DO YOU USE PODS AT YOUR BOOTCAMP? (Stations with a Twist)
by Rafael Moret, Author of the Trans4mation Bootcamp System and The Bootcamp 5 New Circuits System
Want to kick up the calorie burn and keep your bootcamp members engaged with a little variety that goes further than another PR or some kind of “cardio”machine that they don’t really need a coach to walk them through?
At THE WORKOUT we like to use PODS
What is a POD?
noun
- an elongated seed vessel of a leguminous plant such as the pea, splitting open on both sides when ripe.
- a detachable or self-contained unit on an aircraft, spacecraft, vehicle, or vessel, having a particular function.
Normally a lot of group workouts or Bootcamps have stations set up with exercise. Bootcamp Instructors or Group Ex Coaches have the participants perform the move at that station and then rotate to the next one using either a rep based method or timed intervals.
Sometime Coaches kick it up a not and try to Super Set some of the stations. A superset is a form of strength training in which you move quickly from one exercise to a separate exercise without taking a break for rest in between the two exercises. Typically, you will take a brief break to catch your breath or grab a drink of water between sets of an exercise
After I wrote the 12 Month Periodization System ( a 12 month done for you Periodized workout program to implement in your bootcamp) I realized that implementing some other techniques from “traditional” gym workouts might work.
I thought maybe we can try Giant Sets. A Giant Set is a super superset. It is a combination of two or three moves that either work the same bodypart or opposing muscle groups, and the exercises are done back to back with no rest in between.
I call them PODS at our gym because I can get 2-5 people in each self contained station performing the Giant Set. Using these PODS in our class has exposed our clients to what’s possible when you get out of the linear way of doing things or traditional bootcamp stations, and has shown them we can really kick up the calorie burn by incorporating Giant Sets like this
Now depending on how you run your class and format your programming, you can use a rep based approach but we prefer to time the moves and the circuits. It gives us more control of the tempo, the time per exercise and pods and allows multiple levels of fitness to join the same workout.
Below is a Monday thru Friday Program using PODS
You can use a 30:30, or 35:15 or even a 40:20 Work:Rest Tempo
And depending on the length of your class you can have your Bootcampers go through each pod 1 or 2 times.
Insert your favorite warm up and cool down to these pods and see how much you can get done in just 1 workout
note: exercises can be substituted out to fit your and/or your clients needs.Circuits/exercises below are examples of various possible scenarios.
MONDAY
4 PODS
5 moves per POD
POD #1.
Squat and Row
Dips
Incline DB Press
Flat Bench Fly
Incline DB Tricep Ext
POD #2
DB Side Lateral
DB Bent Over Fly
DB Alt Curl
Push Up
Mountain Climber
POD #3
Toe Tap on Box
Suspension Rows
Suspension T’s
Wall Squat
Walking Lunges
POD #4
KB Upright Rows
KB Alt Swing
KB Single Arm Rows
KB Single Arm Rows
KB Squat
TUESDAY
4 PODS
5 moves per POD
POD #1
Band Kick backs
Band Chest Press
Band Rows Palms Up
Slam Ball
Ball Overhead Tricep
POD #2
DB Alt Arm Shoulder Press
DB Deadlift
DB Hammer Curl
Push Up on Bosu
Mountain Climber on Bosu
POD #3
Jump Rope
Suspension Triceps
Suspension Curls
Squat Jumps
Side Lunges
POD #4
KB Diagonal Chop
KB Diagonal Chop
KB Single Arm Press
KB Single Arm Press
KB Squat and Press
WEDNESDAY
4 PODS
5 moves per POD
POD #1
Leg Raises
X Body Mountain Climber
Lunges with Resistance
DB Rows
Alt DB Rows
POD #2
Bicycle Crunches
Jumping Jacks
Squat With A heel raise
DB OH Press
DB Alt OH Press
POD #3
Plank
Floor Jacks
KB Swing
KB Alt Arm Swing
Band Fwd Tricep
POD #4
Scissors
Bridge feet on BOSU
Rows on Strap from Floor
Frog Jump
Suspension Strap Super Man
Thursday
4 PODS
5 moves per POD
POD #1
Jump Rope
Step Ups
Strap Push Up
Strap Alt Push Up
Suspension Strap Twist
POD #2
KB Stiff leg deadlift
KB Single Arm Swing
KB Single Arm Swing
Band Alt Rows
Band Curls
.POD #3
Step Ups
Split Squat
DB Chest Press
Split Squat
Pull Ups The Rack
POD #4
Seated Shoulder Press on Stability Ball
Bosu Crunches
Bosu Single Leg Lunges
Bosu Single Leg Lunges
Ab Wheel
Friday
3 PODS
4 moves per POD
POD #1
#1. Wall squat w/ plate driving the bus
#2. Ab wheel
#3. Band push down
#4. Overhead KB tricep extension
POD #2
#1. Pulsing squat w/ KB
#2. Alt Leg forward lunges w/ KB
#3. Alt Leg side lunges w/ KB
#4. Alt arm KB swing
POD #3
ALL DB
#1. Front raise
#2. Shoulder circles
#3. Full overhead laterals
# 4. Squat jumps into overhead press with DB
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