A Boot Camp in simple terms is a type of HIIT workout that takes in a bit more grit. It involves a routine that puts together a circuit of exercise and the goal is to complete them as fast as you can or do as many of the exercises, before moving on to the next set of exercises. Depending on your fitness goals, your personal trainer will be able to personalize a boot camp workout for you or a group.
Good comfortable workout clothes, a reusable water bottle, a post-workout snack or smoothie, and cleansing wipes are some key essentials that a Boot Camp workout needs, as with any other type of workout. Apart from these basics, here are 7 other essentials that you and your gym buddies will most likely need to make an effective Boot Camp workout session.
Cones
These are some of the most versatile Boot Camp essentials that you need. With cones, you can do Bootcamp exercises and they are very easily portable as well. So even if you and your friends opt for indoor or outdoor Bootcamp sessions, they can be comfortably used for workouts on endurance, agility, speed training, or lateral quickness. Cones are also budget-friendly when compared to many other Bootcamp equipment.
Medicine Balls and Slam Balls
These Boot Camp essentials allow a variety of movements that can support workouts for muscle building and weight loss. Exercises such as medicine ball squats are a great whole-body exercise that you can practice in your session. The same goes with slam balls.
Agility Ladder
This is yet another versatile piece of equipment that needs to make it to any Boot Camp packing list. Like cones, they are also very versatile and allow a variety of exercises. They are most effective for those who are trying to develop coordination and body control or to provide an up-tempo and rhythmic feel to a workout. If you have a group personal trainer, they will be able to customize a set of agility ladder workouts that meets the common requirements of your workout group.
Jump Rope
This is a simple and portable piece of equipment that is a must-have if you and your friends are considering an outdoor Bootcamp. In general, they are extremely effective for cardio but depending on your teams’ fitness requirement, they can be used for other exercises as well.
Sandbags
Your Bootcamp workout with your gym buddies is incomplete without the timeless sandbags. Using sandbags helps with stabilizing the muscles as the unstable load of them forces more muscles to activate when performing movements. The most advantageous feature of this essential is that anybody from a beginner to an athlete can benefit greatly from them.
Weighted Vest
A weighted vest automatically overloads the body and adds sufficient resistance to a workout. It helps you increase the force at which you exert yourself during a workout, leading to faster energy depletion and equally fast results. They are a great essential to carry if your team Bootcamp session is focused on more intensity and has participants who are very advanced.
Kettlebells
They are equipment that fits almost any Bootcamp routine and are easily portable. Kettlebells come in many weights so make sure to take one that suits you and your gym buddies. One of the common goals of a Bootcamp session is to lose weight while strengthening the body, and kettlebells allow just that.
Apart from these, some personal trainers may also recommend other types of essentials you need to have to make your boot camp workouts effective, according to your goals.
