How long should a boot camp program run?
My boot camps run continuously as 4 week programs. I decided on this format because I thought participants would find the pricing and time commitment more appealing than the 6 or 12 weeks programs. I would appreciate input from those of you with well attended boot camp programs. What program length have you found to be most successful? Are there breaks between each boot camp session?
Hi Kim,
This depends on what you are trying to accomplish with your classes. I never run my bootcamps thinking of the price, but rather how much time I will need to get that specific group to reach the desired level of fitness I believe they are able to. I have had groups that they were training for a specific race or PT test and they were trained with me for up to 4 months straight. If you think 4 weeks is enough for your groups, then you should stay with that format. I have discovered that people will pay even for longer programs if they think they will get what they expect out of it. If they can pay for 4 or 5 or 6 weeks, believe me they can pay for longer sessions as well. Personally for most of my bootcamps I prefer 6 week programs, because that is enough time for them to accomplish what I have in mind. There have been classes that we never took any time off between sessions and then others with up to 2 weeks break.
Best,
Harris
Hi Kim.
I teach a Bootcamp (this one is at a local community center), and have retained people for many years. Our program runs continuously in 4 week sessions like yours does. It will be up to you and your program goals, as Harris mentioned, as to how long to run each session.
Our bootcamp is a general fitness Bootcamp. I teach to all levels–and I’ll accommodate the newcomer just as easily as the advanced fitness enthusiast. I have watched my participants get stronger and increase their endurance, so it is working for us.
Have fun and good luck to you!
Christine
We run a 6 week one week off program.
We base this on the fact that it takes most people at LEAST 4 weeks to really notice a change in their bodies.
We offer 2 or 3 bootcamps per week.
ALSO: We give out dog tags for those who have perfect attendance. Each time they earn a tag it’s a different color with a different saying, they love it!
4 to 6 weeks works well for almost all intensity levels and fits the public view of a session format. One week between sessions is also very good for solid recovery. More time off starts leading into losing the gains in a manner that will make the first week or more a regain period, not a continued gain time.