Health and fitness tips, articles, and opinions by Larry Wasserman, Owner of Body Basics Boot Camps located in Warren and Mountainside, New Jersey
Showing posts with label group fitness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label group fitness. Show all posts

Monday, January 4, 2010

What Do Happy Hour and Boot Camp Have in Common?





"Happy Hour is so much fun, you get two drinks and you pay for one!"

I don't know where I first heard this, but for some reason it stuck in my head. It's a little diddy about "happy hour". And yes, there's a tune that goes with it, but you'll have to make up your own for now.

Silly? Absolutely. But it perfectly symbolizes the " 2 for the price of 1" or what we have come to refer to as the "Two fer".

And that brings me to boot camp. We have a "two fer" also. If you are a new member you can join with a friend and "split the cost" of a one month membership. Two people, half the price, the perfect "two fer".

Register Here For "Two for One" Boot Camp

What's really great about this is that it gets people excited for "two" reasons. First, everybody loves a deal and to save money. By getting a perceived value, they feel good about their purchase and that's also a good thing. Second, they have established a low barrier of entry into boot camp.

First time boot campers are often tentative. They don't know what to expect and they have some reservations that they might fail or not be able to keep up with the group. It's easy for us veterans to know that their apprehensions are just FEAR or what is referred to as

False Evidence Appearing Real.

But within a week or so, their fears are gone and they know how boot camp works. Aside from some sore muscles everything is hunkey dory.

But then by the final week, they are beginning to feel awesome and their energy levels pick up. Many are getting their nutrition dialed in and their clothes are a tad looser. And many begin to realize that boot camp exercise works. I live for is the look on people's faces when they talk about how their lives are changing, how amazing they feel, and that they can do things they never could before.

But, they also begin to realize the appreciate the value of boot camp that is far beyond the price.

Here is a recent testimonial I received from a boot camper.

"I was getting ready to leave my office and head over to Boot Camp when I received a call from my boss advising me that our offices were going to be moving and I would have an hour-long commute. While I was driving to Boot Camp I could barely hold back the tears, I was a complete wreck at the thought of such a grueling commute. I got to Boot Camp and Larry put us through another great workout, which is always different and and fun, and always kicks my butt (in a good way though). Got back in the car to drive home and started thinking about work again, and realized that I was in such a great mood that even the thought of that commute couldn't bring me down. I just felt a sense of contentment that wouldn't go away. I was totally amazed that the power of a great workout had changed my mood from being completely miserable to being very happy, and changed my outlook to make a bad situation seem not so bad at all, or at least fixable. If I can change my body to make it better, then I can change anything."

Boot camp is about life. Everything we think and do adds up to the experience we call "our life". It's not complicated, but it is about our thoughts and our actions.

So let me get back on point. If you want to change your life, then you need to start working towards creating the life you want.
Fitness goals should not take over your life, they should enhance every other part of it. Your body, mind, and diet aren't stand alone islands. Everything interacts and weaves together.

And boot camp is a place where all of this comes together. It's here for the taking if you want it and if you are willing to do the work.

And we're making it easier than ever because now you can join with a friend for half price. (new members, one month only).

Register Here For "Two for One" Boot Camp

Press on!
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P.S. Please forward this blog post to anyone you know that might be able to benefit from our program and this New Year's Special.


Register Here For "Two for One" Boot Camp

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Avoid These 5 Fitness Mistakes

fitness injuryIt's hard for me to go to the gym sometimes. It's upsetting to me that every time I go, I see people making fitness mistakes. Ultimately these mistakes become habits that waste time, put people in danger, and that are sometimes, well, in a word--stupid. Maybe you even make a few of these mistakes yourself.

By avoiding these common pitfalls, you'll put yourself on the fast track to results. Check out the following 5 fitness mistakes and the solutions you need to avoid danger and to get fit fast.

Mistake #1: Using the wrong weight

too much weight

The goal is to challenge your muscles, not to simply go through the motions. If you are able to complete 15 repetitions easily, then the weight is too light. On the flip side, if you aren't able to perform an exercise through its full range of motion, and find yourself cheating on form, then the weight is too heavy.

The correct weights will feel challenging by your last few repetitions, but won't force you to sacrifice form.

Mistake #2: Monkeying around with the same boring routine

exercise monkey

You may have noticed that most people do the same exercises each time they visit the gym. Maybe you've been doing the same exercise routine as long as you can remember - if it isn't broken then don't fix it, right?

The truth is that exercise routines have expiration dates, and that is the date that they begin to lose their effectiveness. As a rule of thumb never use the same routine for more than 4 weeks.

Mistake #3: Skipping the warmup

human knot

Most people consider warm up time to be wasted time - they'd rather jump right into the heart of the routine. What they don't realize is that a good warm up will them to perform at a higher intensity, which means greater results.

The point of a warm up is to increase your muscle temperature. This increases blood flow, muscle contraction and reduces muscle resistance. Your warm up should last 5-10 minutes.

Mistake #4: Improper or bad form

bad form

Gyms are filled with people performing exercises with bad form. The two biggest reasons are that they aren't concentrating on the exercise, or they're trying to lift weight that is too heavy. Lifting with improper form too often results in injury.

Take the time to achieve proper form, by doing so you'll avoid injury and will reap the full benefit from each exercise.

Mistake #5: Working out by yourself

work out alone

People who exercise alone are less challenged, less accountable and typically see fewer results. It makes sense, doesn't it? Why rush to the gym if no one is there waiting for you? Why push yourself if no one is watching? Exercising alone is a recipe for lackluster results.

Not sure where to begin?

The best way to avoid injury and to see results is to work with me, "your trusted source on fitness". I am passionate about seeing my clients achieve results -without wasting time, energy and effort on mistakes.

Call or email today me to schedule a free boot camp trial class. Or, if you want a more personalized program, contact me about one-on-one personal training or my small group training program called "Life Plan".

You'll find my contact info on the boot camp website.
http://bodybasicsbootcamps.com

Committed to your fitness success!
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Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Two 4 Minute Workouts


This past Saturday morning we did two 4 minute workouts with a one-minute rest in between. We repeated that cycles three times for six 4 minute workouts. Total workout time: 24 minutes. Total rest intervals: 5 minutes.

As is typical in boot camp we had a range of people that varied in ability and level of conditioning. So we set two protocals for the group. Beginners would follow the traditional Tabata format of :20 work and :10 rest for 8 rounds. More advanced people would follow a :50 work :10 rest cycle for 4 rounds.

Notice the variations that people use. It may look like they are doing a different exercise, but they are all doing a variation of the exercise that is either less, or more challenging based on their level of ability.

This facility already has stability balls and body bars, so we use what is available. Unfortunately, I can't bring in my dumbbells, kettlebells, sandbags, etc. as there is logistical
way to get them in the building for just one class a week. So we'll use what is available and make the most of it. Which is exactly what boot camp teaches us!