I’m Thankful For.... Bootcamp!

As we’re all reflecting on what we’re thankful for this week, I’m especially trying to focus on the small day-to-day things. This might sound silly, but one of them is my bootcamp class with Jenna at WAC! Before I started working out with Jenna, I was stuck in a fitness rut. All my workouts were starting to get monotonous, and I wasn’t feeling super great. Over these past several months, Jenna’s after-work bootcamp class has helped to mix up my workouts and a whole lot more. Here are a few more reasons why I enjoy this class so much. If you’re looking for something new and challenging to keep you on track throughout the holidays, join us! We meet Monday at 5:30, Wednesday at 5, and Thursday at 5:30 at WAC.

1. Let Someone Else Plan Your Workout. Gym bag packed? Check. Workout time blocked off on my calendar? Check. Workout plan? Er... Sometimes I walk into WAC with no idea what I am going to do. On those days, I tend not to spend my time well because I’m making my workout up on the fly. I like bootcamp because I don’t have to plan it out. I just show up, follow directions, and sweat it out. We’re working out under a personal trainer after all, who is a professional workout maker upper. I trust that she’s better at it than I am anyway.

2. Never Get Bored. We all have our go-to machines, exercises, and workouts. When I stick to what’s familiar, I get bored. And my body gets bored, too. If I do the same workout over and over, I won’t see results. At bootcamp, the only time we do the same thing twice is when we’re competing with ourselves to beat our last time. Jenna always has us doing crazy stuff I couldn’t have dreamed up on my own, even if I tried to create an interesting workout for myself.

3. Learn New Exercises and Proper Technique. Previously, I wouldn’t go near the TRX machines (those black and yellow things hanging from the ceiling) because I had no idea how to use them. I didn’t even know what they were for. Thanks to Jenna, everyone in our bootcamp class is a TRX pro. Using your own body weight and gravity, there are tons of exercises you can do for almost every muscle group. But how would I know that if she didn’t show me how to use them?

4. Push Yourself Further. Although I’m not one to “phone in” workouts, we all have those days when we might not have maximized our gym time as well as we could have. That rarely happens at bootcamp though. When I’m working out with a group of people, I’m more motivated to work harder because we’re all doing it together. Plus, if my laziness or fatigue affects my form or technique, Jenna will be sure to correct me so that I do it right.

5. It’s Over Before You Know it! Even though I’m a regular at WAC, sometimes I’d much rather be eating a tub of cheese on my couch while watching The X Factor. If I did an hour-long workout on my own, I’d probably be dreaming about that cheese tub the whole time. That never seems to happen during my bootcamp workouts. Jenna has so many tricks up her sleeve, plus the other bootcampers are there to keep each other company, so the hour always flies by. And when I wake up sore the next day, I’m reminded that it was an hour well spent.

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Betsy Mikel | betsymikel.com