Tips Guides Resources

Fitness Boot Camps are a rising trend in the fitness world with very good reason. Firstly they are much more affordable than one on one personal training. They also offer more comradeship and social support, are much more fun, and have many more suitable time slots than one on one personal training whilst still providing the same expert coaching.

Unfortunately, there is a downside to fitness boot camps. Many fitness trainers want to jump on the profitable boot camp bandwagon without having enough skill or experience to design custom workouts for a wide array of fitness levels found in large group fitness training. Use these 10 tips on how to select a fitness boot camp that will get you great results and at the same time keep you out of harms way:

The Top 10 Boot Camp Safety Test;

1.) The Trainer(s) Must Look The Part And Walk The Part. If the instructor takes health and fitness seriously and is on the cutting edge of new training methods, they have to be fit themselves, plain and simple. After all, who in the world would want to take advice from someone who is in worse shape than they are!

2.) The Trainer(s) Must hold Certificate 3 or 4 in fitness with Nationally Recognized Institutions such as Fitness Australia. Be wary of instructors that gained their certificate with online pay-for-certifications where people can get a certificate with little or no knowledge of proper training methods. These trainers give the fitness industry a bad name!

3.) Bodyweight Before External Resistance. There should be no added weight to any exercises until you have mastered basic body weight exercises squats, chin ups, squats, lunges, push ups etc. If you are being instructed to add weight to a movement that you have yet to master with your body weight alone, this is cause for alarm. This one’s significant because it’s only a matter of time before you get hurt.

4.) The Program Must Provide Nutritional Information. Nutrition is 75% of the fat loss war. Without it, you are joining an incomplete program and wasting your money because no matter how hard you train, you cannot out train a poor diet. People are busy, so the nutrition plan has to be clearly outlined and easy to follow. The nutrition plan should have you eating to support your weight loss goals in 5 minutes or less. Plus, a cookbook with a bunch of tasty and healthy done-for-you recipes should be provided to keep you on track!

5.) The Trainer(s) Must Be Specialists in Exercise Progressions. Every exercise has the appropriate regression and progression based on your current fitness level. Overweight, out of shape newbies SHOULD NOT perform the exact same exercises as their fitter comrades. If you ask your instructor to show an exercise modification that better suits your fitness level and they look at you with a blank stare, get out of there, TURN AND RUN!

6.) The Program Must Have A Website AND a Blog. To be honest if the boot camp company does not have a website in this day in age it is not worth your time and money. Boot Camp training is not just about “fitness,” its a business and should treated that way. Furthermore, social support must be available outside the boot camp session.

7.) The Program Must Have Client Testimonials. If the program works, there should be social proof. Previous clients should have results and be raving about the benefits and results they have received from the program. Ask for before and after pictures and written testimonials before you sign up (again, this should be made available on the company website). And remember, it’s NOT just about fat loss. The benefits should also include increased energy levels, dress/jean size reduction, improved health, increased strength and flexibility, less back pain, etc.

8.) The Trainer(s) Must be Available for 10-15 Minutes After Every Session. Although good instructors can effectively train the group as a whole and still offer the personal touch, they must be available to speak with clients after every session to resolve any concerns that might arise within the workout or if related to other very important subjects like nutrition.

9.) The Training System Must Focus on Body Weight Circuit Training and Cardio Interval Training. Research shows HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) burns 9 times more fat than aerobic training, so it is important that both the strength training AND cardio programs provided incorporate interval training since the goal of 99% of fitness enthusiasts is weight loss. Furthermore, most people are seeking for the lean, athletic look of a men’s health or women’s health cover model respectively, and this is easily done with 2-6 bodyweight resistance training movements organized in circuits with the proper organised work to rest periods between sets. Additionally a truly skilled trainer has mastered the art of intensifying movements without the need for extra loading.

10.) The Program Must Offer A FREE Trial, a Satisfaction Guarantee or both. If the boot camp company is confident about their services then they will let you come in and try it for free, or will guarantee your satisfaction through a money back offer to completely eliminate the risk on your end. A results orientated program will look to minimize barriers of entry for prospects into their boot camps because they know that once the prospect experiences the benefits of the program firsthand they will surely buy!

Resources: Dan Clay is a Sydney personal trainer and fat loss specialist who has helped hundreds of clients achieve dramatic results with his nationally renowned fitness company Dangerously Fit. For a FREE 1 week trial visit Boot Camp Sydney