As you know, we have 3 levels of programming at Bootcamp Effect.
These 3 levels are designed to encompass the varied experiences and abilities that comprise our bootcamp membership.
I’m proud of this progression. It allows our members to choose an intensity level that is appropriate for them and enable them to advance when ability permits and regress when injury is evident.
I would define the 3 levels as follows:
Fundamentals – perfect for beginners, anyone managing an injury concern or muscle imbalance (when tight muscles cause other muscles/joints to feel pain), or anyone that is still working on perfecting technique.
Fitness – for those healthy individuals that have no visible injury concerns and have progressed from the fundamentals due to strength and coordination improvements. Should begin working on mobility and exercise recovery techniques before and/or after workouts.
Befit – for healthy and injury free individuals who are close to or have met their weight loss goal and are seeking improvements in strength and performance. Due to the intensity and exercise selection of these workouts, should be able to move competently with bodyweight exercises and are working on mobility and exercise recovery techniques daily. These workouts are not for everyone, nor should it be a goal for everyone to progress to this level due to the more competitive nature of the programming.
All workouts are designed for fat loss with the befit being more skewed towards the person who has met or is close to their weight loss goal and would like to build more muscle.
And as always…
“We train for strength, eat for fat loss.”
Regardless of which level you do, if you have a weight loss goal, you have to be looking at your nutritional habits.
I wanted to write this post as a reminder. A reminder that if you are not choosing the appropriate workout for you then that is when you get banged up, injured, slowed down…
And if you are doing a certain level and 1 exercise is not appropriate for you, then please modify it or ask a trainer to modify that exercise for you. Please don’t grind through it because you think you have to.
We should feel workouts in the muscles. Not the joints.
Example #1 – If you are a female doing befit, and don’t want to build your trap muscles, then I would stay away from deadlift to high pull, and go lighter on shoulder presses and push presses.
Example #2 – If you are doing the fitness or befit level and your back is tender, your si joint is jammed or the exercise does not feel right or comfortable, you can do a few options…
Option 1 – you can decrease the weight so that it is easy, and reestablish good form, go slow and work the right muscles. Over time this will ingrain the correct movement pattern, activate the right muscles and help to balance out your body so that you can eventually go heavier and challenge yourself more.
The same thing happened to me 2 years ago with deadlifts.
Does this sound familiar or sound like you?
If so, go lighter, do a few more reps and listen to your body!
Option 2 – you can stretch out your glutes and hamstrings and come back to the exercise and see how you feel.
MAY I REMIND YOU THAT THE BEFIT LEVEL IS NOT THE RIGHT LEVEL FOR YOU IF YOU ARE MANAGING AN INJURY OR ISSUE.
Now onto weight loss results. You don’t have to do the fitness option or the befit option to get the best weight loss results.
Example #3 – Cathleena and Ryan, the only 2 individuals in Bootcamp Effect history to lose over 100lbs with us, have strictly achieved these results while doing the fundamentals workout.
They both came to us with a few issues and injuries from the get go and have been smart in consistently working on building a great foundation, working on mobility and tissue quality and eating for fat loss.
And my gosh, they have been consistent! To date (June 6, 23 weeks into the year), they have worked out 140 and 123 times respectively (That’s 6x and 5.4x/week). When you are not beating up your joints, you can be more consistent with your workout frequency and get better results.
IT IS ALWAYS BETTER FOR WEIGHT LOSS TO DO MORE WORKOUTS RATHER THAN HAVING 1 OR 2 KILLER WORKOUTS EACH WEEK.
Consistency is more important than intensity.
Get momentum, be consistent, do more fundamentals when you aren’t feeling good.
Example # 4 – Many of you have seen me working out within the befit programming. Recently, an old groin issue has been bothering me and it is starting to affect my SI joint and I’m actually modifying the fundamentals workouts and making them easier for myself on the lower body days. Focussing on more core, stretching, and doing some glute activation with clams, 1 leg hip ext holds etc… I’m actually doing an easier version of the fundamentals workout – which is ok! On upper body days, I feel good, so I do befit (but still modifying the workout with knees to elbows on Tuesday… I didn’t need that stress on my back that day, so I skipped that exercise completely).
You are absolutely welcome to do this! We don’t want you to grind through joint issues. We want you to feel better so that you be consistent.
1 step back 2 steps forward.
If you have an issue that is bothering you, email me here, speak with me at the gym, or leave a comment below.
Committed to your success,
Josh Saunders, Bsc, CSCS
The Bootcamp Effect
