Boot camp fitness: The ultimate body challenge

If you've ever watched a military movie and wished someone would whip you into shape with "drop-and-give-me-20" drills but have no desire to train for battle, a fitness boot camp might be the right workout for you.

The tough-love approach of boot camp fitness mimics the way real military recruits work every muscle in their bodies, resulting in muscle definition, strength and endurance. But don't worry; in fitness boot camp no one punishes you for failing to complete a certain number of repetitions or running a little slower than the rest of your troop.

Choose your challenge
"Some people think it has to be extremely hard work and painful to get results, but not everyone can do that and that's just not fun," says Sammie Richards, founder of Booty Camp Fitness, a military style fitness company that caters to women. "We can challenge people and see progress without causing pain." In addition to an exciting workout, boot camp fitness offers fun ways to overcome some of the biggest obstacles many women face in their exercise routines: lagging motivation to exercise and lack of variety in workouts. An invigorating and multi-tasking regime, boot camp fitness groups several exercise disciplines, including strength training, aerobics and yoga, into one class.

Demanding drills
Just like in real military training, "recruits" perform a series of drills in boot camp fitness class. These drills could include anything from sprints and jumping jacks to push-ups. But unlike real military-style training, a boot camp fitness class doesn't force you to push far beyond your limits. Class instructors offer variations and no one can make you do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable.

Over hills and around the track
Each detachment (or group of exercisers) will also have a different experience from the next because instructors make use of local facilities and the great outdoors. Summer recruits will sweat it out under the hot sun while spring and fall recruits experience cooler weather, but may find themselves racing with mosquitoes.

If your class is held in a park or on school grounds, don't be surprised if your instructor asks you to climb stairs or hike up and down the bleachers. This challenge can wear you down, but you'll feel like Rocky Balboa when you reach the top!

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Shake up your fitness routine
Here come the rewards from your hard work. "Studies show that maximum calories are burned when you do progressive weight resistance, then cardio," says Richards, and boot camp classes are structured to capitalize on weight loss.

Classes increase in difficulty as the weeks pass, allowing recruits to challenge themselves more and more without hitting the dreaded fitness plateau, when your body stops showing results from your workout. "People can be challenged and go ‘Wow! Now I can do this squat for a lot longer!' and be proud of their progress," says Richards.

Survivor Bootcamp, another company that offers military-style fitness in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia, boasts an agenda that promises to help you challenge your limits, no matter what your skill level. If three push-ups is your limit, your sergeant may ask you to hit that target and then try to beat it with four or five push-ups next time.

No woman gets left behind
While you are encouraged to challenge yourself and try new things, boot camp fitness classes are not about diminishing self-esteem. In contrast, Richards reveals that as soon as recruits see results and recognize that their endurance is improving, their self-esteem rises.

"It may sound hardcore and it can be intense, but it works because it is challenging, nurturing and fun," she says.

In the battlefield, soldiers, police officers and other recruits depend on one another for support and the same is true for fitness boot camp. "Coming to boot camp is a time to be around other women and socialize while working towards personal fitness goals," says Richards.

Your own personal mess hall
While military personnel have regimented meals, boot camp fitness classes are not quite so strict. However, some companies provide meal plans or send out recipes by e-mail to encourage recruits to maintain a healthy diet.

When enrolling in boot camp fitness classes, look for instructors who are trained fitness professionals. To monitor your progress, they may take your measurements and record your weight at the beginning of your training camp and then at pre-determined intervals after that, calculating and explaining your weight loss and muscle gain.

You can expect a challenge, you can expect some fun and you can expect noticeable results. Instructors will kick your butt and you'll thank them for it when you see how great your tush looks in your favourite pair of jeans after you've risen to your ultimate body challenge!

Want to try something new but don't feel up to the challenge of boot camp yet? Try martial arts: the woman's work out instead.

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