Overindulging during the Holiday season is all too easy, I know from experience! Even the best intentions can be forgotten among the parties, and generous meal portions and sizes. Holiday weight gain is an inevitability for 99.8% of the US population so those of us who are not competitive bodybuilders need to be ready to combat that added girth come January.
What happens in January when you want to shed those extra pounds? Back to the same old gym routine? Why not start the New Year with a new training philosophy – high-intensity circuit training?
Let’s see how we can battle holiday weight gain with high-intensity circuits.
Even if you are not interested in joining the U.S. military, you may want to take the army combat fitness test (ACFT). The infamous army combat fitness test leg tuck is considered the most difficult part of all the ACFT exercises. The Army has replaced this tough exercise with planks, so fewer people fail the ACFT, given nearly half of female soldiers used to fail the test; and quite a few men didn’t fare much better.
This is just one of many changes introduced as part of the latest attempt to make ACFT more comprehensive. As explained on Military.com, the most significant change in ACFT with six events is that it is no longer designed to prepare soldiers for battle but to assess their overall physical fitness. “Standards for men and women in different age groups often lower their chances of selection.”
The original ACFT had the same standards for women and men but a report by Rand Corp, a Congressionally mandated report by a Washington DC-based think tank, reported that “about half of women in the service can’t pass previous testing standards, especially the leg tuck events”. To work around these concerns, the Army swapped leg tucks for planks.
Let’s dissect the leg tuck and figure out how best to train for it, even if just for the fun and challenge of completing a few reps.
The new army combat fitness test standards include new scoring standards, updated physical events, and allow soldiers to have at least six months to practice before the test. While the minimum requirements remain gender-neutral, the new test includes age-based performance results and performance based on third-party analysis by Rand Corporation.
“This test is an essential part of maintaining the readiness of the Army as we transform into the Army of 2030,” said Christine E. Wormuth, Secretary of the Army in a press release.
“The revisions to the ACFT are based on data and analysis, including an independent assessment required by Congress. We will continue to assess our implementation of the test to ensure it is fair and achieves our goal of strengthening the Army’s fitness culture.”
Joining the military is a big decision and requires quite a bit of preparation before you leave for your boot camp. During basic training, you will be introduced to the military lifestyle and prepared for service physically and mentally. This initial stage can be grueling, especially if you aren’t in top shape. You should start to prepare yourself for bootcamp weeks or even months in advance to get yourself into peak condition and make your experience easier.
Here are a few suggestions to help you get started preparing yourself for bootcamp.
If you are looking for a workout that is challenging and intense, boot camp workouts may just fit the bill. All forms of high-intensity workouts have seen a surge in popularity over the past few years, but boot camp-style programs offer some unique benefits. With many gyms now opening up post-quarantine, group classes are starting to regain their popularity. Boot camp workouts are all the rage right now with group classes since they allow for both strength training and conditioning in a short 40-minute intense workout.
Here are 4 awesome benefits of boot camp workouts over regular commercial gym memberships.
Boot camp exercise is high-intensity interval training. We are talking about highly intensified full-body training that promotes functional fitness. Accept this challenge and set a time for the workout! Put together your own boot camp workouts by stringing together some of the best boot camp exercises into an intense circuit.
You will get an excellent shape as long as you work hard, but exercise is not all you need. Since nutrition is responsible for roughly 75% of your progress, it is better to control your food habits than to rely on exercise alone.
While you can practice BootCamp workouts at home, we do encourage joining a gym that offers group BootCamp classes. They will also typically offer additional classes such as kickboxing, weight lifting, and TRX circuits. The main benefits of group classes are:
structured workouts
community participation
accountability
Experts say boot camp exercises work like magic. Are you willing to learn how? Hold on; you need to know preliminary exercises and lifestyle habits before you get started. With no need to join a gym at first, you can just do this at your own pace. Spend an hour a day, five times a week, and prepare for your 3-month journey towards metamorphosis.
Here are 5 of the best boot camp exercises and variations you can use to begin your journey.
Boot camp workouts can be defined as a mixed bag of intense workouts, including power movements, speed elements, and strength training. There are different styles of boot camp workouts, which can focus on bodyweight exercises and military-style drills. Included in the best boot camp exercises, you can expect some calisthenics like pull-ups, squats, crunches, push-ups, and lunges.
Many Americans struggle with their health and fitness. Now more than ever, millions of Americans are living a sedentary lifestyle while working from home, and doing all other activities from home. Many have put on extra weight, or developed unhealthy, unsustainable lifestyle habits. While some people may not mind these changes, others may feel as though they are living an unhealthy lifestyle. For some, to live a sedentary lifestyle can feel like wasted potential. When living like this, people often find their sleep schedules disrupted, and their energy levels fluctuate.
Due to the rise of sedentary lifestyles, many people have chosen to take their physical health more seriously through a combination of healthy eating and personal fitness. Doing so, many have started to attend bootcamp classes with reputable instructors to keep them on track. When choosing a bootcamp class, the instructor is one of the most important factors. A great bootcamp instructor can change your life by motivating you, inspiring you, and being a driving force behind the success of your fitness journey.
You just signed up for your first fitness boot camp. Congrats! You’re on your way to a better, stronger, and healthier you. You’re new to HIIT training and group fitness. You want to slay your workouts, but you’re nervous, and you’re not sure you can keep up with the rest of the class. Did you know that your pre-exercise routine is just as important as your workouts? Here are some boot camp tips for getting your body ready to work hard and accomplish those big fitness goals.
Are you a fan of group fitness? Does exercising in a crowd motivate you and push you to work harder than you typically would? If so, add boot camp fitness classes to your list of must-try workouts.
Boot camp is a military-inspired, high-intensity fitness course designed to increase your cardiovascular capabilities and improve muscle tone. It encompasses a series of heart-pumping, sweat-inducing movements that challenge even the fittest of its members.
Read on to learn the numerous benefits of boot camp, and check your local gyms for a class near you.
Fitness boot camp workouts provide you with an opportunity to build your endurance, strength, and, in many cases, resilience. However, before diving in head-first and signing up for a boot camp experience, you need to know what you are getting into.
These classes help you build your endurance, agility, and strength while ensuring you have the energy and focus on tackling whatever the day sends your way. The question is – are you up to this challenge? Find out by reading the information below.
If there’s one thing in life that offers plenty of options, it’s exercise. The question is, why can it be such a challenge to find a routine that works and stick to it? It could be boredom from repetition, frustration from not seeing the desired results, or simply a lack of motivation. While these are all common reasons, they don’t have to mean the end of a fitness journey. If this sounds familiar, it’s time to change your perspective. Keep reading for four ways boot camp workouts can benefit your life as a whole.
Choosing the right boot camp exercises is crucial to creating an effective workout that will challenge you without discouraging you as well. Many personal trainers struggle unnecessarily doing precisely that and end up losing clients in the process.
So, here are three surefire tips to help you select the right combination of exercises for the ultimate boot camp workout as recommended by a professional personal trainer.
