Bootcamp Power

You know it’s going to be an intense class with the instructor makes you do continuous jumping jacks while she explains what the rest of the class will look like.

I liked that we knew up front what would be expected of us in this bootcamp class at . I find it easier to pace myself, but also to push myself, if I know what’s coming next.

Our instructor, Kristin, had everyone line up mats and medium weights at one end of the room, and then stand at the other end, creating a lane for each person. She tapped two giant pieces of paper up on the wall over our mats, which listed the sequence of exercise, then gleefully acknowledged having gotten the routine from a military friend.

We were doing jumping jacks while she went through the list: glider crawls, pushups, plyo lunges, squats, bicep curls, rows, box lunges, crunch leg extensions and crawl home. “You have to go through it three times to meet military standards,” she said.

Jumping jacks stopped, everyone grabbed gliders (little fabric Frisbees that you put under your feet to make them slide) and the fun started. With gliders under our feet and bodies in plank position, we used only our arms to drag ourselves across the length of the room to our mats. It was harder than I’d expected and a little daunting to start out with—but I knew I could do everything else if I could just make it to the mat.

The energy in the room was high, everyone was out to conquer and lots of grunting, cheering, and even pitiful laughter filled the room.

The pushups came next, with the extra challenge of lifting up a dumbbell with one hand in between drops. Kristin walked behind people, cheering us on, but also checking form and making sure we were rightly aligned, which of course made you feel each move more too. We did each exercise for 20 repetitions before moving on to the next.

After getting through the full routine once and crawling back to home base, we got a quick breather, a drink, and then started from the beginning. Everyone went at their own pace so people were all over the room the entire time—crunching, squatting, lunging, crawling.

By the second round very few people were adding the jumps into the “plyo” lunges, but a few kept it in there to the bitter end. Kristin started giving tips on modifications as we got into the second and third round. But she also would get behind you and urge you not to cheat, not to slow down.

“There’s only one question you should be asking yourself: can I push harder?” she cheered.

I could feel my shoulders and wrists begging to give out on my third crawl home. Kristin must have a sixth sense because she was instantly by my side with a “only 10 more steps!” and started counting down. It really was the extra urge I needed to finish strong.

Only catch was, we didn’t only have to do it three times. “I said three times was military standard, not that you were only going to do it three times,” she grinned at the handful of people who had finished three full routines and were waiting to find what happens next. So they were off again, with more cheers and grunts and groans.  

A few people in the class must have made it through at least five routines. I finished four with a few minutes left at the end to do some extra crunches.

My shoulders were exhausted from the crawl, my legs a little wobbly, and we were all sweating as we stretched down.

Each bootcamp class has a different routine, but it certainly promises to be a full-body workout and then some.