If you are looking for a workout that is challenging and intense, boot camp workouts may just fit the bill. All forms of high-intensity workouts have seen a surge in popularity over the past few years, but boot camp-style programs offer some unique benefits. With many gyms now opening up post-quarantine, group classes are starting to regain their popularity. Boot camp workouts are all the rage right now with group classes since they allow for both strength training and conditioning in a short 40-minute intense workout.
Here are 4 awesome benefits of boot camp workouts over regular commercial gym memberships.
1. Forget the Expensive Equipment
Many high-intensity workouts require expensive gym memberships and access to an extensive list of exercise equipment. These are not workouts that you can easily do at home or take mobile when you’re out of town for business or recreation. They can also have a huge impact on your budget.
Most boot camp programs, on the other hand, tend to limit the use of any equipment, with many focusing on bodyweight and freestyle exercise solely. That means that even if you can’t make it to a group workout, you can easily complete your routine at home. It also means that you can use the money you save on equipment purchases to achieve other fitness goals like purchasing a topline water filter or taking advantage of a great mattress trial to get quality sleep.
2. Choose Your Location
Some boot camp workouts do take place in a traditional gym atmosphere, but many are set up outdoors in a variety of natural settings, allowing outdoor enthusiasts to take part in a vigorous program while enjoying nature. Many will use their natural setting as an integral part of the workout. Imagine beachside runs that utilize the natural resistance of sand to exercise your calves and glutes, forest settings where you might do planks on the edge of fallen trees or urban settings where you toss abandoned tires to a partner to build strength.
3. Get Motivated Through Social Interaction
Doing these workouts in a group is a part of why they are so popular. Group workouts provide inspiration and support on the days that you just don’t quite feel like going all out. Many boot camps will also divide groups into small teams and set up competitions between the groups.
Ideally, groups should be small enough that the instructor can monitor everyone’s form and style. With this kind of high-intensity exercise, performing the moves incorrectly can lead to injuries. Small groups also allow experienced instructors to modify moves for beginners or those with particular challenges. If you’re just starting with this style of regimen, look for boot camps that advertise themselves as beginner-friendly.
4. Choose Your Flavor
The popularity of boot camp workouts has spawned countless types of groups and styles of exercise. You can choose from any of the best boot camp exercises, or you can subscribe to a service or gym that cranks out complete boot camp workout routines. There are some great alternatives to piecing together your own boot camp workouts.
There are aqua workouts that adopt the style of boot camp training but in a shallow pool, adding the natural resistance and joint cushioning effects of water to the mix. Some aqua workouts even take place underwater.
There are military-style groups that take the roots of this kind of exercise seriously, giving you an experience similar to a military boot camp. In New York, you can train in a tiny studio with a group of ex-cons who will show you the routines they used to stay fit while incarcerated. Some boot camp groups form around shared values and may even donate the proceeds of the class to a designated charity.
Although social interaction is important to boot camp training, if you are committed to working out alone, you can find countless boot camp workouts online that you can engage in solo in your own home. Like most boot camp programs, these workouts will use mostly bodyweight exercises that won’t require you to rearrange your furniture to fit in all the equipment.
Final Thoughts
High-intensity workouts aren’t for everyone, but if they appeal to you, finding a local boot camp group could be your ticket to greater health and fitness. Remember to start with a workout that challenges you but doesn’t put too much stress on your body. Choose a location and workout partners that energize and motivate you, or commit to an online challenge if you prefer to exercise alone. These full-body, functional workouts are a good way to get in your cardio and strength training in one go.
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