Iāve always thought of myself as a pretty adventurous person, but when it comes to fitness, there are two words that strike fear into my heart and have me running for the hills (even in my lycra leggings): Boot camp.
The calorie pulverising benefits of military-inspired classes are no secret ā many promise to burn up to 1,000 a session.
But what usually stops people from signing up to them (me included), is the preconception that itās going to be a humiliating, painful and disheartening experience at the hands of a masochistic instructor.
These high-intensity, army-style training workouts are designed to build strength and fitness through a mixture of running, push-ups, sit-ups and weighted exercises over a gruelling one-hour period.
They were big news in the US in the Nineties, but have gained a cult following across the UK in recent years ā thanks to the rise of boutique gyms and a general obsession with high-octane, fat-blasting classes.
So how bad is it? With a New Year in full swing, I went along to Barryās Bootcamp in Victoria, London, to find out what you should expect from your first foray into this intensely punishing discipline (spoiler: itās not as horrendous as you might think).
1. You probably wonāt have a shouty instructor
The days of angry, Navy SEAL-style trainers shouting, āDrop and give me 20!ā are over. These days boot camp instructors are high-energy beings, sprinting up and down the class in a Britney Spears-style headset and shouting words of encouragement.
My chiselled trainer ā who looked like heās fallen out of a Calvin Klein billboard ad ā bellowed feel-good cheers like, āGood job guys, youāre smashing itā.
Sure, theyāll still whittle you to a sodden mess with their instructions, but at least you wonāt be publicly humiliated in the process.
2. Itās not as intimidating as youād think
Naturally, the first thing youāll think as the treadmill starts up is, āWhat have I done?ā and, āHow can I possibly survive the next hour?ā
Thankfully, boot camps are not a one-size-fits-all, and whether itās taking place in a gym or outside on the grass, theyāll give you the option to push yourself as hard as you want. If you canāt run as fast as your neighbour, no big deal ā set the treadmill at an achievable pace for you and push yourself safely within your own boundaries.
The instructor wonāt reduce you to a bumbling, tear-filled mess if youāre a newbie that needs to grab a few minutes to catch your breath either.
3. Itās a full body workout
Boot camp workouts can vary but generally include a pretty heavy mix of strength training and aerobic elements.
You can expect to do calisthenics, such as pull-ups, push-ups, lunges and crunches, as well as drills and sprints.
Gym-based routines like Barryās generally involve 30 minutes of cardiovascular sprinting on a treadmill for an interval period, then leaping off and furiously doing press-ups and lifting weights on the floor.
Expect to feel destroyed from the get-go. Youāll feel the burn the next day in all your major muscle groups ā chest, back, arms, shoulders, legs and calves.
4. Youāll torch calories
Yes, boot camps are brutal, but theyāre effective. All that lifting, running, squatting ā and a few thousand press ups ā will elevate your core fitness to a whole new level. The non-stop nature of circuits like Barryās means a session can burn anything from 800 to 1,000 calories.
5. Thereās a social element
Let it be said that thereās something deeply unifying in group torture. If you entered the class avoiding eye contact and setting up your treadmill in silence, youāll soon be high-fiving your neighbour, delightedly whooping the arrival of the last set of exercises and pulling āIām going to vomitā faces at one another.
Of course, there will always be those beautiful, machine-like beings who sprint for 30 minutes on a treadmill and donāt drop an ounce of sweat on their perfectly coordinated sports bra and leggings. Ignore these mythical creatures.
6. Youāll probably want to give up
Iād be lying if I said the thought didnāt cross my mind at least once every three minutes while Mr Calvin Klein shouted over the top of pumping house music tracks behind me. The fast-paced format of the class means thereās very little rest or recovery time, meaning youāre running in a permanent state of āknackeredā. Singletons, donāt expect to catch the eye of āThe Oneā here either: youāll likely make unattractive screaming and grunting noises throughout the duration of the class.
7. It will leave you with a feel-good buzz
Despite the high possibility that youāll want to vomit on your lovely new Christmas trainers, one of the best things about high-intensity interval training is the rush of endorphins it releases. A morning boot camp session is enough to fuel you through the afternoon, with the energy to blast through your emails, rip through life admin and even feel enthused at evening plans on a weeknight.
If youāve fallen out of love with exercise, a boot camp might be just what you need to get back in the zone. If nothing else, your limbs will sing with the sheer relief that only 60 minutes of pure punishment could deliver. Go investigate.
