Is There Any Science To Say Weight Loss Boot Camps Actually Work?

By Howe Russ


If you were to ask one hundred people how to lose weight the chances are you'd get a lot of answers crediting fitness boot camps with the secret formula. After all, the HIIT workouts often found at these classes are great for fat loss.

Today we're going to answer the all-important question. Is there more to this training method than just being the next big fitness fad?

The one word answer is yes. However, there is more to this than meets the eye, as we will explain today. The reason it works is because the science behind it is proven and established. You see, despite all of the marketing claims that they are using the 'best kept secret in fitness' or that they have discovered a new formula yielding instant results, the foundation of a boot camp is built upon advice which is decades old.

In fact, if you stroll into any gym in your local area you will see countless fitness enthusiasts putting the foundations of a boot camp workout into their regular gym routine. Circuit classes have existed for decades. Likewise, high intensity interval training has been around for years. Both principles are widely adopted by outdoor fitness classes.

Hang on a moment... If we're seriously telling you that the science behind boot camps is nothing new and has been used in gyms for decades, how come boot camps are billed as miracle solutions using the latest keep-fit secrets? It comes down to marketing. Notice that this type of class is usually associated with claims of instant weight loss and life-changing overnight results. It doesn't take long for the hype to get out of control.

While the general marketing behind boot camps tend to be quite misleading, the theories the style of training is built upon are actually very solid. Any high intensity interval training workout is going to get your blood pumping and your heart reaching the upper scales of it's ability. This will lead to weight loss and will improve your fitness. If you incorporate resistance training into the routine, which most trainers do, then you will also notice an increase in strength, too.

All of the hype surrounding this type of training, which is often merely a company's attempt at competing with it's rivals, can lead to the whole thing being labelled a fitness fad. Yet the workouts themselves are proven and they tend to stick to the basic exercises such as squats and push-ups.

It doesn't take long for serious fitness enthusiasts to realize they don't need to keep attending a boot camp class to get results. This is why the marketing is misleading and targeted at people looking for a quick fix, because once a person finds their feet they realize they can get just as good a workout by themselves for half the price in a gym or at home. This means the boot camp class needs to find new clients quickly in order to survive. The only area where they really have an advantage over conventional methods is the group atmosphere which some people place huge importance on.

While it is often unfairly billed as the latest health and fitness fad, the truth is the science behind the boot camp theory stacks up nicely. By performing regular HIIT sessions and incorporating the basic, classic strength moves you will indeed see results. If you've been trying to learn how to lose weight and have seen an advert for one of these type of classes, however, you should base your final decision on how much you think you need a group atmosphere in order to succeed, because there is nothing stopping you from performing a boot camp workout right now without spending any money.




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