BOOTCAMP GROUP FITNESS – TRAINING

INDIVIDUALS IN A GROUP SETTING

Bootcamp Group Fitness Military-style group fitness training for civilians is still a relatively new trend. The benefits of joining a local fit-ness bootcamp can be enormous at first. But it is very common for some clients to reach a plateau and not progress further. You may already have experienced this in your own business if people have left and you can’t quite understand the reasons they gave at the time.

So why does ‘bootcamp’ training work so well for the military and yet sometimes produces mediocre or inconsistent results for civilians?

If you have been reading my articles for a while, you will have already learned that thorough preparation and programming is vital to avoid training plateaus. But there is even more to it than that.

Before I share with you some more tips for creating your own, amazing group workouts it is important to appreciate that there are some major differences between military recruits and general public civilians. We must account for these differences if our outdoor fitness programs are to deliver results in the long term.

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By Garry Robinson

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Military vs Civilian Bootcamps Military recruits start their basic training with very similar expectations of personal fitness. They are guid-ed through a pre-determined program as a unit, all at the same rate. Military PTIs can prescribe the exact same sets and reps in a progressive way, knowing that each individual is at the same level. They do not have to worry about scaling the workout for different fitness levels or working around injuries.

The major differences between military and civilian group training

At the risk of sounding controversial, these differences make it far more difficult for civilian PTIs. We must invest more time and effort in learning how to compensate for these differences. That way we can build fitness bootcamp businesses that are sustainable and enduring far into the future.

To make matters worse, PT courses and certifications are still woefully lacking when it comes to teaching civilian group training methods.

My solution (so far) has been this.

1) I invested thousands of dollars and spent many, many hours of my time to develop drills and group training methods that work for all fitness levels. I continue to experiment and work out ways that enable individuals of differing ages and abilities to train together without having to change the format of each workout.

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Military Bootcamp Recruits Civilian Bootcamp Recruits

Similar age Differing ages

Similar physical ability Differing physical abilities

Similar mental attitude toward self-

discipline

Varying levels of motivation and self-

discipline

Share a common training goal Have individual training goals

Chronic injuries and disabilities are al-

most non-existent

Chronic injuries and disabilities are com-

monplace

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2) I generally prepare 3 versions of each exercise or drill and prescribe the version that is most appropriate to each individual in the group. I classify them as Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced.

Let’s dissect a typical workout from my e-book Bootcamp Workout Ideas and examine just a few of the many ingredients that can transform a regular workout into a more appropriate challenge for civilian bootcamp recruits.

1. AMRAP workout format. Everyone starts and finishes together. This contributes to a sense of “we’re in this together”. At the end of such a workout, it is common to see people slapping each other on the back and smiling at each other with knowing grins.

2. Its partner based. People make new best-friends when they encourage and motivate each other. These relationships form a camaraderie that makes it difficult for people to leave.

3. The Medball partner exercise keeps participants engaged at all times, even during the rest interval.

4. Each individual has the option of doing a version of the drill that will challenge them individually. No one is left out in front or behind.

5. An incentive to win the competition raises the intensity of the workout. Intensity is the single biggest factor in influencing physical adaptation to training stimulus. Everyone responds to a challenge if they feel it is achievable. This addresses the issue of differing motivation levels.

It all adds up to an exhilarating exercise experience that provides a huge morale boost for everyone partic-ipating. Interaction among participants is very important and this is the fundamental difference between successful bootcamp workouts and boring, health club-style group-ex classes.

Bootcamp Group Fitness – Summary

Military and civilian bootcamp training are quite different and we need to consider these differences when

planning workouts for civilian groups.

There are many methods we can adopt that can make workouts engaging, entertaining and more effective for individuals. Use these methods when creating your own group workouts and observe the difference.

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Next Steps

Join Kaizen Outdoor Fitness Membership and get instant access to 150+ military grade boot camp

workouts that have been scaled for all ages and fitness levels. I’ll also send you 6 fresh workouts

and warmups every week. All carefully programmed to maximise variety and avoid fitness plat-

eaus. Click here to find out more

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