A successful boot camp program does not necessarily have a snarling, spitting, drill sergeant with a whistle who barks out orders. The degree to which you use the strict military regimen depends on your group.
Both Frog’s Club One and Fitness & Image Results have advanced groups for the super fit. “Our advanced group tends to be for a few super hard-core exercisers, so it is really not designed with fun in mind. This group usually comprises a small number of individuals and is only held for 4 to 6 weeks at various times of the year,” Allman explains.
Fitness & Image Results actively markets the concept of its “A” team, an elite women’s boot camp. To be eligible to join the A team, a member must pass a grueling physical fitness test. She must be able to run two miles in under 17 minutes, and perform 20 full push-ups, 40 sit-ups in a minute, five chin-ups and a 30-second bar hang.
At Fitness & Image Results, the boot camp classes are highly structured. “By having different activities each day, you eliminate training plateaus,” Trader explains. This can also help alleviate the boredom that many participants feel in traditional aerobics and step classes.
At Frog’s Club One, Allman and his team of instructors employ basic interval training techniques to promote cardiovascular benefits.
While the exercises used can be very innovative, careful consideration should be given to safety, correct form and adherence to basic concepts of exercise physiology.