Although inspired by military camps for recruits, there’s no need to join the Canadian Armed Forces to learn about boot camp workouts.
Forget the camouflage clothing and hours spent crawling through mud; the purpose of these intense exercise sessions is to strengthen you physically and show you how to push your limits and draw on unimagined resources. Drenching sweat and a post-workout buzz guaranteed.
A circuit like no other
Like other popular fitness routines, bootcamp workouts are set up in the form of a circuit, which lots of people can use at the same time. Each station aims to tone and strengthen specific muscle groups or increase cardiovascular endurance.
A real obstacle course
Jumping, running, sit-ups, stop-and-go, crunches and of course push-ups are just a few examples of typical boot camp workout exercises. Done rapidly one after the other and intensified by the addition of weights, resistance elastics or other equipment, these exercises are somewhat of an obstacle course whose goal is to increase your heart rate and build muscle strength.
An all-around workout
A boot camp session is a well-rounded exercise routine that can be adapted to each participant’s level of fitness and limitations. Each session can last up to an hour; the intensity of the effort required makes it pretty much impossible to continue for even one more minute than that.
There are also express formulas for people with little time for working out. Alternately, you can go to a fitness bootcamp that’s spread out over several days, giving you the opportunity to build a lot of strength, fast.
Out with boredom
These circuits are organized so that participants can give a maximum effort for a few minutes, then move on to another exercise, and so on. Since the exercises change from one session to the next, there’s no room for boredom.
Bootcamp workouts seem to go by in a flash, leaving exhausted participants out of breath but filled with a sense of accomplishment for having "survived" the fusillade of cardiovascular and strength exercises.
Outside, everybody!
Many fitness centres and personal trainers offer their bootcamp workouts outdoors, rain or shine. Braving the elements only serves to better reproduce the spirit of this kind of group sports program. Some gyms put their clients through bootcamp in their indoor spaces, where they can still push their physical and mental limits, one exercise at a time.
You think you’re ready to try a few bootcamp workouts? Then say, "Yes, Sir!"
