Boot camp workouts are a combination of strength-training, calisthenics, plyometrics, functional training and aerobic training. What you do the first week of boot camp depends on the type of boot camp it is and the instructor, but the first week should include basic body-weight exercises and instructions on proper form and technique.
Boot Camps
The fitness industry does not offer any standards for how a boot camp class should be designed or instructed. Military-style boot camp classes focus on calisthenics and body-weight exercises. Functional boot camps use stability balls, medicine balls and other equipment to do exercises that better simulate real-life movements and activities. Cardio boot camps include more running and cardio activities. These are just a few styles of boot camp classes. Most boot camps incorporate calisthenics, standard strength exercises and some cardio in each class.
First Week
The exercises you do the first week of a boot camp depend on the type of class. However, most boot camps have some basic strength exercises as part of the class, unless it's purely a cardio boot camp. The first week will include basic body weight and calisthenic exercises, such as body-weight squats, pushups, planks, crunches, bench dips and jumping jacks. The exercises should not be too advanced so you can focus on learning proper form and technique. You might use some equipment, but the class should focus on the basics for the first week. If it is a cardio boot camp, you will start with short, basic runs and aerobic calisthenics, such as jumping jacks and mountain climbers.
Class Design
A boot camp should be a progressive program that takes you from basic exercises to more advanced and challenging exercises over the course of several weeks. Even if the boot camp has beginners and advanced exercisers in the same class, the instructor can offer modifications for each exercise. For example, beginners can do bent-knee pushups while intermediate exercisers can do standard pushups and advanced exercisers can do Spiderman pushups.
The first week of boot camp should introduce you to basic exercises such as squats, lunges, rows and presses. Once you learn the proper technique for these exercises, you can transfer that knowledge to most other exercises.
Considerations
Find a boot camp tailored to your goals. If you don't like to run, don't go to a boot camp that does a lot of running. Choose an instructor that fits with your personality. Some instructors run boot camps like a drill sergeant, while others take a friendlier, softer approach.
The first week of boot camp should introduce you to the basics, but that doesn't mean it should be easy. The activities should be challenging, but not impossible, or dangerous.
Member Comments