The advantages of boot camp

• Posted on 16 August 2021
• Posted in Boot camp, Functional training, Strength Training

Do you enjoy fresh air, vigorous exercise and spending time with other people? Then you need to try a boot camp! Boot camp is a combination of discipline, struggle and perseverance. It is a full-body workout where you use everything you have at your disposal and in which no workout is the same.

Boot camp has many benefits for body and mind. So, it's no wonder that it is on the rise and has been conquering Europe since 2000.
 

Where does boot camp come from?

Boot camp, as the name suggests, is not a Dutch invention. Boot camp originated in the US military. Soldiers were trained in a very intensive way in a short time with the equipment that was available at the time; ropes, tree trunks, car tires, benches, people’s own body weight. Everything was used to make you fitter and stronger.
 
Boot camp arrived in Europe around 1999. It immediately got welcomed by the general public, and it is now an indispensable part of a full-body workout.


 

What are the benefits of boot camp?

Bootcamp has a lot of advantages – and a few potential disadvantages. We have listed the most important ones for you.
 

Bootcamp is a full-body workout

You train (almost) all muscle groups in a short time. Your core, back muscles, pectoral muscles, leg muscles, arm muscles; everything is covered. It is not just strength training but also cardio. Do you have an injury? Then you can simply skip the relevant muscle group during boot camp and put extra emphasis on other groups.
 

You can do boot camp wherever you want

All you need is fresh outdoor air. You use everything you come across, from playground equipment to a ditch and from fences to benches and a sandy path. But you can also bring handy items (with which you train directly with running-with-weight) such as cones, skipping ropes en ankle and wrist weights. You can also set up an open space with training accessories such as strength bags, bulgarian bags, wall balls, an agility ladder and a speed parachute.

You burn a lot of calories

Because boot camp is (very) intensive and you target many different muscle groups in one workout, your body has to work hard and you burn extra calories. That can add up to 500 calories in just an hour of boot camp!
  

Boot camp is for beginners and advanced

Because you make use of everything that you come across (or can easily take with you) during a workout, you can always train at your own level. Boot camp training sessions are usually offered for beginners and advanced. More or less intensive, lower or shorter training; workouts can be easily adapted to the level.

You train together

Of course you can put together a boot camp program on your own, but it is generally done with a group. Training together motivates you as you pull each other through tough moments and encourage each other. Training together often also provides that extra push to do a workout, even if you don't feel like it. 
 

You push your limits

Pushing your limits often results from training together. With boot camps you often go a step further than you had in mind. This is because there are always new challenges in front of you, the group encourages you and because you want to do that little bit extra to boost your fitness.