by Dennys Passeto

Over the past decade of personal training at gyms, in homes and on public grounds I have found one of the best means of achieving fitness goals is the Fitness Boot Camp. These are outdoor intensive group training sessions where you and the other attendees are pushed to your max, like they do in the military.

The Boot Camp method of training has become so popular across the country that entire shows and DVD series are dedicated to them. People just can’t get enough. The proof is in the results. And the results are found in a new research study. Here’s the scoop:

Researchers lead by two PhDs at the American Council on Exercise (ACE) performed a study that analyzed the overall health and fitness benefits of the Boot Camp style workout.

“There’s a certain element of getting back to the basics and a more functional-training approach,” says ACE’s chief science officer Cedric X. Bryant, Ph.D.. “People are looking for different experiences. With boot camps, you’re giving them something outside the traditional club environment.”

The reasons for boot camp popularity could be the cohesive group and grunt cohesion, the outdoor experience, the DIY approach. No heavy metal equipment, just you, the dirt, the trainer, and your camp mates pressing you on… if only by their participation.

“Boot camp is becoming more and more popular in the health club setting so obviously people want to know if they’re really going to get something out of it, and if it’s going to be worth their time,” says Kirsten Hendrickson, a graduate student in exercise and sports science at the University of Wisconsin. “So we decided to take a look at it.”

In their effort to assess the actual benefits of boot camp workouts in comparison to regular gym workouts, a team of exercise scientists from the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse Exercise and Health Program, led by John Porcari, Ph.D., and Hendrickson, recruited six men and six women ages 19 to 29.

After getting the participants’ baseline measurements like maximum heart rate and oxygen consumption (V• O2 max) by having them hit a motorized treadmill, a Borg Scale was used. This scale measures perceived exertion using a scale from 6-to-20, based on how the person feels they are exercising in terms of effort, difficulty and return on that investment.

After the baseline was gotten and participants were well versed in the forthcoming boot camp routine (so there would be no error from stumbling along), they returned to the lab and fitted in special gear to quantify their workouts. Each subject was then outfitted with the Cosmed portable analyzer, a backpack and face mask apparatus that measures oxygen consumption and caloric burn. Heart rate and perceived exertion were also tracked every three minutes throughout the 40-minute workout.

After analyzing the data, researchers found that the average boot camp exerciser burns approximately 9.8 calories per minute during a typical boot-camp workout, which equals nearly 400 calories during the entire 40-minute boot-camp video studied (Table 1)

“The biggest benefit is you’re burning an average of 600 calories per hour,” says Porcari. “That’s obviously going to help with weight loss, but you’re also getting the muscle-building benefit from pushups, arm curls and squat thrusts that you wouldn’t get just from going out for a fast walk or jog.”

According to recommendations set by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), to enhance cardio-respiratory endurance individuals need to exercise at 70 percent to 94 percent of HR max and 50–85% of V• O2 max. Based on the data collected in this study, subjects were exercising well within those levels. “On average, people were working at 77% of heart-rate max, which is considered moderate intensity, but it also gets as high as 91%, meaning, all these boot-camp workouts have peaks and valleys,” Porcari explains.

In my opinion, the peaks and valleys reached during a boot camp style are a result of the circuit training method used in boot camp training.  Going from resistance training with the bands, to body-weight exercises, plyometrics, and cardiovascular based exercises.  Having such a variety in 1 workout alone results in a very balanced overall workout that works and stimulates all systems.

Figures 1 and 2 offer a visual representation of how heart rate and oxygen consumption varied by the minute as the test subjects followed the video from high-intensity moves like kicking and punching, down to low-intensity moves with the dumbbells, and back up again to high-intensity moves.

You must know that not all boot camps are created equal. As in any profession the good and the bad rise to the top and it is the unwitting buyer who must beware! Here at Achieve Fitness we pride ourselves on not only being ahead of the game, but also in only employing the very best boot camp instructors and personal trainers in the area. And the results of our own popular boot camps is proof positive.

Check out what a few of our bootcampers  have to say…

“I thought Boot Camp would be a nice complement to my routine. Wow! I had no idea what a great and fun challenge it would also be! Waking up at 6 AM to Boot Camp is better than waking up with a cup of coffee! I will definitely continue this fabulous class!” Susan Haid – Burke, Virginia

“…We have just finished our 8th session and I’ve already lost 2 1/2 inches in my waist, my energy is through the roof, and I am motivated to see just how far I can go. I look forward to each workout knowing I’ll be working out with the other ladies in our group” Lori – Springfield, VA

Like when circuit training in the gym, our boot camp workout is based on the philosophy of  mixing functional and equipment training while working opposing muscle groups. And when it comes to boot camps, we are women only! A no pressure environment of 1 instructor and women trainees ranging from 25 – 55 yrs old, so there is nothing but professionalism, fun, hard training and results.

The other benefit of a bootcamp workout is that there is no equipment necessary for you to own or any gym to belong to.  Show up at the scheduled bootcamp class locations and times in some comfortable workout clothes and you’re all set to go.  You really need to experience a class for yourself to see and feel how great it is… we are so confident that you’ll love it that we’d love to have you try it for FREE!

That’s right… simply choose the location and time, sign up now and don’t pay a dime! Take the first class and you be the judge… we’ll get in touch with you after your trial class and if you like it (we know you will!), simply continue to show up for the next classes and we’ll be in touch with you to get you squared away.

To find out more, please call our Group Fitness Director – Janelle Smith at 1-888-872-7961 ext.3 or sign up online for your free trial class.

Dedicated to helping you get in the best shape of your life,

Dennys Passeto
www.achieve-fitness.com
Certified Personal Trainers

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