Bootcamp Revealed

For more than three years now, I've been attending a bootcamp class at The Y (it's officially The Y now - no longer YMCA, fyi).  This class, hands down, got me enthusiastic about fitness in a way I haven't been since my competitive swimming days.  I can thank bootcamp for getting rid of the 'baby weight' and beyond not just once, but twice.  The time always flies while we're working out and our fearless leader Jodi is constantly changing things up. 

Cutie Patootie Jodi with the ball; btw, not sure how old she is, but she's got a daughter graduating High School - I'd better look that good when baby girl is 17...

Lately she's been adding a lot of tabata style workouts and it's been KILLING me.  You'd think that a class would get a little stale after three years, but there are very few workouts where I don't feel challenged.  I can't be alone in my opinion; when I started going, there were always at least 60 folks in the class on both days it's offered.  More and more people started going and it began to get too crowded - like pushing 80+ people crowded.  Although, the devotees like myself are partly to blame as I have converted many a friend to the ways of bootcamp.  So they doubled Jodi's schedule and she now teaches back to back classes (one at 8:45am and then again at 10am) twice a week.  These days each class has roughly 40-50 people, and can still creep into the 60s on a busy day.  So, yeah, it's a big deal.  I'll be talking to women that don't go to The Y and they'll say, "Oh, I've HEARD about that bootcamp class!"  Then, "What do you guys DO?"  For all the people that have asked me, including my husband.  I tried taking some pics with my crappy camera phone in a poorly lit gym to give you an idea! 

The day I came up with this brilliant plan of documenting bootcamp was a perfect example of a 'typical' class.  Typical being the framework of 30 minutes of warmup/cardio, followed by 8 'stations' of 2 minutes each.


Warmup/Cardio was on the track above the gym.  5 minutes of moderate running followed by sprint intervals:

• 1 min sprint followed by 50 squats with a 1 min recovery jog
• 1:30 min sprint followed by 40 lunges with a 1 min recovery jog
• 2 min sprint followed by 30 'crossfit style' situps (arms extended, hit palms on the floor at the top of the movement) with a 1 min recovery jog
• 1:30 min sprint followed by 20 pushups with a 1 min recovery jog
• 1 min sprint followed by 10 burpees with a 2 min recovery jog

Here are pics of the stations we did (again, try not to squint too hard at my non-iphone quality camera phone):

1st station: progressive step jumps followed by running the ladder - repeat for 2 min

2nd station: 10 lunges on the step holding the weighted bars and 10 rows with weighted bars - alternate for 2 min

3rd station: run up and down two flights of stairs for 2 min

4th station: 10 squats on the bosu and 10 deadlifts - alternate for 2 min

5th station: tricep dips around the bosu - 8 dips, do one quarter turn 8 dips and repeat until you return to starting position then turn the opposite direction around the bosu for 2 min

6th station: partner up and run the length of the gym with two bands, switch and repeat for 2 min (these are KILLER and my least favorite station)

7th station: 21's with a bicep curl - 7 full range of motion, 7 midpoint to top range of motion, 7 midpoint to bottom range of motion repeat for 2 min

8th station: toe touch abs with ball between feet alternate with butt lifts with ball between the knees for 2 min


We also did some extra core work between some of the stations (planks, crunches, etc).  So there you go, the great bootcamp mystery has been revealed.  Can't wait to see what she has in store for us next time - perhaps I'll share some more fun workouts this summer.  We go outside when it's nice out and those classes are extra fun, getting fresh air and vitamin D!