<p>Twenty-six-year old Priyanka Sachdev was getting married in three months and wanted to lose at least 8 kg before the big day. While she was reasonably fit — being regular with her walks — she wasn’t really thin. “A friend suggested boot camp (an intense military-inspired workout). It was severe, but it made me shed the extra kilos,” says Sachdev who continues to do boot camp thrice a week to keep fit.<br /><span lang="EN-US"><br />Having met her and heard her story, I decided to give it a try. Sachdev had warned me that boot camp was intense but she did not emphasise enough just how strenuous it is. So it was with a false sense of bravado that I walked into a gym and enrolled for boot camp. Over the next hour with each laboured breath I questioned the sanity of my decision as every muscle in my body was pulled and pushed to breaking point. Consider this: 600 metres of rowing, 30 jumps and squats on the stepper, 30 pull-ups using a TRX suspension belt, 30 push-ups alternating with lifting a 3-kg ball and then walking while holding a 5-kg kettlebell in each hand (my instructor cheerfully suggested I carry a 12-kg bell in each hand, but as I needed all my strength to lift a single bell, he grudgingly reduced the weight). By the end of 45 minutes, my ears were ringing and I could barely feel my legs.<br /></span><span lang="EN-US"><br />And just when I was wondering how people ever managed to keep up with this intense training, I was informed that since I’m wasn’t the fittest of the lot, I was being treated with kid gloves. For those with intermediate to advanced levels of fitness, the gloves come off.<br /></span><span lang="EN-US"><br />So what exactly is boot camp? “It’s a group activity that combines traditional calisthenics and body weight exercises with interval and strength training designed to push the participants harder. It bears a resemblance to a military boot camp — tough, rugged and hardcore,” explains Wanitha Ashok, a Bangalore-based fitness expert. Adds Abhishek Das, a fitness expert with Delhi-based FitnessFirst: “Boot camp workouts are efficient because you work your entire body — heart and muscles — by going from one exercise to another with little or no rest. It’s the fastest way to lose weight.” The workouts involve calisthenics-like push-ups, jumping jacks, crunches and other body weight exercises. Props such as TRX bands, kettlebells and dumbbells are also used.<br /></span><span lang="EN-US"><br />Most boot camps are group exercises and done outdoors. However, there is no hard and fast rule, and the workout can be done just as easily indoors in a gym and with an individual trainer. Boot camp DVDs are also available, but it is best to work out with a trainer as you may hurt yourself if you are on your own. Plus, DVDs cannot tell you how to vary the workout for maximum results.<br /></span></p><table width="100" cellspacing="7" cellpadding="7" border="0" align="right"><tbody><tr><td><img width="200" vspace="7" hspace="7" height="251" alt="" src="/image/image_gallery?uuid=d7566be8-f178-458f-a926-256bf96a2233&groupId=222922&t=1344589740538" /></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align: left; "><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0); "><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: TradeGothicLTLight, sans-serif; ">Boot camp traning is for novice exercises and fitness enthusiasts alike.</span></strong></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span lang="EN-US"><br />And why do people put themselves through this extremely strenuous exercise regime? Simple, with upwards of 600 calories burnt per hour, it is one of the fastest ways to lose weight. “As it targets all the muscles at one time and most of the exercises are compound exercises, the calorie burn is quite high. The activity further boosts metabolism and a person can burn calories throughout the day. Teamed with a sensible diet, it’s a surefire way to lose weight,” explains Ashok.<br /></span><span lang="EN-US"><br />Moreover, it is considered fun as the workout is varied, and since you are perpetually on your toes, you don’t have time to get bored. It is also highly motivational because it is a group activity, with all the people working towards a common goal — to lose body fat, increase cardiovascular efficiency, develop strength and get fit quickly.<br /></span><span lang="EN-US"><br />While boot camp training is suitable for novice exercisers and fitness enthusiasts alike, as an individual can work at his own personal level and intensity, it’s not really meant for the average couch potato. “A general boot camp is quite intense so it’s recommended for people who have been involved in some kind of fitness activity in the past. It’s apt for people from intermediate to advanced levels,” says Ashok. “It can be done by women, men, children, and even senior citizens. The programmes can be designed according to the needs of the group. It can be sports-specific, for general fitness or for weight loss. But people above 35 should go through a health screening before taking part in a boot camp,” she adds. Moreover, boot camp should be done only three times a week as the body needs rest to recover from the strain.<br /></span><span lang="EN-US"><br />But one thing is for sure, if you are willing to challenge yourself and push your body just a little bit more every time, a boot camp workout will ensure you lose the extra flab and are fighting fit.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: normal; ">(This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 20-08-2012)</span> <br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
