Wednesday
29Apr2009
Basic Training: It's time for Boot Camp!
12 Comments
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 out of the way and summer 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 still 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)
NO BS NYC Bootcamps in NYC
Bulldog Bootcamp in Chicago
BCSF in San Fransisco
Jay's Boot Camp in Texas
Bootcamp Fitness in Kansas City
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.
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Reader Comments (12)
Tanya great post.
People act like boot camp is "the hottest craze" when yet the military has been working out like that for hundreds of years.
Look at what body weight training does for gymnasts. I think women and people in general would lose weight faster if they did a boot camps because regular cardio sucks for rapid and long term fat loss and any knowledgeable fat loss coach or fitness professional will tell you that.
A lot of people think boot camps are about yelling. Me myself I am a caoch first and foremost so I make sure I encourage and push people to the max like when I trained soldiers and pro athletes.
But don't let my use of the word "motivation" fool you. I'm not Dr. Phil and there is a reason that its called ...
Nii Wilson's "NO BS NYC BOOT CAMP"
most people don't even make it past the 2 week free try outs
See you in Central Park Tanya...thanks for the shouts and call if you need anything
I want to try this, but who has the time? I can't get up at 5AM, run five miles, eat a powdered egg breakfast, spend 4 hours field stripping a rifle, eat powdered roast beef, spend four hours doing push ups because some guy showed up late, eat powdered chicken tetrazini, and cuddle up with my bunkmates while some band dude plays taps. I have a job, and a family, and TV to consider.
Thanks!
I don't think boot camp is the appropriate training method to use for normal people. Boot camp is meant to help prepare a future solider for the worst case scenerio on a battle field. Check out some of the methods at http://www.BodyCoreStrength.com for realistic weight training methods and diet plans.
Boot Camp is cool as long as they do not let ordinary people do what military people do.. or they might end up getting injuries.. buy Soma online for temporary relief of muscle pain and inflammation.
@ Lose Fat and Build Muscl I will have to diagree with you on a major level. Military boot camp is tough as hell. But you have to consider an intelligent coach and I am speaking about myself here would only put people through stuff that they can handle.
Boot Camp is just a term nowadays that people use for "rapid results in short time"
This is why there are marketing boot camps and real estate boot camps.
A good coach will always design to program to fit the needs of the group.
People will say that Olympic weightlifting would "not be appropriate" method for people looking for fat loss or the general population but I have had teachers and tumor survivors learning various forms of the Olympic lifts.
Use what is useful reject what is useless!
-BRuce Lee
While boot camps do offer great exercise, they are most definitely not for everyone. I always tell my clients that their workouts must suit their needs, lifestyle, and personality. Not every one can tolerate someone yelling at them to press out 50 push-ups at 5AM and may just give up altogether, Whereas, perhaps if they started with something a little less-er-intense and worked their way up, they may have better results even if it does take bit longer.
Good luck!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Harry Johnson Jr is the 1998 Body For Life Champion - You can learn more about losing weight and getting into great shape at his blog, www.harryjohnsonjr.com
If you are looking for a bootcamp workout you can do anywhere check out www.youcanmakeitfit.com. You can follow along with the guided video with any internet connection, you can download it to as a podcast or you can print it out!
Teen Boot camps programs are very effective for youths in attaining healthy and improved life skills. Camps offer experiential learning programs, field activities, sports, and physical training programs for growing inherent skills of teenagers. These programs are the comprehensives and successful. Teaching and training staff are the state best people those are dedicated towards children to provide them right path of the life through providing knowledge to them.
http://www.teenscamp.net/
Thanks for letting us know the Military-style workouts.I have heard the name a lot but I could not find enough info and tips etc. So when I came across with your site i could not resist me to thank you.
Parents looking into a boot camp program for their girls have a lot of opportunities and approaches to consider. Successful approaches to boot camps for girls often involve optimistic ways to burn off physical energy, educational plans that allow them to learn at their own pace and community dynamics that allow them the pride of feeling like a valuable contributor.
http://www.girlschools.net/
There seems to be some real misconceptions on what a Bootcamp program is. Bootcamps are for everyone who is willing go do their best each day, no matter what that is. In eleven years we've had every type of fitness level, size, shape, and age. We try to get people to reach their potential. No one is expected to do something they can't do. To make improvements in your fitness and health (that's what we focus on) you need to beyond your comfort zone. Bootcamps also provide a unique experience of actually working out with others, interacting, not walking around with headphones looking at yourself in the mirror. The instructors don't yell other than to get the groups attention. Our recruits brave snow, wet and cold to be out there at 5:00 & 6:00 am. Why? Because it's fun, they love it, and they get results.
I would love to give a boot camp a go I think for me it is about not wimping out when it gets hard work having someone there to constantly push you is a great way to make headway. Unfortunately being from the UK there isn't that many of them around I would have to travel to London I think, which is a shame because they show the American ones on tv and they look like great fun. My main aim is to lose weight but I would love to be able to tone as well