The #1 Piece Missing From Your Bootcamps
Mike Whitfield, CTT
Author, Bootcamp Finishers
“I’m going to write a Bootcamp finisher so awesome for the Turbulence Training Summit that even when someone just reads it, their clothes will immediately feel looser.”
That was something I posted on Craig Ballantyne’s Facebook wall a few days before the TT Summit this past year.
The night before the first Bootcamp workout, Craig asked me about the finisher I was planning on unleashing on over 50 fitness trainers and Bootcamp coaches after the training. I replied, “I’m still deciding.” I narrowed it down to 3, and I was torn.
Finally, as I looked at my laptop, I made the decision.
For the first time, I would reveal the infamous “3’s Company” Bootcamp Finisher to people other than my Bootcamp clients. It was time I tested it with other Bootcamp coaches worldwide.
Rick was even part of the workout; honestly, we both were sweating within minutes of just doing the warmup. (Comment from Rick – Yup.)
This workout was going to be what I call in the south a “doozy.”
Here is a clip from the Bootcamp Finisher:
Twenty-five minutes had passed, and all the trainers and Bootcamp coaches were dripping with sweat and smiling faces. Craig then gave me the nod that it was time.
As I explained how this Bootcamp finisher worked, I got some smiles and some crazy looks. Something as unique as this was not used by these coaches. When I told them they would perform just three reps of each exercise in the circuit, I could hear their thoughts. It was undoubtedly a crazy set and rep scheme.
“3 reps? Isn’t that too easy?”
But less than 30 seconds into the finisher, they soon changed their minds, and you will, too.
Ensure that this Bootcamp finisher is completed at the END of the main workout. This grand finale will smoke everyone, and it’s a good “high” to end on.
No, do not do drugs. Do boot camp finishers.
Here is the infamous “3’s Company” Bootcamp Finisher:
Do the following circuit as many times as possible in 3 minutes, resting ONLY when needed. Your campers can relax when they need to, but the clock will continue to tick:
Burpee/Spiderman Pushup Combo (3)
Lunge Jumps (3/side)
X-Body Mountain Climber (3/side)
Good times? You know it. You can watch the chaos unfold by seeing this finisher live, thanks to Rick’s genius idea of recording it at the Summit:
That finisher I designed uses the density method. That’s fancy saying, “Ha, dude, that’s awesome.” It is – looks it up.
Seriously – the density method is a fantastic method to use with Bootcamp finishers because it accomplishes two things:
1. It allows you to do a lot of volume in a little bit of time, so your campers get better results in less time
2. It allows your campers to go at their own pace
What is the Density Method?
The density method is when you set up a circuit or superset with a certain amount of reps for each exercise and a certain amount of time (see above). However, you can also set up a certain amount of time for each activity, and you do as many reps as possible in that given time.
Honestly? Your campers will find it addicting. That means they keep coming back for more. That’s the idea.
I soon discovered the number one piece missing from my boot camps was not using finishers with my boot camps. I’ve always used them with my one-on-one clients, but I never figured out how to use them with my commands.
Then, I started to experiment with the density method and other ways to use them with boot camps to make the workouts more addicting. Sure enough, after getting campers’ feedback, I was doing:
- Density Finishers
- Gauntlet Style Finishers
- Partner Finishers
- Finisher Challenges
- Finisher Games
Soon, I had to move my boot camps to the high school up the street. My reputation for my finishers was spreading, and I had a complete Bootcamp, during the summer, at 6 am.
Awesome.
Biggest Hurdle in Bootcamp Finishers
The biggest hurdle you will find when using Bootcamp finishers is that people in your camp can have individual fitness levels. So that’s how the density method can work well. The next thing you implement is timed sets. That way, your campers can do what they can in that time frame.
You may have one camper that can knock out jump squat after jump squat in 30 seconds, while others may have to take a breather or two. That’s why timed sets are the winner.
But the bottom line is that the crazy methods (like the density approach) and more can bring a refreshing “recharge” to your boot camps when using crazy but effective finishers. It’s like interval training on caffeine, lots of caffeine.
The short rest periods and the zany set and rep schemes are the perfect grand finales your Bootcamp workouts are missing to get your clients addicted to working out and generating ongoing referrals.
And when your clients are addicted, they come back. And when they come back, they get better results, and that’s what we are here for.
“But Mike, I don’t have the time to sit down and write some crazy and unique finishers to use with my boot camps” – Imaginary Person.
Calm down, imaginary person. I have you covered. I wrote a bunch of done-for-you Bootcamp finishers right here, and I even designed some main Bootcamp workouts just for you.
“Mike, you rock. The world needs more chrome-topped fitness pros like you” – Imaginary Person # 2.
Thanks, Imaginary Person # 2; that means a lot, even knowing I typed that myself.
To your Bootcamp business success,
Mike Whitfield, CTT
Author, Bootcamp Finishers
