A Cambridge boot camp post by Callie Durbrow
37 Summer Fitness Boot Camp Tips
Here we are in the heat of the summer, are you still a little shy about going to the beach or wearing those tops that might show off your arms a little bit?
Fear not, I’ve got some awesome tips for you to help kick start the rest of your summer and get you rolling in a permanent state of happy, healthy and lean.
You have probably heard my favorite saying, fat loss is SIMPLE but it’s not EASY. The thing about that is that you have to put in some serious work, but you really only have to focus on a few key things in order to see the success and results.
Here are 37 awesome boot camp and training tips for you to starting implementing N.O.W……
1. Full body circuits are a must when it comes to fat loss. No body building type workouts here where you work one muscle group at a time.
2. Drink lots of water. If you are even 1-2% dehydrated it can affect your fat loss as well as your brain function. Drink 1/2 of your body weight (in pounds) in ounces of water each day. Ex: 140 pound woman should drink 70 ounces of water.
3. You can’t out train a bad diet. Get your nutrition dialed in.
4. Most boot camps suck. Be sure to check out testimonials and credentials before you sign up.
5. Focus on 3 things- strength training, metabolic conditioning (intense cardio basically) and nutrition.
6. If you fall off the wagon on a Friday night or at a summer party, just get right back on and don’t beat yourself up.
7. Eat healthy 85% of the time. Give yourself a couple of cheat meals each week. Just don’t go nuts with this.
8. Measure your progress. At our Cambridge boot camps we track body fat and inches every 6 weeks.
9. Circuit training of your entire body leads to serious “after burn”….your metabolism is still cranked up and this can stay up for close to 36 hours. If you are at boot camp every 2-3 days you will eventually reset your metabolism to burn at this level consistently.
10. Eat protein with every meal.
11. Eat every 3-4 hours.
12. Kick the long, steady-state cardio. Interval bursts like jump rope, sprints, Kettlebell swings and stadium sprints at Harvard are awesome for fat loss.
13. Always use a coach or a mentor to lead you to success. I use a coach for my business and it’s a game-changer.
14. Be honest with yourself. Stop coming up with excuses because there will never be a perfect time.
15. Get outside of your comfort zone. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable because the real success comes when you do things you pretty much think you could never do.
16. Sleep 7-9 hours per night. Lack of sleep can raise cortisol levels which can lead to more fat storage, especially in the belly area.
17. If you want results, you workouts MUST be intense.
18. Stop complaining. No one cares.
19. Abs are made in the kitchen. No amount of crunches can help you get a toned stomach, you just have to straight up lose the fat.
20. Burn fat faster with multi-muscle group exercises such as lunges, squats, kettlebell swings, battle ropes, push ups, rows.
21. Have fun. People are WAY too serious. Just loosen up.
22. Have fun AND be active. I play basketball as a fun way to stay in shape.
23. The laws of attraction are for real. Be positive and give back and you’ll get things back to you 10 fold.
24. Visualize your success like you already have it. Don’t just say “I want to lose weight.” Visualize your ideal body, how you are going to work out to achieve it and even what the boot camp workout will look like. Do this every day. Your brain can not decipher between real and imagined, so make that imagined stuff actually real.
25. Nothing happens overnight. You need to get your body and mind into good habits so be patient.
26. If you think you are getting “bulky” that just means you are not losing fat as fast as you are getting muscle on your body, so kick up the nutrition. You will lean out in no time.
27. Don’t drink your calories. Water is #1.
28. Take a multi-vitamin and fish oil every day.
29. Change your workouts to avoid boredom and plateau. I used to see people at the gym doing the same workout literally for years. Did they look different? No way. Our boot camp workouts get switched up every day so you are always changing but still able to progress and learn with the major exercises.
30. Your workouts should not last more than 1 hour. Maybe a few minutes longer to stretch and cool down, but if it’s longer than that you aren’t working hard enough.
31. Avoid most fitness classes at the gym. They are fun but very ineffective in helping your burn fat.
32. There is no perfect plan, just stick to the basics.
33. Put yourself in the company of people who have already achieved what you want. Everyone lives up to the expectations of people around them. Don’t surround yourself with negative and lazy people.
34. Eat lots of fruit and veggies.
35. Write down your goals.
36. Skip the starchy carbs when you go out to eat. Protein and veggies should dominate your plate.
37. Bask in your success, but only for a minute. If you hit a milestone then congratulate yourself, buy a new outfit and then get back to business.
Start applying these tips to your life TODAY. Just make a change or two each week and begin working on your attitude and mindset and you’ll see amazing things happen.