Fitness boot camp
Encyclopedia
A fitness boot camp is a type of physical training program conducted by gym
s, personal trainer
s, and former military personnel
. These programs have been increasing in popularity for the past several years.
Boot Camp training often combines running
, interval training
, and many other exercises using weights
and/or body weight to lose body fat, increase cardiovascular efficiency, increase strength
, and help people get into a routine of regular exercise. Many programs offer nutrition
advice as well. It is called "boot camp" because it trains groups of people, typically outdoors, and may or may not be similar to military basic training.
The term "boot camp" is currently used in the fitness industry to describe group fitness classes that promote fat loss, camaraderie and team effort. They are designed to push people a little bit further than they would normally push themselves in the gym alone. Boot Camps are often organized outdoors in park
s using bodyweight exercises like push up
s, squats
, suspension training
and burpees
, interspersed with running
and competitive games. The idea is that everyone involved works at their own pace as they team up and work towards one goal, either in pairs, small teams of three or four, or even two teams head on.
Boot camps provide social support
for those taking part. This provides a different environment for those exercisers who get bored in a gym and so find it hard to develop a habit of exercise. Participants make friends and socialize as they exercise, although how strict the trainers or drill instructors in charge can be will depend on the company running the camp. Members of fitness boot camps are usually tested for fitness on Day 1 and then retested at the end of the camp, which usually runs for between 4–6 weeks.
Fitness bootcamps are often based on the military style of training, although that has started changing over the last few years. Usually held outdoors the activities include jogging, sprinting, plyometrics
, push-ups, pull-ups, squats, lunges, suspension training
and a variety of other calisthenic exercises. An advantage of a bootcamp is that the large group dynamic will often help motivate the participants. A growing trend in fitness boot camps are the indoor locations which prove to be climate proof and provide a better workout environment for the members.
There are many other benefits of a fitness bootcamp. These include mental health. It has long been known that regularly aerobic exercise can help to reduce high blood pressure, hypertension
and combat stress
. Part of this is down to the release of endorphins, which act as a mood elevator.
Themed fitness bootcamps often consist of the use of one particular training implement to the exclusion of others. Kettlebell
s are the preferred tool for kettlebell fitness bootcamps run by RKC instructors and TRX suspension trainers
are the preferred tools for TRX instructors. Boxing themed fitness bootcamps often use heavy bags. The use of themes vary widely between fitness bootcamps and their instructors according to the preferences between the instructor and the needs and likes of the clientele.
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
s, personal trainer
Personal trainer
A personal trainer is a fitness professional involved in exercise prescription and instruction. They motivate clients by setting goals and providing feedback and accountability to clients. Trainers also measure their client's strengths and weaknesses with fitness assessments...
s, and former military personnel
Military personnel
Military personnel is a blanket term used to refer to members of any armed force. Usually, military personnel are divided into branches of service roughly defined by certain circumstances of the deployment of the personnel. Those who serve in a typical large land force are soldiers, making up an...
. These programs have been increasing in popularity for the past several years.
Boot Camp training often combines running
Running
Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...
, interval training
Interval training
Interval training is a type of physical training that involves bursts of high-intensity work interspersed with periods of low-intensity work...
, and many other exercises using weights
Weight training
Weight training is a common type of strength training for developing the strength and size of skeletal muscles. It uses the weight force of gravity to oppose the force generated by muscle through concentric or eccentric contraction...
and/or body weight to lose body fat, increase cardiovascular efficiency, increase strength
Physical strength
Physical strength is the ability of a person or animal to exert force on physical objects using muscles. Increasing physical strength is the goal of strength training.-Overview:...
, and help people get into a routine of regular exercise. Many programs offer nutrition
Nutrition
Nutrition is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary to support life. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet....
advice as well. It is called "boot camp" because it trains groups of people, typically outdoors, and may or may not be similar to military basic training.
The term "boot camp" is currently used in the fitness industry to describe group fitness classes that promote fat loss, camaraderie and team effort. They are designed to push people a little bit further than they would normally push themselves in the gym alone. Boot Camps are often organized outdoors in park
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
s using bodyweight exercises like push up
Push Up
This article is about the single. For the body exercise, see Push-upPush Up is a single by British group Freestylers, featuring Theo, released in 2004. It was a hit mainly in Belgium and Australia, as well as the Netherlands....
s, squats
Squat (exercise)
In strength training, the squat is a compound, full body exercise that trains primarily the muscles of the thighs, hips and buttocks, quads , hamstrings, as well as strengthening the bones, ligaments and insertion of the tendons throughout the lower body...
, suspension training
Suspension training
Suspension training is an approach to fitness training that uses a system of ropes and webbing called a "suspension trainer" to allow the user to work against their own body weight. Suspension Training is a registered trade and service mark of Fitness Anywhere, Inc. in the United States under...
and burpees
Burpee (exercise)
The burpee is a full body exercise used in strength training and as aerobic exercise. It is performed in four steps, and was originally known as a "four-count Burpee":# Begin in a standing position....
, interspersed with running
Running
Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...
and competitive games. The idea is that everyone involved works at their own pace as they team up and work towards one goal, either in pairs, small teams of three or four, or even two teams head on.
Boot camps provide social support
Social support
Social support can be defined and measured in many ways. It can loosely be defined as feeling that one is cared for by and has assistance available from other people and that one is part of a supportive social network...
for those taking part. This provides a different environment for those exercisers who get bored in a gym and so find it hard to develop a habit of exercise. Participants make friends and socialize as they exercise, although how strict the trainers or drill instructors in charge can be will depend on the company running the camp. Members of fitness boot camps are usually tested for fitness on Day 1 and then retested at the end of the camp, which usually runs for between 4–6 weeks.
Fitness bootcamps are often based on the military style of training, although that has started changing over the last few years. Usually held outdoors the activities include jogging, sprinting, plyometrics
Plyometrics
Plyometrics is a type of exercise training designed to produce fast, powerful movements, and improve the functions of the nervous system, generally for the purpose of improving performance in sports. Plyometric exercises may also be referred to as explosive exercises...
, push-ups, pull-ups, squats, lunges, suspension training
Suspension training
Suspension training is an approach to fitness training that uses a system of ropes and webbing called a "suspension trainer" to allow the user to work against their own body weight. Suspension Training is a registered trade and service mark of Fitness Anywhere, Inc. in the United States under...
and a variety of other calisthenic exercises. An advantage of a bootcamp is that the large group dynamic will often help motivate the participants. A growing trend in fitness boot camps are the indoor locations which prove to be climate proof and provide a better workout environment for the members.
There are many other benefits of a fitness bootcamp. These include mental health. It has long been known that regularly aerobic exercise can help to reduce high blood pressure, hypertension
Hypertension
Hypertension or high blood pressure is a cardiac chronic medical condition in which the systemic arterial blood pressure is elevated. What that means is that the heart is having to work harder than it should to pump the blood around the body. Blood pressure involves two measurements, systolic and...
and combat stress
Stress (biology)
Stress is a term in psychology and biology, borrowed from physics and engineering and first used in the biological context in the 1930s, which has in more recent decades become commonly used in popular parlance...
. Part of this is down to the release of endorphins, which act as a mood elevator.
Themed fitness bootcamps often consist of the use of one particular training implement to the exclusion of others. Kettlebell
Kettlebell
The kettlebell or girya is a cast-iron weight used to perform ballistic exercises that combine cardiovascular, strength and flexibility training.Sizes may range from to...
s are the preferred tool for kettlebell fitness bootcamps run by RKC instructors and TRX suspension trainers
Suspension training
Suspension training is an approach to fitness training that uses a system of ropes and webbing called a "suspension trainer" to allow the user to work against their own body weight. Suspension Training is a registered trade and service mark of Fitness Anywhere, Inc. in the United States under...
are the preferred tools for TRX instructors. Boxing themed fitness bootcamps often use heavy bags. The use of themes vary widely between fitness bootcamps and their instructors according to the preferences between the instructor and the needs and likes of the clientele.