Is There Any Science To Say Weight Loss Boot Camps Actually Work?

By Howe Russ


If you were to ask one hundred people how to lose weight the chances are you'd get a lot of answers crediting fitness boot camps with the secret formula. After all, the HIIT workouts often found at these classes are great for fat loss.

Today we're going to answer the all-important question. Is there more to this training method than just being the next big fitness fad?

The one word answer is yes. However, there is more to this than meets the eye, as we will explain today. The reason it works is because the science behind it is proven and established. You see, despite all of the marketing claims that they are using the 'best kept secret in fitness' or that they have discovered a new formula yielding instant results, the foundation of a boot camp is built upon advice which is decades old.

If you walk into any well established gym these days you will see countless people applying the basic science of a boot camp workout to their gym session. High intensity circuits which incorporate both cardiovascular exercise and resistance training will cover all the bases you could hit at a boot camp.

Hang on a moment... If we're seriously telling you that the science behind boot camps is nothing new and has been used in gyms for decades, how come boot camps are billed as miracle solutions using the latest keep-fit secrets? It comes down to marketing. Notice that this type of class is usually associated with claims of instant weight loss and life-changing overnight results. It doesn't take long for the hype to get out of control.

Although a lot of the promotion behind these classes can be seen as misleading or exaggerating the foundation the training is built upon is solid. If you perform regular high intensity activity you will lose unwanted body fat. The reason it's billed as a miracle solution often comes down to the fact that it's targeted at people who have never exercised effectively before, so they quickly label it a 'miracle solution' and generate hype.

Make no mistake about it, there is no miracle formula at it's root. Despite all of the claims about instant fat loss and promises of increasing your fitness by 200%, the workouts themselves are basic, primal affairs which often stick to the old classic moves. In most cases you don't need any equipment at all.

It doesn't take long for serious fitness enthusiasts to realize they don't need to keep attending a boot camp class to get results. This is why the marketing is misleading and targeted at people looking for a quick fix, because once a person finds their feet they realize they can get just as good a workout by themselves for half the price in a gym or at home. This means the boot camp class needs to find new clients quickly in order to survive. The only area where they really have an advantage over conventional methods is the group atmosphere which some people place huge importance on.

Ultimately, boot camps are a mixed bag. While the science behind their HIIT workouts is sound, if you ask a boot camp trainer how to lose weight you're not going to get a miracle answer and the marketing behind the whole gimmick often discredits it's product. While you could certainly get the same physical results by yourself, if you place a huge importance on working out in a group atmosphere then boot camps could be just what you're looking for.




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