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Stretch | Crawl |
The format for a typical boot-camp class is essentially the same nationwide: a circuit-type class with continual movement from one activity to the next, with little to no rest in between. This, however, is where the similarity ends. The diversity of the instructors and the continual morphing of the classes keep people coming back for more. "Every class is different," says Dove Rose of Dove's Bodies in Studio City, California. "We utilize the same techniques each time, but change the exercises and the routines to keep people from getting bored and plateauing."
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Haul | Run |
Each instructor, whether a 20-year Navy SEAL veteran or a lifetime classical ballet dancer, has developed a personalized program to push you to your limits. The classes are essentially a free-for-all, and typically include a wide range of activities. For instance, one class might consist of kickboxing moves, sprinting and going through obstacle courses outdoors, while another might take place in a studio and involve weight-training with dumbbells interspersed with plyometrics and aerobics and ending with a few yoga moves for a cool-down. Stationary cycling, hip-hop dance moves, stair running, hiking and even meditation are all fair game.
Military or Masochistic?
Not all classes are as strictly militant as the title implies, but boot-camp instructors find that participants enjoy the discipline and no-nonsense approach of the soldierly format. "I believe the military structure of the program adds a real sense of camaraderie to the class," states Raphael Verela, owner and creator of Optimum Boot Camp in Venice and Malibu, California. "When you're with a group of people, it's a lot easier to push yourself to that limit you wouldn't attain if you were alone."
Add to that a pinch of peer pressure and you've got yourself some serious incentive. Tim Seals, an instructor in the Sergeant's Program in Washington, D.C., says: "I quiz my people on what they ate the night before. If someone ate badly, the whole class has to do push-ups."
Sound masochistic? Perhaps. But boot-camp participants benefit from the motivation and encouragement provided by both the instructors and their fellow grunts. "I've had people cuss me and everyone else out one morning," Seals notes. "But there they are the next day, ready for more. We push people and they like that. We don't want them to fail, and therefore, they don't."
Weather or Not!
Since boot-camp classes take place both inside and outdoors, those of you in Chicago or New York are probably scratching your heads and thinking, what if it snows? "Wear a hat," advises Patrick Avon, creator and director of the Sergeant's Program. "We go outside as much as possible." Remember, this is boot camp!
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| Hurdle |
"The rain and snow are just adversity, and adversity is inevitable," says Ramona Graham, owner and creator of Fitness Boot Camp Inc. in Greenville, South Carolina. "Why whine about the rain? Just re-adjust your attitude and you'll be fine."
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Climb | Leap |
But an attitude adjustment is arduous when the wind is whipping by at 50 miles an hour and the skies are unloading their bounty. It's enough to make you ignore that early-morning alarm, but what if you go AWOL? "In my program, there's no penalty if you don't show up," Graham explains. "We don't shame or insult anyone into attendance." But more militant instructors have a different approach for no-shows. "We'll go to someone's workplace to question them," says Seals. "And we've run entire classes over to peoples' houses and had the whole class doing jumping jacks in the yard while the instructor pounds on the door yelling, 'Get up!'"
Needless to say, 50 people jumping on your lawn at 6 a.m. is incentive enough to show up, but most students remain tenacious about attendance even without that threat. Graham states: "We're finding that people love these classes because of the social aspect. We have informal gatherings and have coffee or go for a hike in the woods. It becomes more than just a workout you're forced to do."
Says Avon: "Some of these guys have been in the same class for 10 years! We have this one group that goes out west skiing every winter, and another group that just went to Italy for a marathon. These people, who started out as total strangers, are now best friends."
