A Short Fitness Bootcamp History Lesson

Let’s retrace the evolution of civilian bootcamps over the past 10 years in order to take stock of where we are

today.

2005

Large gyms started offering 6 week summer bootcamps.

They were new and very easy to sell to a captive audience of health club members, desperate to try some-

thing new.

The tough, military-recruit-style training was extremely effective and had wide appeal. It was common to see groups of 30 to 40+ people led by just one or two trainers.

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MUD RUN BOOTCAMP IDEA

By Garry Robinson www.kaizenoutdoorfitness.com

Are Bootcamps Dead? Outdoor trainers have enjoyed a lucrative time since the demise of the big box gym and health club began about 5 or 6 years ago. But attendances at outdoor bootcamps are beginning to wane and interest is declining.

If this has not happened in your area yet, then you might want to heed the warning signs from elsewhere. It’s becoming harder for outdoor PTs and bootcamp instructors to attract new clients.

The civilian bootcamp may not be dead – but it’s definitely dying. However, there is a massive opportunity emerging for outdoor fit-pros willing to accept this fact and embrace a new and promising trend…

2006 – 2009

Dedicated bootcamp businesses and franchises began popping up to cater for the new demand. These groups would operate all year round and offered timetables of sessions that clients could choose from. With more options, group sizes were smaller – perhaps 10 to 20 people – but the essence of tough, team-training continued to appeal to both males and females. This was the heyday for fitness bootcamps. They were accessible and fun. They delivered great results for cli-ents and they were very profitable for personal trainers.

2009 – 2013

Crossfit emerged from the underground as a legitimate exercise prescription. Its constantly varied program, based on functional exercises done at high intensity popularized general physi-cal preparedness. And it delivered exceptional results. With an outstanding education program and emphasis on coaching rather than training, Crossfit bridged the gap perfectly between 1-1 PT and group exercise. The competitive, sporting nature appealed to males and as interest in Crossfit increased, bootcamp numbers decreased and “Group Outdoor Personal Training” became fashionable. The emphasis shifted from tough team training in a large group, to exercising with friends in a more intimate and social community. Naturally this appealed to ladies and the balance shifted towards girls-only fitness groups. (Another example of industry fragmentation) ‘Tough Training’ disappeared from bootcamps. Along with the impressive results that goes with it.

2014 Today, the civilian bootcamp is pretty much dead. Increasing supply and dwindling demand mean that many outdoor fitness groups are now only offered part time and they have lost their general appeal. Poor quality programming is a widespread problem. Military-style, general physical preparedness has been thrown out and an odious, low-intensity aerobic bias has crept in. This has destroyed the credibility of outdoor fitness groups for many outdoor training enthusiasts. Just as Crossfit heralds ‘hard exercise for hard people’, Group Outdoor Personal Training is perceived as ‘soft exercise for soft people’.

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Lessons Learned from this brief history lesson. Bootcamps have lost their mass appeal Intensity is vital for delivering results Not necessarily high intensity – but appropriate intensity. We must ‘Take back Tough’ if we are to regain wider appeal. Over-emphasis on low intensity drills overloads the aerobic energy system. The result is muscle loss and fat gain (since fat is required to fuel aerobic activity). Quite the opposite of what most people want. Programming is extremely important Neglecting to prepare a well-balanced program always leads to fitness plateaus. If you have a problem retaining clients beyond 3 to 6 months, the most likely reason is that your program is not delivering sustained results. Crossfit raised the bar when it comes to delivering quality training Group trainers today must become more than just cheerleaders or drill sergeants. We must educate our-selves to become fitness coaches. As the Spartan SGX program neatly puts it: “Being a coach is different than being a trainer. A coach may do some of the same activities as a trainer but takes it one step further and acts as guiding light to help their clients attain a better life beyond just fitness”

2015 and beyond Despite this doom and gloom, there are actually two huge opportunities for bootcamps to regain their mass appeal. #1 – Mud-runs Triathlons, fun-runs and mud runs are becoming hugely popular. Group Outdoor Trainers are in a perfect position to help this rising army of mud-runners prepare properly for their first and subsequent adventure races.

#2 – The maturity of Crossfit

Crossfit have done very well. The sport is clearly trending towards power strength and ATP based events – just look at the WODs from re-cent games and the physique of the athletes today compared to the first games of 2005-2009.

www.kaizenoutdoorfitness.com

Lessons Learned from this brief history lesson. Bootcamps have lost their mass appeal Intensity is vital for delivering results Not necessarily high intensity – but appropriate intensity. We must ‘Take back Tough’ if we are to regain wider appeal. Over-emphasis on low intensity drills overloads the aerobic energy system. The result is muscle loss and fat gain (since fat is required to fuel aerobic activity). Quite the opposite of what most people want. Programming is extremely important Neglecting to prepare a well-balanced program always leads to fitness plateaus. If you have a problem retaining clients beyond 3 to 6 months, the most likely reason is that your program is not delivering sustained results. Crossfit raised the bar when it comes to delivering quality training Group trainers today must become more than just cheerleaders or drill sergeants. We must educate our-selves to become fitness coaches. As the Spartan SGX program neatly puts it: “Being a coach is different than being a trainer. A coach may do some of the same activities as a trainer but takes it one step further and acts as guiding light to help their clients attain a better life beyond just fitness”

2015 and beyond Despite this doom and gloom, there are actually two huge opportunities for bootcamps to regain their mass appeal. #1 – Mud-runs Triathlons, fun-runs and mud runs are becoming hugely popular. Group Outdoor Trainers are in a perfect position to help this rising army of mud-runners prepare properly for their first and subsequent adventure races.

#2 – The maturity of Crossfit

Crossfit have done very well. The sport is clearly trending towards power strength and ATP based events – just look at the WODs from re-cent games and the physique of the athletes today compared to the first games of 2005-2009.

www.kaizenoutdoorfitness.com

But Crossfit does not have the mass appeal that mud runs do. Endurance athletes have long since turned their backs on the sport and it’s cult status is off-putting and even intimidating to some.

The saviour of bootcamps Tough Mudder and Spartan events have the potential to bring males and endurance athletes flooding back to outdoor fitness groups in droves. But this can only happen if we raise our game. We must strive to become coaches rather than trainers and to develop programs that pay attention to the full spectrum of general physical preparedness. It’s time to ‘Take back Tough’ and deliver training at an intensity that gets results. It’s also about time we recaptured the camaraderie, esprit-du-corps and team-training element of the original civilian bootcamp and deliver programs that are both technical and relevant to our clients fitness goals.

www.kaizenoutdoorfitness.com

MUD RUN BOOTCAMP – SUMMARY Bootcamps are not quite dead. But as I write this in late 2014 they are definitely dying. However, the growing popularity of mud-running presents a glorious opportunity for us to revive our fortunes.

A golden revival awaits – but only for trainers who are prepared to become coaches instead of just cheerleaders. There is an army of mud run-loving clients out there crying out for us to raise our game, stand up and get tough.

And as we have known for centuries, bootcamps are the way to train armies!

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