Extreme Boot Camp Exercises

Extreme Boot Camp Exercises
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Like circuit training or functional fitness training, boot camp exercise programs feature a fast-paced blend of aerobic exercise, strength training, coordination challenges and flexibility work. People just starting out on a fitness program, as well as fit people, participate. If you already follow a moderate to vigorous workout routine, consider the new challenges of extreme boot camp exercises. Discuss any health concerns with your doctor before beginning an advanced fitness program.

Advanced Training

Extreme boot camp exercises push you to work harder and faster. Instead of interval training or running, you sprint up steep hills or up stadium stairs. Rather than work with hand weights, you might haul heavy bags of sand across a field or do a series of lifting exercises using kettlebells. The sets of pushups and squats you do in traditional boot camp become military pushups and deep squats with biceps curls in extreme boot camp.

Personal Challenges

In extreme boot camp exercises, your goal is to push yourself to your limit, be it achieving muscle fatigue with heavy weight training or sustaining your target heart rate for a longer stretch of time. Rather than drop and do 50 pushups, you will do as many pushups as possible in one minute. You improve your agility through kickboxing or running slalom-style around trees or cones, but you are not racing the other participants. You spike your heart rate by adding new twists to already vigorous workouts, such as jumping over obstacles while running or raising your knees to your chest after doing a pullup.

Compound Exercises

Extreme boot camp routines utilize compound exercises so you target a few muscles, tendons and joints at the same time. For example, you work your gluteal muscles, hamstrings, quadriceps and deltoids by doing reverse lunges and military presses. Alternate legs and lower your knee deeply to maximize your workout. A move that strengthens gluteal muscles, quadriceps, hamstrings and abdominal muscles begins with a deep and wide squat with your toes pointed to either side. Slowly rise, rotate your hip and kick your leg to the side. Return to the deep squat and kick your other leg. A deep squat jump targets your quadriceps, abdominal muscles, gluteal muscles and hamstrings. Begin in a squat with your fingertips touching the ground. Jump high and raise your arms overhead. Return to a deep squat and do several jumps in one minute.

Progression

The best extreme boot camp workouts push you harder as you make progress. You may reduce your rest and recovery periods, maintain longer sprints, work out at an incline or use heavier weights. You build endurance by spiking your heart rate with calisthenics and challenges like jumping rope, climbing rope ladders, leaping up and down from a high platform or doing burpees.

References

Article reviewed by Contributing Writer Last updated on: Apr 27, 2011

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