FitSugar

Fitness Switchup: Boot Camp Instead of Pilates

FitSugar — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 03:30:00 -0700

Spring is a time of change, and I think it is a perfect time to switch up your fitness routine. If you're starting to dread your Pilates mat class, might I suggest experimenting with a boot camp of some sort?

Pilates is great for training the small muscles that support your skeleton, while boot camps (like TRX and CrossFit) target the larger muscles. You can put your well trained Pilates posture to work while doing squats and lunges, and challenge your well honed Pilates core in a whole new way. It is a good idea to train your body in a variety of ways to keep yourself injury-free and to prevent workout boredom. Not sure how to find a boot camp? Check out this list of CrossFit affiliates.

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DVD Review: Skinny B*tch Fitness - Boot Camp

FitSugar — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 10:00:00 -0800

First came the book, Skinny B*itch - a saucy self-help book to help ladies change their relationship with food and take control of their lives. Then coauthors and BFFs Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin wrote a cookbook, Skinny B*itch in the Kitch. Now these ladies want to get you moving, so they created some fitness DVDs. The other night I tried their Boot Camp ($10) workout.

After defending the name and the graphics of the DVD to my husband, I worked it in my living room with Rory and Kim. The 45-minute basic workout alternates between dumbbell strength training segments and light to medium cardio. The workout is fun, and Rory and Kim chat, complain, and encourage you throughout the DVD, all the while offering variations for less fit and less flexible folks. These ladies are entertaining and I giggled through bicep curls and squat thrusts. I appreciated their humor and camaraderie, even if it made me roll my eyes occasionally. Eye rolling surely burns extra calories, right? The workout ends with ab work, including crunches and planks. The gals have also dreamed up five five-minute workouts for the severely time-crunched fitness enthusiast.

I enjoyed this boot camp workout. I love mixing strength training into my cardio. This workout will not get your heart pounding hard for long periods of time, but my heart rate stayed solidly in my fat burning zone for most of the workout with occasional upward spikes during squat thrusts.

This is a great DVD to work out with on a rainy day. It gets you moving and makes you smile. You can buy it directly from Warner Brothers.

Do you have any questions you are dying to ask these skinny b*itches? I am going to interview Rory and Kim soon, and if there is something you are dying to know about their advice, books, or DVDs, leave your question in the comments section below and I will try to work it into the conversation.

Train With Madonna's Trainer!

FitSugar — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 05:30:00 -0700

Tracy Anderson, who is known best for training Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow, is taking her signature Method to the club.

Tracy has teamed up with Reebok Sports Club/NY for an intense two-week boot camp that promises you'll shed pounds while toning your body. This three hour per night boot camp starts on Monday, June 16 and as you may have guessed, training with Madonna's trainer does not come cheap: it's $2500 for members and $3000 for nonmembers. Call (212) 501-1429 to register.

Don't live in NY or have $3000 lying around? You can buy Tracy's Dance Aerobics DVD for $30.

FREE Boot Camp Classes!

FitSugar — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 09:00:00 -0700

I know it sounds too good to be true so here is the deal...

A bay area fitness expert is offering the Ultimate Outdoor Bootcamp FREE to residents on Saturday mornings at 8:00 am (rain or shine), at the Los Gatos Library in Los Gatos, Ca. Sign up at UltimateBodyPotential.com.

For everyone that does not live in the bay area, you can get your own FREE boot camp workout with my mini boot camp video -- I promise you'll feel the burn!

Also, check around for local boot camp classes near you. It's not uncommon for gyms to offer free trial classes for newbies.

Class Act: Boot Camps

FitSugar — Thu, 17 May 2007 12:30:00 -0700

It is always interesting to watch fitness trends - remember the high-impact aerobics craze of the 80's? Well, boot camps are all the rage these days and I must say I think they are a great product of the trickle down theory and reappropriation of something from the industrial-military complex.

There are many variations out there on the boot camp theme. There are camps for: new mothers, ladies only, marathoners, ones that focus on survival and self defense skills, and even ones dedicated to fitness and spiritual growth.

Even with these variations, boot camps tend to have a couple of things in common. They are generally outside, and they combine elements of cardio with strength training. Every minute of the hour session is packed with multi-tasking exercises. You don't just hold a plank, you also perform a one arm row in that challenging position. Resting in between lunge sets - never!!! Try some relaxing jumping jacks. Talk about an efficient work out.

Some gyms offer boot camp classes, that are either inside or outside, but many boot camps are independent operations, created and run by individuals dedicated to getting the participants fit. Many programs offer a discount on class packages for returning students, and that just might be incentive enough to keep you going. Do expect to be lectured about nutrition too since these folks want to make you healthy from the inside out.

Fit's Tip: If you are looking to start a boot camp find out about the class size and instructor to student ratio. Make sure the camp does a fitness assessment of you before you get into the thick of it. This way they can appropriately set goals for you.

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Class Act: Pilates Boot Camp

FitSugar — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 04:30:00 -0700

Most people think of Pilates as a mind/body exercise, and they think Pilates is a slow, nit-picky form of exercise. Now that boot camps and circuit training are big trends in the fitness world, Pilates studios and gyms are creating boot camps of their own. I was lucky enough to participate in a Pilates-style boot camp yesterday morning sponsored by Balanced Body at the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association convention happening here in SF this week.

The class was super fun, quick paced, and worked me from the big toe to the top of my head. This class was broken into four 12-minute circuits, with each circuit utilizing a different piece of Pilates equipment: Cadillac wall unit, chair, Reformer, and the Arc. Pilates equipment is so versatile, so the variety of exercises you could do in a circuit-style class is endless. Plus it is easy to incorporate classic gym moves like squats and lunges using the Cadillac wall unit springs for added resistance and/or assistance, depending on the exercise. Alternating backward lunges holding onto arm springs is an excellent challenge.

To hear more about the class, just read more.

The class was fast-paced and my heart rate was highest for the standing leg section combining squats with arm exercises with springs. The most challenging section was on the chair, and if I didn't know Pilates this circuit might seem confusing. But chair work is great for the core since you have to support your torso no matter the position of your body. The Arc section was mostly abs and core work, while the Reformer section managed to work arms, abs, glutes, legs, and stability in 12 minutes. If you have a chance to try a Pilates boot camp, I think you should. While it helps to have Pilates experience, you could definitely follow along without any. Due to the fast-paced group situation, these classes are not about the precision often associated with the Pilates method. But a Pilates boot camp will get you strong, centered, and work your abs without you even knowing it - until the next day, of course.

Before the Big Day: Bridal Boot Camp

FitSugar — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 10:00:00 -0700

April means flowers and wedding showers, and for many newly engaged brides, it's time to start thinking about how to get in shape for the big day. Many women take a boot camp approach, using a focused fitness plan to stay on course. Thankfully, there are boot camps for every budget; here are three options to help you along.

Bridal retreats. Live in Fitness recently began offering a multiweek Bridal Retreat program, where women stay in a one-bedroom suite in Southern California and train from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. with breaks for healthy meals. Not surprisingly, it'll cost you around $8,000 for two weeks.
Online programs: From Cynthia Conde's Bridal Bootcamp, which helps you create customized fitness and eating plans, to simple, downloadable regimens like Shape's Total Body Wedding Workout, there are oodles of online resources designed just for brides.
Wedding DVDs: If you prefer to work it at home, pick out a bridal-specific video, such as The Wedding Workout from Women's Health or this Wedding Boot Camp DVD.

For more wedding tips, check out all of the Sugar Network’s wedding coverage here.

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Boot Camp For Veterans Day

FitSugar — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 16:30:00 -0800

Up in the Napa Valley, where gourmands rule the roost, Veterans Day is celebrated with a celebrity-chef luncheon honoring the veterans in the area. On the opposite end of the spectrum, I want to honor our country's brave vets with a little round of posts about boot camps. That is as militaristic as it gets here at FitSugar.

Boot-camp workout programs are popping up all over and if you want to know what you can expect when you sign up for one you should read:
Class Act: Boot Camps. It should answer your questions, allay your fears, and get you motivated to join one.
Looking to combine exercise and travel? You can head to an exotic destination for a bikini-boot camp.
Check out this mini boot camp workout! For more details and a printable version of the workout, read: Exercise Video: Mini Boot Camp

Before a Breakup, Try Relationship Boot Camp

DearSugar — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 10:00:00 -0800

It's normal for couples to disagree and fight from time to time. We argue about huge things like money, and little things like which TV show to watch. Sometimes if a couple isn't getting along, a little intervention may be necessary. You're probably familiar with couples counseling, but have you ever heard of relationship boot camp? It could be seen as the last shot to mending a broken connection or as relationship maintenance, like bringing your car in for its 30,000-mile tune-up.

Relationship boot camp workshops are cropping up all over since divorce rates are skyrocketing. Relationship specialist Terry Real thinks this is because people never learned the skills needed to connect to another person. In his three-day relationship boot camp workshop, he teaches the basics like how to communicate clearly and honestly, how to listen, how to deal with conflicts, and how to argue respectfully. Relationship miracles don't come cheap, though; be prepared to spend $1,500 a couple.

Is this something you'd be willing to try?

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Tough Love or Abuse? House Sets Juvenile Boot Camp Limits

CitizenSugar — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 09:00:53 -0700

This week, the US House approved a measure implementing national standards on juvenile boot camps intended to rehabilitate troubled youth.

The bill passed 318-103, and would nix excessive "tough love" practices like withholding water, food, clothing, shelter or medical care. The new law would allow physical restraint only when the safety of the child or others is in peril, and it would allow residents reasonable access to a telephone.

Rep. George Miller (D-CA) said of the decision, "Today we are taking an important step toward ending the horrific abuses that have gone on far too long in the residential programs for teens."

It's not a slam dunk, however. The White House has indicated they're against the plan as it expands federal oversight, and the Senate still has to vote. To see how many claims of abuse have been reported, read more.

About 20,000 to 30,000 teenagers attend juvenile punishment boot camps. An AP survey has identified more than 13,000 claims of abuse in juvenile correction nationwide between 2004-2007, though only 1,343 cases were confirmed stemming from the combination that some residents make up stories, while in other cases they're pressured not to report abuse. Since 1983 more than 35 youths have died in camps like these.

If the bill becomes law, it will allow the Health and Human Services Department to impose fines of up to $50,000 for every violation. Is federal oversight a good idea? Should camps be allowed to administer whatever punishment they deem necessary?

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