My husband and I spent the weekend in a quaint town in Louisiana for his work. We had a very enjoyable weekend seeing the sights, doing a little shopping and yummy dinners out. His boss very graciously invited us to do a boot camp workout with him and others one morning. So… boot camp…I had visions of the Biggest Loser shows with a drill sergeant avec whistle yelling at me to do more, run faster, go-go-go, etc… hardly my usual “listen to your body, don’t push it” yoga self. But, I was game… it was going to be about 45 minutes and I’m thinking I can survive anything for 45 minutes. And, I figured great blog material for wellness junkie.
My experience:
If you are thinking about a boot camp workout, don’t go it alone – sign up with a friend. During our workout breaks, I chatted with several of the participants and they really had great camaraderie in the group. You will need this because push-up ladders and running up and down the levee (we were right by a river) are not exactly always pleasant — But, it was a great workout. For us midwest folks, we also had the tropical humidity to contend with which added a challenge. Having a buddy or friend with you is a great motivator. If you are going solo, no worries — after several of these workouts, you’ll bond with the people around you – new friends: a bonus!
Scott Caldwell of Max Results Fitness, did a really good job of giving options – so for us newbies we got a lighter workout (shew!). If you have a minute, check out Scott’s very inspiring story on his website listed above. Scott times everyone’s workout so that you can compare today’s time to what you did previously. And the workout changes often. So if you get bored on the treadmill or in a fitness class, this may be a good program to try. We happened to join the group on the “push-up, running” day…but to get a good feel for boot camp, you should sign up at least for a couple of weeks or a month to see how you feel – taking advantage of the various workouts.
For me personally, I would have liked deeper, more thorough stretches at the end…but that’s the yoga girl in me talking…
One thing is for sure: after our sweaty, humid workout (and after a much needed shower), I felt great and had more energy throughout my day…
Overall, I enjoyed boot camp and I think I’ll be back…
