New Year’s came and went. Lent is over. Memorial Day is right around the corner. You’ve talked a good game. But you’ve run out of time (and excuses).

With spring break right around the corner, well, 'er, it’s officially swimsuit season. And you have yet to break a sweat (or get rid of your winter bulge). It's time to get yourself into high gear with some basic training at an outdoor (or even indoor) boot camp class before it's too late.

You say working out is boring? Yeah, well, bulging out of your bathing-suit is well, down right miserable!

Lucky for you: Military-style workouts are on the rise. Turns out many of us like being yelled at while we sweat. The basic boot-camp workout includes a warm-up, cardio work (jogging, sprinting, relays, etc), and strength training (push-ups, sit-ups, lunges, etc). Many are outside and most are led by stringent, stern instructors who likes to motivate through yelling. Don’t see the appeal?

Here’s why people like boot camps: They’re efficient, they’re a good deal (it’s like a having a personal trainer for a group discount), and if nothing else... they get us out of the gym!

Several boot camp classes are popping up all over the country. Sweat it out with one of my top picks in your area: Back Yard Bootcamp in CA (Encino Area), LIFT - Basic Training in NJ, Boot Camp Fitness in NYC, Bulldog Bootcamp in Chicago, BCSF in San Fransisco, Jay's Boot Camp in Texas, Bootcamp Fitness in Kansas City, and Platoon Fitness in PA.

Feeling adventurous? Try the Bikini Boot Camp in Tulum, Mexico (more to come on this fabulous getaway).

You will build camaraderie (having a common enemy always spawns friendships)and often classes are made to order; brides, men, women, marathoners, and several other subsets can find their own workouts.

What are you waiting for? Try it out and see if a class suits you. If at the end you can still feel your legs, you'll be in great shape!

I didn't say it was going to be easy.