The very helpful and knowledgeable Maegan gave me all of the information telling me that Bootcamp is suitable for all ages and fitness levels, with 3 sessions a week for 4 weeks. Maegan assured me that it would be “the best thing you’ll ever do” – so with a gulp I signed up and have just sweated-out my first week. Here’s how I got on…
Session 1 – Sunday, 21st February
Feeling nervous that I’d be far more unfit than the rest of the group and not really knowing what to expect (apart from pain!!), I headed down to meet the new recruits! There were around 15 in the group - a mix of men and women of different ages and builds - everyone (including the trainer!) was very friendly and most, like me, said they were there as they needed a helping hand to get them motivated and into shape.
We warmed up and our trainer started the session with a fitness assessment (which we’ll repeat at the end of Bootcamp so we can see how much we’ve improved – more about this in 4 weeks time!).
The hour seemed to pass by in no time at all; quickly moving on from one exercise to the next so as not to allow our muscles to cool down. Working with partners and in teams for most of the session helped to make it more fun and whilst it was hard work it wasn’t as bad as I’d built it up in my mind to be, and although feeling a bit sore the next day, I was quite looking forward to the next session…
Session 2 – Tuesday, 23rd February
Oh boy this was a killer! An hour of circuit training with David (ex-military – need I say more?!) and Zena, co-owner of Fitness O2. Relay races, burpees, lunges, press ups, military sit ups and other equally painful exercises – we were put through our paces, being pushed much further than I ever have when training alone. Despite stretching thoroughly at the end of the session, the next morning I felt like i'd done ten rounds with Mike Tyson, with just about every muscle in my body aching at the slightest move!
Session 3 – Thursday, 25th February
I’ll be honest, after Tuesday’s session I was not looking forward to camp one little bit. Was it really worth it I asked myself? Could I not just get the tailor to take out the dress?! Still sore and concerned that tonight we’d be pushed even further I reluctantly headed down to meet the troop. To my surprise and relief, the session turned out to be great fun, with boxing being the main focus for the evening – not something I’d ever done before but I was surprised to find that I really enjoyed it, finding it an extremely efficient stress buster after a busy working week! The session was by no means easy, we were still stretched with every last punch pushed out of us, but done in a fun way which really helped to take my mind off the pain.
Despite the sore muscles I’m finishing the week feeling positive about the next few weeks – I know it’s not going to be easy but I am actually quite looking forward to the challenge. I am confident that if I follow the Bootcamp and do my best at each session I will get the results that I’m looking for. I’m already focusing more on my posture (which is something David has been drilling into us) and believe it or not seem to feel more energised.