If you’re tired of the Stairmaster or treadmill at the gym, take your workout outside and join a fitness boot camp.
Fitness boot camps, typically done in small groups, are designed to push people further than what they’d normally do working out solo. Boot camps can be organized indoors in fitness studios or outdoors in parks using body weight exercises such as squats, burpees and push ups.
They ramp up in popularity in the spring as the weather warms up.
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“In the spring people are itching to get outside so if the weather permits and part of the workout can be done outside, that is a bonus,” Lorne King, a personal trainer and general manager of Advantage 4 Athletes, told Global News. “Spring is the perfect time to add more cardio to workout routines.”
King predicts that group exercise, high intensity interval training (HIIT) and body weight training will be “hot” for the spring. He says these types of exercises burn a lot of calories and are adaptable for all fitness levels.
Kathleen Trotter, a Toronto-based fitness expert and author of Finding Your Fit, said that outdoor boot camps and running groups fill up in warmer weather.
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Trends gaining speed, according to Trotter, are a combination of machine cardio and weight training classes — such as OrangeTheory and Barry’s Bootcamp.
Benefits of joining boot camps
They’re cheaper:
Boot camps come with the help of a personal trainer, without the commitment of a monthly gym membership and one-on-one personal training.
A session of personal training could easily cost four to five times more than a boot camp.
“Outdoor boot camps are hosted everywhere and they’re so cheap,” Shawna Terranova, an Oshawa, Ont., personal trainer told Global News.
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Boot camps also require little equipment. Free weights, dumbbells or resistance bands may be needed but the facility typically provides them. People attending the class bring their own exercise mat, water bottle and towel.
“I love to host my boot camps at different parks outdoors because I love creating routines with what’s around at the park from benches to cut tree trunks,” said Terranova, who runs her own boot camps from May to the end of September.
Terranova said building workouts around your own body weight is low-maintenance, too.
In boot camp weight loss programs, almost every exercise is designed to elevate your heart rate. These activities include running or jogging, jumping jacks, push ups, any type of squat and resistance training.
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“It’s a great way to get anybody started and show you proper form and technique. It will help you with those things that you’re not always getting if you’re by yourself working out in the gym,” Terranova said about the coaching experience.
Meet new friends:
Boot camps also create a motivating environment due to the group setting. Participants push each other to work harder and they create a sense of community.
The size of boot camps can vary from four people up to 50 or more participants, depending on location.
“The best part about it being in a group setting is the encouragement and motivation from everyone around you it, never stops,” Terranova said. “As someone who’s lost over 100 pounds myself, I know how far that motivation can go.”
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Social Technology:
King said that fitness has become increasingly more social. Right now, tech helps you track workouts, calories burnt and other measurements. He predicts that events like adventure style races or technologies that help people connect will continue to gain popularity.
Friends participating in boot camp programs together can download fitness apps such as Fit Friendzy or Fitocracy, which allows them to track their physical activities and unlock badges which results in “leveling up.”
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There are many types of online boot camps available too. Many Instagram fitness gurus have put together challenges and programs that will make you work up a sweat daily.
Instagrammer Kayla Itsines offers a “get bikini body confident” online program. The program offers workouts and recipes which you can access through an app on your phone.
Fit Challenges are also offered on social media. An Instagram page called fitcouple.guide offers fitness challenges through their Instagram page.
Types of Boot Camps and Fitness Groups
There are many different types of fitness boot camps you can take part in this spring.
King said people enjoy variety in their training. “It’s not uncommon for avid fitness goers to do a yoga class, weight training workout and a boot camp class in the same week.”
“This is wonderful because variety is the spice of life,” King said.
When choosing the style of workout, King suggested that people should keep their fitness goals in mind. If you exercise better in a group setting, consider a boot camp or intramural sports team.
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Take a look at some of the examples below.
Canada Wide Boot Camps and Fitness Groups:
Fit Body Bootcamp: Classes mix HIIT, exercise stacking and active rest periods.
Gold’s Gym: Full-body boot camp classes where you will run through a series of cardio, stability, strength and core-training exercises.
GoodLife Fitness: Boot camp and team training 6 week camps.
LA Fitness: Boot camp conditioning class in a military inspired circuit workout that will push you to your limits.
Planet Fitness: A challenging session of cardio and muscle conditioning using a variety of equipment.
Running Room: Practice runs and walks, take advantage of running or walking with a group and meet new friends.
Sky Zone Trampoline Park: They offer attractions which are available at specific Sky Zone parks such as ultimate dodgeball, skyhoops (basketball), ultimate volleyball and much more.
Snap Fitness: Snap Fitness holds boot camp classes and you don’t need to be a member of their gym to join in the classes.
World Gym: Offers a variety of boot camp classes such as Boxfit 101, Beachbod and Circuit 101.
Advice for boot camp beginners this spring
Many fitness boot camps grow through word of mouth but make sure to do your research when selecting which one to attend.
Be sure to choose a trainer or company that has the proper qualifications to instruct an effective class and ensure participants stay away from injuries.
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For people who are just getting into the workout routine this spring, King said to build your weekly routine with a resistance training day, interval training day, endurance day and a day that focuses on increasing range of motion and flexibility. It’s also important to get the proper nutrition and adequate rest.
“Always start with your goal and construct a plan to get there. Be open-minded, with all the new advances in exercise and nutritional science there may be more efficient ways to reach your goal that you haven’t considered.”
Did you have a boot camp you’d like to recommend? Let us know below.
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