Special guest blog post by Lisa Hudson.

Let’s face it. Workouts are not always inspiring. Sometimes you just have to gut it out. However, Tuesday’s boot camp class was great and I wanted to share my experience.

Rob got the routine, a partner workout, from the Gym Jones web-site.  After warming up (which can be a work out in itself) we got started. The workout consisted of 4 exercises in 2 blocks performed 2 times.

First exercise was a box step-up performed with kettle bells.  I would step up one time on each leg then my partner would go, then I would go 2 times each leg, then my partner would go and so on until 5 reps each leg were completed.  While waiting for my partner to finish, I had to hold the kettle bells in a racked position…I could not set them down, there was no real rest period. We really pushed and motivated each other to get our reps done.

The second exercise was a chin-up or body row using the same rep ladder and protocol: I go, my partner goes.

The second block was the same protocol with body weight squats 1 – 10 and during my partner’s turn I had to hold the squat in a static bottom position (90 degree).  The second exercise in the second block was a push-up, “resting” in the plank position.

During the squats it got tough. Everyone wanted to quit..it was just so uncomfortable.  But we didn’t…why?  It was the partner dynamic and the class dynamic combined.  Not only did we encourage our partner, but we were encouraged by all of the other class-mates gutting it out also…misery loves company I guess.

Here is something about the class dynamic that Rob pulled from Monkey Bar Gym:

Just as muscles work together, human beings – as social animals – are meant to cooperate.  In class, you work out with every other participant.  And in many instances, you will be paired with another, often one with a different level of fitness than yours.  Regardless, she or he will support, encourage and push you beyond the words, ” I can’t.”  You become a workout partner in turn, helping your classmates achieve their goals.

Watching your partner push through their perceived barriers is one of the most inspiring aspects of this training.  Using this positive peer pressure your strength and fitness can improve (by 30%) compared to the results you would have achieved if you had worked out alone.

I was really inspired by my classmates yesterday, by their encouragement, and their hard work.  If you weren’t there, you missed a good one. It was a great experience!

Lisa

Our youth fitness program is going really well. First class is full but we’re starting others. Great way to help your kids improve their fitness. Especially helpful for those involved in club sports like soccer and basketball.

Some fitness instructors’ only goal is to keep people busy for the duration of their workout. But is busy work helpful? I don’t think so.

Gary Vaynerchuk, owner of a successful family wine business, says, “Caring is the differentiator in business.”

I like that. He’s right.  I actually care about people’s fitness. I want to see them reach their goals. I’m not interested in just taking their money. There are plenty of gyms out there that can do that.

Our boot camp classes are challenging for most people. Granted, they are more demanding for some than others but the majority of the movements allow people to challenge themselves as much as they are willing. I doubt that many people are using them just to kill an hour.

Why are you working out? What are your goals? Are you improving?

Testing is an important part of our fitness boot camp program. The only way to know if you are progressing is to test and compare. How far? How long? How many? How heavy? Are you getting stronger or faster? Do you have more endurance? Are you losing body fat?

Most people would be surprised to know how much they could improve, if they really tried.

Measuring your performance increases is something that needs to happen regularly. Write down what your goals are. Keep track of your workouts and test results.  Be intentional. Don’t simply go through the motions. Strive to do better!

If you are willing to invest your time and money then you should expect results, from yourself and your trainer. Don’t settle for doing fitness busy work.

Here’s the workout from today’s conditioning workout in the boot camp class.

September 21 boot camp workout

The first part of this routine is one of the benchmark workouts we use.  My goal today was to beat Greg, one of the boot campers that always challenges me, and I actually had my best time at 22:23. Not bad for an old guy! (A little bit of competition is one of the ways that a group class spices up the exercise routine.)

It’s important to me that people are seeing improvements; otherwise, what’s the point? I use a few different workouts like this one to help clients measure their progress.

Recently, we created a chin-up club as well. At the beginning of the boot camp classes we’re taking time to work on chin-ups and chart everyone’s progress. Each person is at a different place so the numbers are relative. For someone who has never done a chin-up before it’s a huge success when they finally get that first one. What matters is challenging yourself and improving your fitness level.

What are you doing to challenge yourself?

Josh leading a bootcamp workout.

I started doing FBD’s fitness boot camp in February of 2008.  I had just completed a valuable certification from Monkey Bar Gym in Madison, Wisconsin.  Going through that certification was a huge eye opener to my own personal fitness.

Although I had been weight training and doing “cardio” on a regular basis, I had never really used my body the way it was intended to be used. I was ready for a change and decided boot camp was the way to go.  I decided to make a commitment.

I started working with a group of other trainers. We would do the boot camp style workouts on Wednesdays.

WOW! Those first 3 months were grueling.  These were some of the hardest workouts I’ve been through, but they were also some of the most rewarding.

In doing boot camp consistently I’ve increased my function performance.  What’s functional performance?  The ability to jump, push, run, and pull my body through space and do it effectively.

I feel more confident in my summer activities like mountain biking, golfing, and hiking.  I feel like I can handle any activity thrown my way.  If your looking for a great experience that will keep you motivated, energized, and feeling great FBD’s fitness boot camp is here for you.

~ Josh

Personal Trainer - Josh Hower