We not only encourage healthy competition here at Next Level, but we love to see our clients take initiative to become healthier and more fit.  With an inside look at one of our small group training “boot camps,” you’ll see how a comfortable atmosphere didn’t just create a fun outlet for a group of friends, but also brought about amazing health results as their drive continued to increase.

 

As Bill mentioned in his March 7th blog (check it out here if you missed it), there are countless benefits to small group training.  One of the most important is that, either intentionally or incidentally, it often forces people to go the extra mile.  As they glance over their shoulders to see how their friends are doing, they may use their spare breaths to heckle one another.  However, training together in this setting ultimately does push them to want more from themselves—and to encourage their companions to want the same.

 

Since January, we’ve had a group of between five and nine people who have been participating in their own early morning small group training “boot camp” with Bill.  Three days per week at 6:30 a.m., they meet up at Next Level to start off their day.

 

Two months into their mini boot camp, three of the participants decided to make things interesting.  They began a contest amongst themselves, which they referred to as their “Biggest Loser” boot camp, to see who could lose the most weight between March 24th and May 21st.

 

From then on, their already-intense workouts became even more focused and goal-oriented.  While always keeping the crew’s workouts full-body, Bill concentrated especially on core work, particularly planking.  Their circuits involved pushing the sled across the turf, lifting weights, using the TRX suspensions, and riding the air bike, among many other stations.

 

On any given day, the work-to-rest ratio of the circuit was different.  However, the focus was always on anaerobic work and on elevating their heart rates to burn more calories.  They tracked calories burned each time; on average, they burned between 500 and 900 per session.

 

“In the boot camp the guys progressed greatly,” said Bill.  “As a group they have been able to push their work-to-rest ratio from 1:2 to 1:1 over the past few months.  Also, their strength has increased in each of their exercises, which is a great feat for only a few months of training.” 

 

As a trainer and fitness enthusiast, Bill was proud to watch their level of commitment continuously build.  They not only were motivated by the prospect of winning, but also by the desire to make lifestyle adjustments to benefit their health.

 

“The contest was a good idea and a good way to motivate them,” said Bill.  “Over time, they began coming in earlier and earlier to do cardio—before the days’ workouts would even start. They started asking me for more exercises to do on their own. They were texting each other about the healthy foods they were eating and the outside workouts they were doing.  It was great to see their desire to change their lifestyles and to make themselves healthier.”

 

On May 21st, they had their end-of-contest weigh-in.  Tom was crowned the winner after losing 8.7% of his body weight.  Don came in second, dropping 7.01% of his body weight, while Jimmy shed 4.3% of his body weight.

 

Bill analyzed each individual’s progress since the start of the boot camp.  He noted that champion Tom, a former athlete, excelled particularly in strength workouts.  Don was the group motivator who, despite having had shoulder surgery last year, progressed immensely and “developed into a well rounded workout machine.”  According to Bill, Jimmy, with his impressive amount of core strength, thrived in higher-tempo workouts and constantly pushed himself “to burn those extra calories.”   

 

 

Tom, Jimmy, and Don will have another weigh-in on September 17th to ensure that they are maintaining their weight loss.

 

We are proud of any steps that our members take to improve their well-being. Whether you’re here to lose weight, train with your team, improve your heart health, or train for an individual sport, we salute you for prioritizing your health. 

 

For anyone who is not currently frequenting the gym, it’s never too late to start taking care of yourself.  A small group training boot camp is the perfect (not to mention, fun!) way for you to start!

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Alexandra Gakos, Next Level Training