How to Unscrew Your Boot Camp

How to Unscrew Your Boot Camp

by Dexter Tenison, MSS

 1.Get out of a rut in your design formatting.

Bruce Lee was a master of martial arts. He would take one portion of a fighting style that worked very well and then apply it to his own. Who says you have to only use one type of program design, such as 3 sets of 15 in a circuit, every single time? Change up how you do it! Split the class into three groups one class. Write it on the board for another class. Have them all work together in another class. Split them into a partner workout for another class. And that’s just a few ideas for how to change up a 3 set of 15 format! Use your creativity to keep people interested in your fitness offering. We all know the 3 sets of 15 is adequate in a traditional format. However, if your clients didn’t need something extra to keep their head in the game, then they wouldn’t need you. By the way, that’s why Boot Camp Game Day was created. 😉

2.Lift heavy things in your boot camp.

Let me be clear about this because it seems many trainers tend to do this. Boot camp IS NOT a cardio/aerobics only class. It is the collection of everything good that you as a trainer have learned throughout the years. This is why I believe you should not do boot camps until you have many years under your belt, but that’s a different discussion. Use that shiny certification/degree knowledge and apply it in your boot camp programming. I bet that certification talked about type II muscle fibers and I bet it talked about metabolism and the like. Lifting heavy is the best way to stimulate those type II muscle fibers, which will make your job easier to get your clients results. Nothing drives me crazier than seeing a “boot camp” that does some routine aerobics style class where everyone is in sync with one another. People can get that at their local gym! Get some big tires, heavy bags, resistance bands, heavy dumbbells, or whatever you can get ahold of to teach them to lift heavy sometimes during the week!

3.Do something besides body weight exercises

This sort of goes in line with number 2. Try to get away from gurus pushing off their “Terrible Training” (that’s what we’ll call it since it too has two T’s) ebooks and certifications for trainers. Why? Well, there is this principle that your certification should have taught you called the progressive overload principle, stating that your body will respond and adapt to the stress you place on it. In order for your body to continue getting a response you must place higher demands on it. Sure, you should “progress” to harder variations of movements, but you are limited when only applying body weight to exercises. Also, you are setting your clients up for muscular imbalances when only doing bodyweight exercises as they tend to be front loading dominant without at least a pull-up bar to assist in back exercises. Tell me – how many of your clients can do 10-15 strict pull-ups? Get some equipment! You will have so many more options to work the entire body, get your clients better, balance results, and you’ll break up the boredom!

4.Make your boot camp something they can’t do alone.

Admit it, you watched Insanity and P90X hoping you could gain some Tony Horton wisdom. You learned about Crunchy Frogs and the Draya roll or whatever it is called. You also learned that those overhead triceps extensions are actually called football throws or something else fantastical. Who knew!? The point I am getting at is that you need to give your clients things they cannot do by themselves so that they see the value in keeping you around. Do things people cannot easily find in a traditional gym or at home. So, when creating new formatting for classes creating games, for example, are good ways to turn a workout that could be done in front of the TV into something that is fun, different and exciting. Using tractor tires, sledge hammers, and battle ropes are different and cannot be easily accessed by most people. Add mobility work into your sessions, which is brand new for most people because most people are still stuck on static stretching. Do relay games and have prizes for winning first place. Be invaluable and indispensable to your clients. Provide them with variety AND results!

Treat boot camp like it is your ultimate achievement in your fitness career and you’ll get a following that will last you for a very long time. If you treat it just like a class that can be taught at the local YMCA, then you’ll go through the cycle of eventually being fazed out for the next new craze in fitness. Don’t stop learning and don’t settle for what you have always done. Push your boundaries while you expand your clients’ as well, and you’ll find success for both you AND them! 

If you are happy with your routines and you just need that extra “spice” to
add to your workout mix, then take a look at Boot Camp Game Day.

And this week only Dexter is giving away 3 Months of Done For You Game
Day Workouts to anyone who gets the program! BOOTCAMP GAME DAY! http://georgettepann.com/bcgameday

It gives you the sizzle in your exercise program that get clients talking to
their friends, generating referrals, and retaining them so they can stick
around to get results while adding to your revenue:).

Boot Camp Game Day is a great addition to your programming library.
They’re fun, exciting, and make your boot camp unique