Over the last few years there has been a rapid growth in the popularity of fitness boot camps. In fact, if you walk into any gym it is likely you'll meet at least one customer who likes to tell people how to lose weight with the type of HIIT style workouts associated with a boot camp.
Today we're going to answer the all-important question. Is there more to this training method than just being the next big fitness fad?
In short, yes. Once you get past all of the marketing hype and sales talk behind the product, a boot camp is merely offering advice which has existed in gyms worldwide for over twenty five years. Simply put, it's nothing new or ground-breaking.
The next time you workout at your local gym you should take a look around and see if you can spot somebody who is performing high intensity interval training or a circuit session. Essentially, this is exactly the same as a boot camp workout.
Hang on a moment... If we're seriously telling you that the science behind boot camps is nothing new and has been used in gyms for decades, how come boot camps are billed as miracle solutions using the latest keep-fit secrets? It comes down to marketing. Notice that this type of class is usually associated with claims of instant weight loss and life-changing overnight results. It doesn't take long for the hype to get out of control.
Although a lot of the promotion behind these classes can be seen as misleading or exaggerating the foundation the training is built upon is solid. If you perform regular high intensity activity you will lose unwanted body fat. The reason it's billed as a miracle solution often comes down to the fact that it's targeted at people who have never exercised effectively before, so they quickly label it a 'miracle solution' and generate hype.
The only negative about the boot camp gimmick is that it often gives off the impression that you are getting some kind of miracle formula. You're not. The exercises are very basic, often relying on classic body weight moves such as push-ups and pull-ups, and indeed you could perform this by yourself at home or at your local gym without splashing out hundreds of pounds or dollars on a membership to a 'training camp.'
The biggest problem boot camp classes face is customer retention. While some of this comes down to the fact that they often target their marketing efforts at individuals who are looking for a quick fix, who therefore quit quite fast, there is also a problem with people who actually see results. It doesn't take long for an individual who is serious about his or her fitness to realize they could get just as good a workout without paying for a class. This is why boot camps begin hyping up the group atmosphere they offer, trying to get members to work together as a team in a bid to keep them coming in.
While it is often unfairly billed as the latest health and fitness fad, the truth is the science behind the boot camp theory stacks up nicely. By performing regular HIIT sessions and incorporating the basic, classic strength moves you will indeed see results. If you've been trying to learn how to lose weight and have seen an advert for one of these type of classes, however, you should base your final decision on how much you think you need a group atmosphere in order to succeed, because there is nothing stopping you from performing a boot camp workout right now without spending any money.