer with Alex and I loved it. I thought Alex was incredibly encouraging and led a fantastic and very challenging workout. My issue was that it was really expensive.
Stealing files is not cool on any level but this article (which is rather dramatic and quite atypical of Well and Good’s style) makes it seem like they stole Pure Power’s idea. Bootcamps are not patented-there is enough room for more than one. Employees cut ties from studios and open their own all the time. Happened with the barre studios and the two major spin studios here in the city. Often there is unpleasantness involved. Clients have the option to go with whichever studio they want. Obviously the Warrior Fitness devotees preferred Alex and Ruben and followed them.
I usually love reading W&G’s take on fitness. If this article’s purpose was to highlight WF’s legal woes than that is what it should have focused on. To dismiss the workout based on said legal battle is not something I would have expected from a Well and Good article.