Answers (14)
1
Hi Jenny,
I have been doing BootCamps for 15 yrs now and I can tell you what I do......I keep the same routine for 4 weeks and then I change it all up. This keeps the members engaged and having fun and pushing themselves to the limit without too much repitition or overuse for long periods of time of the same old thing.
Squats, lunges and bicep curls never truly change but you can change the way you do them by adding tempo beats: 1/3, 2/2, 3/1, 4/4, etc. Either slowing down the eccentric or the concentric segment helps plus adding a few explosive power moves or super slow reps. Changing the music is a great motivator too.
Here is one of the drills I used today in my class using 10 lb wts:
1) From the top of step: Side squat with left foot keeping right foot anchored to top of step and step together back on top of step. Arms: Overhead presses go up with step up, down to shoulders with side lunge. Palms fwd. 16 reps - sgl beat.
2) Transition to Lungeback and step forward together on top of step keeping the same right foot anchored to the top of step. Arms: Hammer curl DOWN when you lungeback on floor and curl up to shoulders when you step up. Do 16 reps - sgl beat.
3) (Lunge on floor into knee on top of step) Start on floor close to step and start in a lunge position with right foot back, lunge down with right knee and step up on the bench with right foot and raise left knee and repeat lungeback on the floor, etc. This is a total of a 6-ct movement which feels weird at 1st, but smooth after a few reps. Arms: hammer curl UP into external rotation out to side with elbows locked to side during knee lift and reverse pattern to floor with lungeback on the floor. Keep it simple and smooth.
4) Stand on floor and do BICEP CURLS only, palms UP, elbows locked to side:
1x - 4-ct super slow curl UP, followed by 4 sgl quick curls down/up then, 1x - 4 ct super slow curl DOWN, followed by 4 sgl quick curls up/down (NOTE the reversed pattern) Do this series 4 sets (1 set super slow in one direction then, 4 quick)
5) Lastly,
Level 1: standing hinged double arm rows narrow (10 ct - sgl beat)
Level 2: Renegade Rows without wts. This is simply holding a plank with your hands on the step and your feet on the floor. Both hands and feet are WIDE, not narrow. While holding your plank, do a 1-arm row right, then left for 10 cts OR more.
Level 3: Do the same Renegade row with heavy wts in your hands (5-20 lbs)
Repeat this entire series a second time on the right side of the step with the left foot anchored, etc, etc.
Either coach the class or do it with them, it's fun and kicks butt. You will break a sweat.
I personally hate BootCamp classes that are all about wts only or spending "x" amount of minutes at each station, it bores me to death, it bores my clients.
My current classes are PACKED and that is because they told me what they wanted and that is Cardio AND Wts BOTH to make them feel like they got an incredible rounded workout. Cardio can include plyometrics too. Be creative and include all the major muscle groups and then some.
Try alternating DRILLS every 3-5 mins. and then throw in some step and wts combined for the next drill. Have the class do the drills together or break into teams and then individually. Give them some hard drills they hate and some easy drills they love to recover and you will win them over. Always make sure the ABS and glute drills kick their butts and lastly, remind them of how much you love them. Tell them one thing about fitness that day that they did not know...have a quiz for fun...add questions like, how many calories do you need to burn to lose a lb of fat (3500 calories), etc.
Good luck and thank you for asking.
I hope this helps!
Carol "CJ" Grady
Lynnwood, WA
I have been doing BootCamps for 15 yrs now and I can tell you what I do......I keep the same routine for 4 weeks and then I change it all up. This keeps the members engaged and having fun and pushing themselves to the limit without too much repitition or overuse for long periods of time of the same old thing.
Squats, lunges and bicep curls never truly change but you can change the way you do them by adding tempo beats: 1/3, 2/2, 3/1, 4/4, etc. Either slowing down the eccentric or the concentric segment helps plus adding a few explosive power moves or super slow reps. Changing the music is a great motivator too.
Here is one of the drills I used today in my class using 10 lb wts:
1) From the top of step: Side squat with left foot keeping right foot anchored to top of step and step together back on top of step. Arms: Overhead presses go up with step up, down to shoulders with side lunge. Palms fwd. 16 reps - sgl beat.
2) Transition to Lungeback and step forward together on top of step keeping the same right foot anchored to the top of step. Arms: Hammer curl DOWN when you lungeback on floor and curl up to shoulders when you step up. Do 16 reps - sgl beat.
3) (Lunge on floor into knee on top of step) Start on floor close to step and start in a lunge position with right foot back, lunge down with right knee and step up on the bench with right foot and raise left knee and repeat lungeback on the floor, etc. This is a total of a 6-ct movement which feels weird at 1st, but smooth after a few reps. Arms: hammer curl UP into external rotation out to side with elbows locked to side during knee lift and reverse pattern to floor with lungeback on the floor. Keep it simple and smooth.
4) Stand on floor and do BICEP CURLS only, palms UP, elbows locked to side:
1x - 4-ct super slow curl UP, followed by 4 sgl quick curls down/up then, 1x - 4 ct super slow curl DOWN, followed by 4 sgl quick curls up/down (NOTE the reversed pattern) Do this series 4 sets (1 set super slow in one direction then, 4 quick)
5) Lastly,
Level 1: standing hinged double arm rows narrow (10 ct - sgl beat)
Level 2: Renegade Rows without wts. This is simply holding a plank with your hands on the step and your feet on the floor. Both hands and feet are WIDE, not narrow. While holding your plank, do a 1-arm row right, then left for 10 cts OR more.
Level 3: Do the same Renegade row with heavy wts in your hands (5-20 lbs)
Repeat this entire series a second time on the right side of the step with the left foot anchored, etc, etc.
Either coach the class or do it with them, it's fun and kicks butt. You will break a sweat.
I personally hate BootCamp classes that are all about wts only or spending "x" amount of minutes at each station, it bores me to death, it bores my clients.
My current classes are PACKED and that is because they told me what they wanted and that is Cardio AND Wts BOTH to make them feel like they got an incredible rounded workout. Cardio can include plyometrics too. Be creative and include all the major muscle groups and then some.
Try alternating DRILLS every 3-5 mins. and then throw in some step and wts combined for the next drill. Have the class do the drills together or break into teams and then individually. Give them some hard drills they hate and some easy drills they love to recover and you will win them over. Always make sure the ABS and glute drills kick their butts and lastly, remind them of how much you love them. Tell them one thing about fitness that day that they did not know...have a quiz for fun...add questions like, how many calories do you need to burn to lose a lb of fat (3500 calories), etc.
Good luck and thank you for asking.
I hope this helps!
Carol "CJ" Grady
Lynnwood, WA
1
Surprise is the spice of life! I always keep them guessing, however, there is usually a set "welcome to exercising correctly day" first.
1
No way, a good boot camp class coach/trainer should always keep you guessing! A major problem most people have with exercise is motivation. The job of a trainer is to keep workouts new, fun, and motivating. On top of that you always want to switch your focus(an example: strong core/cardio in one session, strong leg, chest in another), to keep the body from adapting and optimize results.
0
We use a lot of the same exercises but the order changes and we use a lot of variations.
0
i am a kettlebell bootcamp instructor and our workouts are different everyday with a mixture of timing, reps, volumn, etc. with a mixture of kettlebell sport moves, kettlebell fitness exercises, and bodyweight exercises.
0
We never do the same workout twice, some of the exercises are repeated but the variables are changed. The change each time is part of why many people like bootcamp and the challenge it presents.
0
My Bootcamp classes are never the same and my students never know what to expect. I do not want their bodies to get used to any one form or routine, but I want to work their muscles in all different ways. Some classes I bring up the cardio higher, others I have less cardio and more toning, and others I run intervals of various activities. I always start with a warm up and stretch and end with extra abdominal work and a really good stretch.
By changing it up your students also never get bored.
By changing it up your students also never get bored.
0
I keep the same boot camp series of exercises for 4-6 weeks (we meet 1x/week). This allows the students to learn and master the exercises before moving on to something different. My students LOVE this, because they can see and feel their improvement as their bodies learn and adjust to the exercises. The more complex boot camps stay around for 6 weeks, the boot camps containing more basic elements stay for 4 weeks. This creates a great balance between allowing students to achieve a level of comfort and confidence and presenting them with new challenges to prevent boredom.
0
Sure, there are bootcamp basics and favorites that tend to get repeated often (clients value some consistency, familiarity, and sense of accomplishment). Of course, there must also be new challenges and new stimuli to keep everybody's mind and body keen and fit. Ideally, we strive for an on-going overall balance of both; meaning no session is ever exactly the same.
0
No way, a good boot camp class coach/trainer should always keep you guessing! A major problem most people have with exercise is motivation. The job of a trainer is to keep workouts new, fun, and motivating. On top of that you always want to switch your focus(an example: strong core/cardio in one session, strong leg, chest in another), to keep the body from adapting and optimize results.
0
We have yet to do the same workout twice
Our bootcamps are based on a 6 week on one week off rotation so we create variety and muscle confusion all the time.
Also, we live in a really hilly area so we take advantage of that!
The other night we did "repeats".
1. Run to the cone(suicides) come back to cone one do 30 burpees
2. Run to the next cone come back to cone one do 60 burpees
3. Run to the 3rd cone, come back to cone one do 90 burpees
Next time around we switched exercises: for instance: moutain climbers, Russian Twists, Jump Squats etc..
Limitless Possibilities!
Our bootcamps are based on a 6 week on one week off rotation so we create variety and muscle confusion all the time.
Also, we live in a really hilly area so we take advantage of that!
The other night we did "repeats".
1. Run to the cone(suicides) come back to cone one do 30 burpees
2. Run to the next cone come back to cone one do 60 burpees
3. Run to the 3rd cone, come back to cone one do 90 burpees
Next time around we switched exercises: for instance: moutain climbers, Russian Twists, Jump Squats etc..
Limitless Possibilities!
0
I like to switch the workouts every day. This way they don't get bored and makes it more fun and interesting. One day we do cirquit training, one day running, one day a timed workout (they perform a number of different exercises as fast and as safe as they can, then I post their time on the web site) and one day they do a lot of battling ropes exercises mixed with either kettlebell, core or jump rope exercises. The cirquits are different every time, the distance of the runs always changes and the timed workouts are also different every time.
0
For me it depends on the site and the participants. I change the exercise for one body part at a time over the course of year. As an example, in a boot camp situation I would change a partner row (two ropes tug of war style) to a TRX row. The next week I change another body part/muscle group exercise like a push up to a high tension tubing chest press one arm at a time (really engages the core as well as the chest). Each week one muscle/muscle group (or two opposing groups) get changed until I have changed all of the sets one time through. Then the process might start over or maybe we start a brand new routine and restart the one exercise change at a time. I try to make enough of the class new enough to notice, but not so new that the benefits of any one exercise are not given a chance to be gained.
0
I change frequently. My warm-up is where I pre-teach movement patterns that we will be doing that day so they're not coming into drills completely unaware, but a lot of the moves are new or different class to class.
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