Boot camp is a misunderstood form of exercise; it has a really bad reputation where most people compare it to scary military training.

Are you imagining an instructor telling and swearing at you while you army crawl through mud? Not the case!

Body Basics Fitness Studio and Nutrition Centre in Curtin runs a boot camp that is just like a personal training session in a group. I went along to roadtest this popular form of fitness!

Body Basics‘ website says boot camp can provide:

• Improved strength
• Increased confidence
• Increased energy levels
• Improved cardio fitness
• Muscle toning and reshaping
• Weight and fat loss

And it really does!

Boot camp is so beneficial because the trainer has to fit in any many exercises as possible, to get the best result. There’s no messing around, no multiple gym classes etc. It’s thirty minutes of hard exercise and fast results.

In the thirty minutes we did jogging, circuit including push ups, squats, sea turtles, abdominal bicycles, and weight plate presses. We did diamond shuttle run with mountain climbers, sumo squats, lungs, donkey kicks, and stretching.

Boot camp was really tough! But it was probably the best workout I’ve ever done in thirty minutes.

Our instructor, Mat (who, just quietly was recently announced as Fitness Australia’s 2011 ACT Fitness Professional of the Year) is great! He was very clear about each exercise and happy to assist at any point. He told us that we each were to work at our own level, which we did. You work to your maximum, and get results which suit your body.

It really is suitable for any fitness level.  And although it’s tough at the time, you feel amazing afterwards! This is ideal for anyone who prefers outdoor exercise rather than a gym or anyone who needs motivation. We used so many different muscles and did plenty of cardio.

Mat says that their boot camp is designed for women who are time poor, so the goal is to fit a fantastic workout into just 30 minutes. And it’s not only a great way to get fit, it’s a way to meet and socialise with other women from in and around Canberra.

If you’re interested in Body Basics Boot camp, visit their website to find out more. If you need a kick start for summer, this could be the perfect motivation!