The 6 Vital Rules Of A Good Boot Camp: You Need To Read Before Trying One!
By admin
Chances are you have either tried a boot camp workout in the past, you’re in one now, or you know someone that has.
Boot camps are big. And I don’t foresee their growth stopping, at least I hope not. After all, boot camp help pay my bills!
Who Knew I Had A Boot Camp?
You might not know this about me, but I own a women’s boot camp in Charleston.
It’s legit… 8 locations, a studio, and I’ve got the freaking best staff of trainers ever. I count my lucky stars every day for the amazing women (and our male trainers) I am surround by.
When I first became I trainer, I didn’t know much about boot camps, like at all.
I knew that I loved working with women and helping them achieve amazing things with their bodies and their attitudes. Initially, I assumed I would work for a gym doing one-on-one’s, but there was a hold up that I couldn’t shake…
With limited hours in the day, the amount of women I would be able to help was limited. In a full day, I would only get to work with 7-8 clients. And that’s assuming I had a full schedule.
That’s how the boot camp started.
I could bring together that many women in a single class. They could support each other, work off each other and as a result, see better results than if it were just the two of us.
And that my friends, is how my boot camp was born… And I have Dan to thank for sparking the idea in the first place and then later joining me as my partner.
That was over 6 years ago. This past weekend we celebrated with our 2nd annual Field Day (here’s the recap of our first)! Which is what the pictures are from I’m sharing today.
A little fun fact… boot camps are still blooming, in fact they have grown by over 40% over the past few years as more people are turning to small group training which is more affordable than one on one training.
With that growth means there are a lot of options out there. And I know what you’re wondering…
Are All Boot Camps Created Equal?
No… they are not. There are great programs and there are not so great program and then there are amazing programs. Just like with anything else in the fitness world.
If you’ve been eying a boot camp class nearby, make sure to go through my checklist to make sure you’re going to get a class that deserves your time and money.
The 6 Vital Rules Of A Good Boot Camp
- Class size is limited:
I’ve seen boot camps with over 50 people. How can trainers keep everyone organized, make sure that everyone is practicing proper form, and help clients that need modifications? If they have 5 trainers, that’s great. But ask about the trainer to client ration before starting.
- Classes are filled with people you like and can relate to:
Give the boot camp a test run to see how everyone is around you. A lot of boot camps rely on team work, and partners, so make sure you feel welcomed, everyone is motivating and all in all, there are people you like. If not, you won’t enjoy the experience.
- Certified trainers are leading class:
I’ve seen this happening more and more, people that like to workout starting a neighborhood boot camp. While that’s great and encourages everyone to get moving, it can be dangerous.
Leaders need to understand form, function, program design, etc when it comes to running a program. Makes sense, right? You don’t want a medical student doing your surgery, you want a doctor!
- Workouts are planned out:
I’ve done fitness classes where you could tell the instructor was making the workout up as they went. Yes, I’ve had to do this but I also have several years of experience to help it happen without making it obvious.
Unplanned workouts are sloppy, uninteresting, and make you, the boot camper, feel unimportant.
- The trainers lead by example:
If your trainer can’t do proper push-ups, burpees, squats, whatever then how are the suppose to make sure you can?
I make all of our trainers do boot camp, demonstrating proper form and stamina before hiring them. After all, wouldn’t you be looking to the trainer for help?
- Everyone looks like they’re working hard but still having fun!
Workouts may be hard, but they don’t have to be miserable! The best kind of workout is the one that at the end has everyone giving high-fives and with smiles on their faces. This happens from walking away from “traditional” workouts and getting creative!
Field Day Success
The weekend Field Day was a blast! I can not stress enough how proud I am of all the ladies that were able to make it out on their Sunday morning and give each of the events, their all.
It was so much fun to watch as they gritted their teach and gave each station everything.
Congrats to Courtney, our Field Day Golden Kettlebell winner and Bobbi who won our recent 8-week challenge… also a Golden Kettlebell winner!
Thank you ladies.
And if you’re not in a fitness program, see what your community has to offer! Of course, we have our online training program (FitWomensWeekly) which is based off my boot camp! If you’re in Charleston, shoot me an email!