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Build your wellness rather than treating your illness. Boot camping workout is a type of high-intensity interval training workout commonly known as HIIT. A quick guide to the best boot camp workouts.1
It helps in shortening the distress and recovery cycle. It is easier to develop a softer quality of fitness like muscle control and coordination.
High-intensity interval training builds a person’s cardio endurance and limits muscle loss. Fitness boot camp helps reduce body weight2, and it is an exercise program that benefits one’s mental, physical, and spiritual health.
Let’s learn some ultimate boot camp workouts today.
1. Warm-Up
The overarching objective of doing a warm-up is to increase the blood flow to the muscles going to be trained and decrease muscular stiffness3. The muscles will be able to contract with more force and relax quickly. This reduces the risk of injury and muscular cramps.
Check out a few warm-up exercises:
1.1. Jumping Jacks
Stand straight with your legs together and rest your arms at your sides in the usual way. Now keep your knees bent and take a jump. As you jump, spread your knees to be about shoulder-width apart.
At the same time, stretch out both your arms behind your head.
Jump back to the starting position and then repeat. Jumping jacks is a cardio exercise that stimulates your heart muscles.
It gives you the flexibility to do other high-intensity workouts. Keep your tummy pulled back while inhaling and release while exhaling. This helps in burning the tummy fat4.
1.2. Plank Walkout
Start by standing in your normal posture, then place your hands on the floor. Now walk your hands forward until you’re in a plank position. Hold for a few seconds, ideally 20 seconds, and then walk your hands back to your feet.
Get up and come back to your standing position. Repeat doing it 10 to 15 times accordingly.
As you continue this workout, it engages your core and keeps it activated. This, in turn, prevents your torso from swaying side to side.
Plank walkouts target the muscles in your back and abdominals. Secondary muscles in the shoulders, chest, quads, and glutes are also engaged while doing plank walkouts.
1.3. Split Jump
Split jump is an ultimate boot camp workout that strengthens the glutes and leg muscles and provides cardiovascular benefits. Now let’s see how to do split jumps.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. With your left foot, take one step forward (a big step).
Keep your hands held or free in front of your chest while stepping forward. Your left leg should be bent at a ninety-degree angle at the bottom of the lunge.
Now jump to switch to move the other feet forward. Do the same with your right leg. Land in a bent knee lunge as the front foot comes back and the back foot comes to the front. Repeat 10 to 15 times.
As you explode into the jump, you engage the leg muscles to lift you. Engaging the core body helps in lessening the impact of the jump.
Split jumps require only a few repetitions to be effective for great cardio boot camp workouts.
2. Medicine Ball Workouts
A medicine ball is a weighted workout ball that builds core strength by building muscles in your abdomen, back, and upper body. This helps with balance, posture, and overall wellness.
It is one of the best types of boot camp workouts. Let’s know about the following four boot camp workouts that we can do with the medicine ball.
2.1. Over heading squats
Keep your legs wide apart and hold the medicine ball overhead throughout the movement. Squat down as if your thighs are parallel to the floor and push your hips back. Now go back to your resting/standing position.
That’s one rep. Repeat and remember not to bow your knees inward.
2.2. Mountain Climber
Keep the medicine ball underneath your hands and get into a plank position. Keep your back and neck straight. Now bring your right knee towards your chest.
Go back to the plank position and immediately move your left knee up toward your chest. Keep your core engaged throughout this boot camp workout.
2.3. Russian Twist
Begin in a seated position. Bend your knees and take your legs off the floor. Hold the medicine ball a few inches in front of the chest. Keeping your body straight, twist the ball to your left hip bone and then to your left hip bone.
This is one rep. Russian twist helps in getting into a suitable form when you do it with your abs engaged.
2.4. Circles
Start in a pushup position. But instead of resting both of your hands on the floor, place your right arm on the ball and bend your elbows as one would do in a standard pushup. After completing one pushup, roll the ball to your left arm and repeat.
3. Roll up Jump
Be seated with your knees bent and keep your feet flat on the floor. Now extend and keep your arm straight just behind your butt as if your palms are pressed onto the mat and palms facing forward. Now roll back onto your shoulders.
Lift your hips from the floor. Extend your legs straight up and stay in that position for a few seconds.
Now roll forward, bending your legs and returning your feet to the floor. Push through soles to stand and jump straight into the air, keeping arms extended at sides—land with bent knees. Repeat the same.
Doing roll-up jumps effectively increases your body’s flexibility by improving hip flexor length and mobilizing your spine. This is important because a rigid body can lead to pain, making your movement less efficient.
4. Jump rope
Jump rope helps you reduce body weight, and it is the most effective exercise for burning calories and building endurance and strength. Choosing a jump rope is essential, so you must select the best one for you according to your fitness level.
Grab the handles of the rope firmly with your arms. Please start with the string behind you, so it’s right at your heels. Gently rotate your arms forward to make the rope rotate. And then turn your wrists and rotate them over your head.
Bend your knees slightly as you swing the rope upward. Once you see the rope pass your shoulders, jump by springing from your toes.
Start slowly so that you will be able to go with the flow. Once you jump a couple of times, you will know when to do it naturally.
As you jump, don’t forget to stay on the balls of your feet. This keeps you quick and nimble.
Because your calves will get tired quickly, so feel free to alternate hops. You can alternate between each foot, hopping on one and then the other, and then both.
5. Cool Down
Your muscles work hard during some of these workouts. Due to exhaustion, the heart rate sores. Moving from intense activity to no activity can cause dizziness, lightheadedness, or heart palpitations.
The cooldown aims to bring the body back to a rest state after the exercise by reducing the heart rate. Let’s see some easy cooldown boot camp workouts 5that require no equipment.
5.1. Burpees
A Burpee is a combination of a jump, squat, plank, and pushup. While being in a standing position, the head should be aligned with the heels.
Squat down, place your hands on the floor, and immediately jump to a plank position.
Kick your feet back into the squat position and explosively jump up, reaching arms overhead. You can do a pushup if you want, which is optional.
5.2. Lateral Lunges with Hops
Begin by stepping your left leg out to the side for a lateral lunge, keeping your right leg straight. Bring the left leg up to a ninety-degree angle and hop on the right leg.
Repeat on each side. It is very effective on your inner and outer thighs. Perform this exercise for three to four sets of ten to twenty repetitions on each side. Make sure not to hump and keep your back straight.
5.3. Squat Lunge
It is a high-intensity interval training workout that helps a person lose weight and keep your full body healthy. Start with your feet hip-width apart and hands held at chest height. Squat by hinging at the hips.
Bring your hips back and bend both your knees so that your thighs are parallel to the ground.
Now, bring your right foot diagonally behind your left leg. Bend both your knees and do a crusty squat. Keep your core engaged.
Return to your starting position and do another squat. Then repeat the lunge on the other side and continue to switch the sides.
5.4. Reverse Lunge
Stand upright, with your hands at your hips. Next, with your left foot, take a step backward (stretch as long as possible). Bring your hips down so that your right thigh becomes parallel to the ground as if your right knee is right above your ankle.
Your left knee should be bent at a ninety-degree angle and pointing toward the floor with your left heel lifted.
Return to the standing position by pressing your right leg on the floor. Bring the other leg forward, and that’s one rep.
Keep repeating the exercise as you alternate your legs.
5.5. Romanian Deadlift
Deadlifts are an excellent exercise for strengthening your hamstrings, hips, core, and lower back.
Start with a bar or heavyweight in your hands as you stand straight. Slowly and steadily, bend your knees forward and lower the weight.
Keep your back straight, and bend only at the hips. Until you start feeling a stretch on your hamstrings, keep lowering down.
After that, push your hip forward and back up to the standing position.
5.6. Shoulder Blade Squeeze
Get a chair, and sit straight with your feet placed flat on the floor. Slightly shift your body weight forward.
Try to relax while maintaining the position. Keep your shoulders, hips, and ears aligned.
Next, slowly raise your arms to the height of your shoulders. Your palms should be facing forward, and keep your elbows bent.
Now, put some pressure on your arms and move them back while you squeeze your shoulder blades together.
Hold the position for about 10-15 seconds. And release to the starting position.
5.7. Scissors
Scissor kicks are another dual-purpose boot camp move. They strengthen your core and also help loosen tight hips. Kick higher and slower for more of a stretch or faster and lower for more of a burn.
It is a lower abdominal exercise. Start by lying down on your back. Put your hands aside, or if you need some back support, you can place your palms underneath your glutes. Now extend both your legs and twist them in and out.
You can also move them up and down alternatively. You should keep your knees slightly bent, so it takes off some pressure in the back.
6. Boot Camp Workouts Benefits
Boot camp workouts can help prevent excess weight gain or help maintain weight loss. You burn a lot of calories when you engage in any physical activity. You burn more calories if you do more intense workouts.
Working out regularly will help you get better sleep. Don’t work out before going to bed, which will ruin your sleeping routine. Doing it regularly keeps your blood flowing smoothly, which decreases your risk of cardiovascular diseases.
You may also feel better about your appearance and yourself when you exercise regularly, which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem. So do it regularly and lead a mentally and physically healthy life.
These boot camp workouts will undoubtedly bring a change to your life.
7. Conclusion
Boot camp workouts are a popular fitness trend that combines elements of cardiovascular exercise, strength training, and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) into a challenging and efficient workout regimen.
Boot camp workouts can be an effective and enjoyable way to improve fitness, lose weight, and build strength. They offer a variety of exercises, a sense of community, and time efficiency.
However, individuals should approach boot camps with caution, ensuring that the intensity is appropriate for their fitness level and that they prioritize proper form to avoid injuries. It’s essential to find a boot camp program that aligns with your fitness goals and preferences.
FAQs
1. Are boot camp workouts only for young and fit individuals?
A. No, boot camp workouts can be modified to accommodate individuals of various ages and fitness levels. Instructors should be able to provide options for different abilities and limitations.
2. What are the potential benefits of participating in a boot camp program?
A. The benefits can include weight loss, improved cardiovascular fitness, increased muscle strength and endurance, enhanced flexibility, and a sense of community and support.
3. Are boot camp workouts safe for everyone?
A. While boot camp workouts can be adapted for most people, it’s essential to consult with a healthcare provider if you have any underlying medical conditions or injuries that might affect your ability to participate safely.
Read more
- Quelch, Fraser. “How to succeed at the business of Boot Camp: what you need to know to design a winning business model for your new outdoor workout program.” IDEA Fitness Journal 4.4 (2007): 38-47. ↩︎
- Pittler, M. H., and E. Ernst. “Complementary therapies for reducing body weight: a systematic review.” International journal of Obesity 29.9 (2005): 1030-1038. ↩︎
- Takeuchi, Kosuke, et al. “Long‐term static stretching can decrease muscle stiffness: A systematic review and meta‐analysis.” Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports 33.8 (2023): 1294-1306. ↩︎
- Darden, Ellington. Tighten Your Tummy in 2 Weeks: Lose Up to 14 Inches & 14 Pounds of Fat in 14 Days!. Rodale, 2015. ↩︎
- Volkin, Michael. The ultimate interactive basic training workbook: what you must know to survive and thrive in today’s boot camp. Michael Volkin, 2007. ↩︎
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