It’s been quite a while since I had any photos to put up of us working out. There’s been shots taken I’m sure, but my face is probably too “OMG IT’S HOT” for them to ever wind up on the website. ;) So I decided to get one of the Fitness Battalion trainers (thanks, Patrick!) to take photos today of Ryan and I working out as well as of our friend, Dan, to give you all a little taste of what we do. Hopefully you’ll see the results, too!
First off, we always start out with the same warm-up. It’s lunge steps for each leg followed by 15 squats, 15 sit-ups, a plank hold (varies from 30-60 seconds), and 15 push ups. This routine is performed twice to help warm up the body and get the heart rate started. In this heat, it doesn’t take much. Even today – where it barely hit 89 degrees – it can still be brutal with the humidity and the smog. Previous workouts can also make this more difficult, as I found out today when my arms were still mad at me for previous going-ons in the week. Sorry arms!
Next we do a buy-in. This could be almost anything that takes 2-4 minutes roughly. Sometimes it’s 2 minute maximum push ups, other times it’s tabata knee-to-elbow sit-ups. Tabata is where we go for 20 seconds without stopping if you can followed by 10 seconds of rest over a 4 minute period (so eight rounds). It can be rough depending on the tabata, and today my already flailing arms decided that mountain climbers were not my friend. The legs loved it; the arms… not to much. Too bad I can’t do those balanced on my face…
Now it’s on to the real work out!

Sorry, there’s no way to look cute trying to do sit-ups, haha
Our first work out today was 8 minutes of 20 tuck jumps followed by 20 sit-ups. You just keep doing the reps until time is called, and typically we finish whatever we started. Sometimes that’s okay, but do I hate it when I start burpees and have to finish all 10 or something… ;)

Dueling tuck jumpers Ryan and Dan! Catching air, yeah! Either that or Ryan’s trying to sit on my head…
We had a second work out today that consisted of 8 minutes of 10 push ups (FULL – no knees!), 10 bench dips, 10 step ups, and 10 squats. Talk. About. Brutal. In a good way! I had to do the “easier” wall push ups, but I think part of it is that I’m short and worried about face planting into the concrete wall. Confidence is key…

There is typically a cash out at the end. Today was supposed to be running back to base, but we skipped that and went right into stretches. This could be because of a time constraint, though sometimes it’s obvious we’re beat so we get cut a break. Only on run cash out days; if it’s another tabata or something, it gets done! Stretches are nice. I used to hate stretching. Now I cherish every moment these muscles can catch a break and get some relief from a job well done.

Daaaaaaaaaaaaw. Ignore all the sweat; it’s stinky.
That’s a boot camp afternoon! It’s rough sometimes, particularly with this heat, but Ryan and I are anxious to see what we’re able to do once the weather calms down a bit in the fall. By then we hope to actually be moved over to the gym where apparently yelling and pushing is a lot more… forceful, but only in the nicest, loving, move your butt kind of way. Funny that boot camp is mild and sweet, but friends at the gym say those trainers won’t let you waste a minute whining! Perhaps I’m not ready yet… I survive many a boot camp work out by, um, whining my way through it. Coping mechanism, you see. ;)
I was going to do a comparison photo with before and after boot camp, but I need to get a good photo together for that. Will work on it for a future post, but I can definitely see the results in my waistline, my legs, my arms… all these muscles I didn’t know I had are popping up to say hello. Holla!
Many thanks to Patrick for getting some shots for me! Been meaning to ask but kept forgetting… plus days with runs in them probably aren’t the best to capture my better side. ;)
Check out a video of everyone talking about how much they love boot camp here: Fitness Battalion Boot Camp