| Designing new fitness boot camp workouts, | | | | a few exercises, for example: 10 squats, 10 |
| creating new ways to use exercises, and coming | | | | push-ups, 10 mountain climbers, and 1 lap around a |
| up with new ideas for every boot camp class can | | | | distance of your choice. Have your campers |
| sometimes be a challenging task. You want to | | | | perform 5 rounds as fast as possible. This usually |
| make your boot camp workouts fun, but you | | | | works really well because campers are always |
| also need to make them demanding enough so | | | | trying to beat their friends to the finish. Just |
| your campers will see amazing results. | | | | make sure you have go-to exercises (or back-up |
| There are literally millions of ideas and concepts | | | | exercises) ready for people who finish early. |
| you can consider when designing your fitness | | | | 6. Fitness Challenges: Once in a while we will throw |
| boot camp workouts. Here are a few of our | | | | in a workout that takes up most of the boot |
| favorite boot camp ideas that have helped us to | | | | camp class. You can use any exercise that you |
| propel our own fitness boot camps to success: | | | | choose to use. Occasionally I will turn the challenge |
| 1. Partner Exercises: Pairing campers up with a | | | | into a partner workout and have them work |
| partner will change the whole dynamic of a | | | | together to reach the goal. For example, if one of |
| workout. You can have partners complete the | | | | the exercises in the challenge is 100 squats, each |
| exercises together (ex. partner push-ups,) have | | | | partner would complete 50 reps of squats. It is |
| them take turns (ex. partner sprints,) or you can | | | | great to see how hard your campers will work in |
| have them work as a team to accomplish an | | | | a challenge. |
| exercise. | | | | 7. Obstacle Courses: Obstacles are always fun to |
| 2. Tabata's: Tabata training is one of the most | | | | use once in a while in boot camp. You can use |
| effective forms of training you can do in the | | | | whatever you have handy: cones, tires, fitness |
| shortest amount of time. Use exercises that are | | | | ladders, basically anything you can turn into an |
| challenging and try to involve the larger muscle | | | | obstacle you can use. Be creative and have fun |
| groups when possible. Tabatas are: 20 seconds of | | | | with it! |
| work time followed by 10 seconds of rest time, | | | | 8. Team Races & Friendly Competition: These are |
| repeated for 8 sets (or 4 minutes.) You can | | | | great to throw into camp every couple of weeks. |
| choose exercises like: squats, sprints, mountain | | | | Divide your campers up into 2 or more groups |
| climbers, etc. Your campers will love/hate this one! | | | | and have them compete in a variety of exercises |
| 3. Circuits: Try using 3-10 different exercises | | | | that you have chosen for them. See which team |
| (depending on the size of your group) and create | | | | finishes first! Just for fun, you can have the |
| "stations." Divide your group up into equal | | | | winning team pick an exercise for the other |
| numbers and have them rotate through each | | | | teams to complete as penalty! (Typically ends up |
| station for 30 to 60 seconds. This is a great way | | | | as burpees!) |
| to get up your camper's heart rates and give | | | | 9. Weekly Fitness Tests: Fitness tests are a great |
| them a great variety of exercises in one | | | | tool you can use to show your campers that |
| workout. Circuits also work great if you have | | | | their fitness levels have improved. In our boot |
| minimal equipment since everyone will have the | | | | camp, I have a series of exercises that we use |
| opportunity to work at each station. | | | | most every Wednesday when they come in to |
| 4. Timed Workouts: These are perfect in a group | | | | camp (usually takes 5-10 minutes to complete.) |
| setting because everyone can work at their own | | | | Our campers complete the test as fast as |
| pace. I like to pick a time (based on the exercises | | | | possible and compare their score to previous |
| involved) and have campers perform as many | | | | weeks. It is amazing to watch campers see so |
| rounds of the exercises as they can in the | | | | much improvement in their times, and it just |
| allotted time. For example: I would have my | | | | gives them that much more incentive to do their |
| campers perform rounds of 8 reverse lunges (on | | | | best every single time. |
| each side), 8 push-ups, and 8 burpees as many | | | | 10. Max Rep Tests: Once every couple of months |
| times through as they can in 12 minutes. Timed | | | | we will complete a max rep test of certain |
| workouts are awesome to add to any fitness | | | | exercises. We like to use a 2 minute max squat, |
| boot camp! | | | | push-up and sit-up test. I make sure to record |
| 5. Numbered Sets: These are another great way | | | | everyone's results so we can compare in later |
| to motivate your boot camp to work harder. Pick | | | | months. **This is a great tool for motivation! |