llorenzo posted on April 10, 2009 13:47
About the Author: Lauren Lorenzo is an owner and Director of Training and Operations at Operation Boot Camp of North America. She is a graduate of JamesMadisonUniversity, an AFAA certified group fitness instructor, ACE certified personal trainer, certified Power Pilates instructors, and certified turbo kick instructor with over 11 years of experience. Lauren has taught classes at Atlanta Kick, The White House Athletic Center, The GreenbrierAthleticCenter, BaltimoreAthleticCenter and Athletic Club Northeast. She is currently pursuing her masters in nutrition.
Edited by: Sarah Mansfield
Operation Boot Camp is a 30 day fitness program with the mission to help people get fit through positive changes in nutrition, exercise and attitude. For more information on Operation Boot Camp, please visit www.operationbootcamp.com.
Why are boot camp style workouts so popular?
Boot camp style workouts are without a doubt a total body workout; these workouts burn more calories because more muscles are being taxed in a single workout session. Since nothing our bodies naturally do in every day life is in isolation, isolating a body part in a workout does not usually translate to better performance in our daily activities. Strength, endurance, core and stability control, agility, balance and joint integrity are all a part of an integrated, well-planned boot camp workout. You cannot escape a boot camp workout without working multiple muscle groups and energy systems in tandem with each other. This diverse training gets us ready for the chaos that awaits us in our daily lives.
High Intensity Cardio:
The higher the intensity of the exercise the more overall calories are burned in a single session. Because boot camp-style workouts are designed to be high intensity both muscularly and cardiovascularly your workouts are more efficient and effective. That is, you burn more calories in less time as you tone your entire body.
Building Muscle Mass:
The focus for boot camp clients is to not only increase their cardiovascular strength and endurance, but to improve their core strength, posture and overall physical well-being. We have our clients focus on becoming stronger rather than becoming thinner, because the greater the muscle mass built the more calories they'll burn all day long; as a result they can lose weight and keep it off long term.
Nutritional Coaching:
Another key component of most boot-camp style programs is nutritional coaching. When working the body at high intensity, high quality fuels are needed to keep the body's systems working at optimum levels. If we eat junk we can expect junk as results, so the focus is not only about getting physically stronger, but also about getting mentally tougher around food and nutrition.
Confidence:
Boot camp style workouts not only change a person's outlook on exercise, but their life as well. They feel as if they accomplished something great and become more confident individuals. With this confidence, they seek out new opportunities in both physical health and wellness, as well as in their professional and personal lives. Boot camps are usually the confidence boost most people need to get themselves back on track or to get to the next level – it’s not just about the workout!