11/19/08

CAN BOOT CAMPS BE DANGEROUS?

Fitness Boot Camps are growing at a rapid pace in the fitness industry. They have so many great attributes such as low investment and high return on results. They provide expert leadership with a social aspect but at the same time are great workouts.


On the other hand, boot camps can have a downside. Many fitness instructors want to start and run a boot camp without having the necessary skills to do so. Here are 10 tips to a safe and effective boot camp:


The Top 10 Boot Camp Safety Checklist


1.) The Instructor(s) Must Be Certified With Nationally Recognized Institution. If the person only has to pay for a certification you might want to stay clear. This can be an issue of safety.


2.) The Instructor must know what it takes to be in good shape and in some cases they might be out of shape. The best fitness professionals have the knowledge but also follow through with actions. Most people want to take advice from people who are in great shape.


3.) The instructor must make the exercises appropriate for all levels. The more fit you are the more advanced the exercises should be. The less fit you are the less advanced the exercises should be. There is always a modification and the instructor should know of plenty. If they cannot you should leave the class.


4.) The Instructor should be available for questions before and after class. This is important to determining the individuals’ needs and wants. Focus on a professional that cares about you and the group combined.


5.) The program should emphasize body weight exercise with a progression to weight training exercises. There should be a great focus on form first and foremost. Exercises need to be mastered before an instructor increases intensity levels. A red flag should be raised if you are being instructed to add weight to a movement that you have yet to master with your body weight alone. This will lead to injury!


6.) The training system must focus on interval training body weight exercise and cardiovascular intervals as well. High-Intensity Interval Training is scientifically proven to burn 9x more fat than the aerobic training alternative, so it is critical that both the resistance training AND cardio programs provided incorporate intervals since the goal for most people is fat loss. Most people want an athletic lean look and this is accomplished through circuit training of varying intensity levels. The best fitness professionals can create workouts with little to no resistance except the body.


7.) The program must have a sound nutritional plan. The instructor should be adamant about you following this nutritional plan but it should not be a fad diet. The plan should focus on healthy nutrition not some dieting tricks. It should provide both nutrition guides for Males and Females.


8.) The program should have a website along with an interactive community for everyone to be a part of. Bottom line, if the boot camp program in question does not have a website in this day in age it is not worth your time and money. There are fitness professionals that do not treat this as a business but it is. You want support from others what better way then having a community that is all in this together. There are so many free communities out there today so the instructor should have an online social community.


9.) The program should have testimonials of all sorts. Their previous clients should have results and be raving about all of the benefits that they have received from the program. Ask for before and after pictures and written or video testimonials of their services before signing up. And remember, it's NOT just about the weight loss. Benefits should include, but not be limited to, increased energy levels, dress/pant size reduction, improved health profiles, increased strength and flexibility, less joint pain, etc.


10.) There should be a free trial of some sort. Many of the most successful camps do this. Why? Because they are confident in what they offer and the benefits it will have for you!


Jeremy

PS sign up for a free week trial boot camp by clicking below
www.jeremybelter.com/fatblastingbootcamp.html

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Totally agree Jeremy. A lot of trainers think they can put out a good "boot camp" just by using any and everything they know and putting it all together, creating a chaotic, overzealous and certainly less effective program. It's good to know there are some professionals out there who know what they're doing!