Boot Camp
It was on a whim that I signed up for a 4-week boot camp for women a few days ago. I thought to myself that it was high time I got a personal trainer-esque situation going on and learn the correct technique for all of those strength training exercises. Plus, I’ve got my half marathon mid-June, the weathers getting warmer (no more living in comfy-but-shapeless sweaters!), and I need a little something extra to spice up my routine and keep me motivated and learning. Hence the quick decision to join a boot camp program from 6:30 to 7:30am, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for the next month. And the Running Knitter makes it sound like so much fun, too!
So I woke up to my alarm clock this morning at 5:40am (I got all my things together the night before but I still wanted to give myself enough time to fill up my water bottle etc), and promptly dozed off again. At 6:10 I jerked myself awake, hastily pulling my hair into a ponytail and throwing on some workout clothes before dashing out the door for my very first boot camp session. So much for my careful planning!
Luckily it’s only a 10 minute drive from my house (I want to get some saddlebags for my bike so I can ride my bike there… I can just see it, riding all wobbly with my yoga mat sticking out of one side and 8-lbs weights knocking me off balance! It’ll be great), so I was only about a minute late. There was only 5 of us there today (2 people were missing), and that was so nice because that means we’ll get even more individual treatment.
It was a little chilly out but we were all dressed for the weather and we did jumping jacks and slow jogging to warm up. Our trainer got us to do a little mini fitness test/assessment in which she marked down how well we did so that we can compare it to our accomplishments at the end of these 4 weeks. I was about average for most of the strength training, but could do the least “correct form” push ups (and I did 17! These women must have MizFit-style arms). It wasn’t until later I learned that I was the only one not doing the push ups on my knees, so that was kind of cool (and boy can my arms feel it now). The cardio test, which was jogging for about a mile, was something that I did very good at (I should hope so, with training for the half!). I’m pleased with my cardio and endurance but I can improve so much on the strength training, so I’m glad that that’s mostly what we’ll be focusing on.
Like with my bellydancing class, the people in my bootcamp session are all very friendly and we’re at all varying levels of fitness. One woman has done the bootcamp program before, and another one has some problems with her lower back and knees, so our trainer really focused on showing us the regular, modified, and advanced variations of each exercise. Very useful! With such a small group there’s a lot of positive attitude and cheerful encouragement among us, and the trainer that we’ve got pushes us but doesn’t expect us to be Olympic athletes. It looks as though this is going to be a really fun and rewarding month! I’m so eager to get stronger and fitter with all of this (and at the rate that I’m signing up for all these fitness classes and such, its a good thing I’m not taking any spring session classes- there goes my paychecks!).
In addition to the classes, the bootcamp organizers have also given us each a “New Recruit Success Journal” for our own reference. I love it; they’ve got a fitness log and a nutritional log, with space to document cardio, strength, flexibility, overall energy and effort level, reflections, what we eat and what time we eat at, as well as boxes to tick off how many servings we ate from each of the food groups. There’s also a “food score” and “activity score”, in which you get points for things like drinking so many glasses of water and working out for however many minutes. Most of you are aware of how much I enjoy researching things on health and fitness, and this documenting of what I do is something else that I really enjoy immensely. I like to be able to look it all over afterwards and figure out where I’m lacking and what I’m good at and improve from there. Keeping a record of my fitness and nutrition is also motivation to stick with it. I also particularly like these journals because we don’t have to hand in our journals at the end of the boot camp; it’s totally for our own reference to help us out.
I’m hoping that with documenting my nutrition I can also try to get more variety in my diet (as usual). I love apples, carrots, and eggs so much that I eat them virtually every day, so I’m thinking that I should probably find alternatives to these staples. At least with my peanut butter obsession, I occasionally mix it up with almond butter! If you’ve got some ideas as to what I could use to replace apples, carrots and eggs from time to time, please leave a comment. I eat lots of other fruits and veggies too, but I guess I’m slightly concerned that I might go a little overboard on these ones in particular.
Has anyone else tried bootcamp? How did you like it? And what’s the verdict on documenting daily fitness/nutrition- is it useful or do you find that it takes up too much time to complete?
Hi, Sagan:
I am SO impressed with the boot camp and I can’t wait to hear more about how it goes. I’d love to try something like that, but coming off the Shape year, I think I’m a ways away still from signing on to anything long term.
As for the nutrition part of it, do you like vegetables? My nutritionist was forever pushing them — I could eat unlimited quantities, as long as they weren’t doused in butter or something ;-). One of my favorite things to do was to roast a big pan of vegetables like summer squash, yellow squash, red and green peppers, broccoli, onions, etc. with a tiny bit of salt and garlic powder. It was sort of like a warm veggie salad. I’m also a huge pasta fan, so I once tried dumping some of my homemade healthy pasta sauce on top and it was like heaven. It’s really the sauce I love when it comes to the whole pasta thing :-).
girl, you are TOO COOL, fearless, adventurous and up for trying new stuff.
I LOVE IT.
(Toddler summons)
M.
yay! I always wanted to do a boot camp! (committment issues and moolah are preventing…) They can have great results if you push yourself!
Bootcamp sounds so cool! I’ve thought about it, but the only programs I can find around here are just too expensive. Looking forward to hearing how it goes!
Bootcamp sounds so cool! I’ve thought about it, but the only programs I can find around here are just too expensive. Looking forward to hearing how it goes!
Bootcamp sounds so cool! I’ve thought about it, but the only programs I can find around here are just too expensive. Looking forward to hearing how it goes!
Bootcamp sounds so cool! I’ve thought about it, but the only programs I can find around here are just too expensive. Looking forward to hearing how it goes!
Bootcamp sounds so cool! I’ve thought about it, but the only programs I can find around here are just too expensive. Looking forward to hearing how it goes!
Bootcamp sounds so cool! I’ve thought about it, but the only programs I can find around here are just too expensive. Looking forward to hearing how it goes!
Bootcamp sounds so cool! I’ve thought about it, but the only programs I can find around here are just too expensive. Looking forward to hearing how it goes!
Bootcamp sounds so cool! I’ve thought about it, but the only programs I can find around here are just too expensive. Looking forward to hearing how it goes!
Bootcamp sounds so cool! I’ve thought about it, but the only programs I can find around here are just too expensive. Looking forward to hearing how it goes!
Bootcamp sounds so cool! I’ve thought about it, but the only programs I can find around here are just too expensive. Looking forward to hearing how it goes!
Bootcamp sounds so cool! I’ve thought about it, but the only programs I can find around here are just too expensive. Looking forward to hearing how it goes!
Bootcamp sounds so cool! I’ve thought about it, but the only programs I can find around here are just too expensive. Looking forward to hearing how it goes!
Bootcamp sounds so cool! I’ve thought about it, but the only programs I can find around here are just too expensive. Looking forward to hearing how it goes!
Bootcamp sounds so cool! I’ve thought about it, but the only programs I can find around here are just too expensive. Looking forward to hearing how it goes!
Bootcamp sounds so cool! I’ve thought about it, but the only programs I can find around here are just too expensive. Looking forward to hearing how it goes!
Bootcamp sounds so cool! I’ve thought about it, but the only programs I can find around here are just too expensive. Looking forward to hearing how it goes!
Bootcamp sounds so cool! I’ve thought about it, but the only programs I can find around here are just too expensive. Looking forward to hearing how it goes!
Bootcamp sounds so cool! I’ve thought about it, but the only programs I can find around here are just too expensive. Looking forward to hearing how it goes!
Bootcamp sounds so cool! I’ve thought about it, but the only programs I can find around here are just too expensive. Looking forward to hearing how it goes!
Bootcamp sounds so cool! I’ve thought about it, but the only programs I can find around here are just too expensive. Looking forward to hearing how it goes!
Bootcamp sounds so cool! I’ve thought about it, but the only programs I can find around here are just too expensive. Looking forward to hearing how it goes!
Bootcamp sounds so cool! I’ve thought about it, but the only programs I can find around here are just too expensive. Looking forward to hearing how it goes!
Bootcamp sounds so cool! I’ve thought about it, but the only programs I can find around here are just too expensive. Looking forward to hearing how it goes!
Bootcamp sounds so cool! I’ve thought about it, but the only programs I can find around here are just too expensive. Looking forward to hearing how it goes!
Bootcamp sounds so cool! I’ve thought about it, but the only programs I can find around here are just too expensive. Looking forward to hearing how it goes!
Dara- I adore vegetables. Every day for lunch I make myself this gargantuan salad which ends up turning into several smaller salads that I eat throughout the day. Roasting those veggies sounds yummy; I’ll have to try that. Thanks for the pasta sauce suggestion too- it’s always nice to make veggies the main part of the meal with the meat or pasta or whatever be a smaller portion.
MizFit- I likes the adventuring. Luckily most forms of adventure aren’t too difficult to find!
Randi- I hope so! And committment and expense issues can be so frustrating.
Scrumpy’s Baker- I will be sure to post about it a lot! Providing I’m not too worn out from all that strength training… 🙂
Cottage cheese is a good protein sub for eggs, I like it with blackberries & strawberries. Jicama is a fun veggie, if you can find it, it’s crisp like apples, but not as sweet. I make a slaw with julienned apples & jicama, tossed with Annie’s papaya poppyseed dressing.
Have fun at bootcamp!
Good for you for shaking up your routine. I need to do something like that, too (yes, even personal trainers get burnt out sometimes.)
I’d like to try a bootcamp but all of the ones in my area are around 6am and thats when i start work. Ah well, i guess i could just make my own. And I will buy myself a whistle and some fatigues.
http://www.everygymsnightmare.com
Sagan – good for you! Boot camp sounds very cool, and I’m looking forward to hearing more about it. Love your energy and enthusiasm!
Hooray for you doing the Boot Camp classes! You’ll definitely improve in your strength! Keep us updated so we can live vicariously through you. 🙂
What do you think of asparagus? I can eat them like French fries (sans the ketchup)! 😉
Have you ever tried a Japanese pear? They’re a cross between and apple and a pear and quite delicious.
You didn’t tell me you signed up for it! You already know how I feel about boot camp! I’m so glad you like it! Please keep us updated on how you’re doing with it.
I keep a food journal, and it does help me with keeping track of things.
That is SO AWESOME that you’re doing a boot camp! It’s one of those things that I think about but haven’t actually signed up for. I’ll have to remedy that one of these days.
(And 17 “on the toes” pushups? Wooooowwwww!!!!)
GeekGirl- Thanks for the suggestions! I never eat cottage cheese so I’ll have to try that. And jicama? Never heard of it. Must go exploring to discover this strange new vegetable…
Kelly- you could get up really early and start tearing around your neighbourhood, blowing on a whistle to gather up a large crowd of people to join in bootcamp-esque antics. It’ll be marvelous!
Bag Lady and Zandria- Thanks! It is heaps of fun.
Susan- asparagus is delicious. I definitely don’t eat enough of it (ever had it steamed with slices of hard boiled egg on top? Yum!). And I think I’ve tried the Japanese pear before… it’s really watery, yes?
Running Knitter- like I said, it was a spur of the moment sign-up! Thank you SO MUCH for recommending I try it.
Yay for boot camp! I love those kind of classes – it sounds like you really held your own too. 17 full pushups!!
And geekgirl’s right – jicama is sooo good! I like it on my salads. Crunchy!
Sagan, you rock.
How about a big juicy orange? Mmmm..!
Charlotte- do you just find the jicama in the produce section or do you have to go somewhere special to find it?
Ashley- Funny you should mention oranges; I had one for the first time in a long time just last night! It was delicious.
Hey Sagan,
I’m glad you’re enjoying the boot camp! I’ve done one before and LOVED it. That’s my favorite training style and I hope to share that with clients in DC.
And thanks for keeping me on my toes regarding the recommended daily intake of salt 🙂
Jay
hMMM I just tried to post and don’t think it went thru. Now I forgot what I said.
Anyway, Bootcamp sounds like fun and great way to stay motivated and learn some new moves!
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