Boot Camp

Docs_yogamat_bootcamp

I walk into the class room, feeling a little more arrogant
than warranted.

I’ve got this, I think to myself.  I’m a distance runner. I’m a yogi.

I’m a total badass.

How challenging can this actually be, I wonder, feeling more
smug than curious.  

The Boot Camp classes at the studio where I teach yoga are
the most popular classes, by far.  They
are so popular, that registration is required in advance so that you are guaranteed
a spot.

One class is offered immediately after my Tuesday night Fight
Club
, and every week, I head to my car, as the instructor pushes exercise
balls, stair risers, and free weights into the middle of the room. 

"I have to try Boot Camp," I say to the instructor, as I exit
the studio.

“You should,” she says, with a wicked smile, before turning
back to her army of Boot Camp regulars, with a stop watch in her hand.

One evening, I decide to stay.  My running has come to a standstill this
summer due to injuries, and I am craving movement, faster movement than I
endure through a yoga practice.  I question
if boot camp can answer this need, but I’m skeptical.  I have never quite trusted “fitness trends,”
and exercise for me, has always been about more than shaping my butt or burning
fat.  I crave challenge, but a challenge that
will help me believe in myself and my own strength, both outer and inner, a belief
which in yoga, has helped transform my life “off the mat” as well as on.

We begin with two minutes of jumping rope.

Which is a LOT, just so you know.

We move onto one minutes sets of burpees, followed by
mountain climbers, and pushups.

By five minutes, I’m panting uncontrollably.

Planks, lunges with weights, and more jumping rope follows.  

By eight minutes, I run out to the lobby for more water.

I perform my second, 1-minute set of burpees in slow motion because
that is the only pace that guarantees I will last the entire sixty seconds.  

The sweat is dripping down my face and accumulates into a
puddle on the floor.

We do squat holds against the wall, holding ten pound
weights.  By the last fifteen seconds, my
legs are shaking.

We do bridge with the exercise ball underneath our
calves.  By the last fifteen seconds, my
glutes are twitching.

More pushups, more burpees, more mountain climbers, more
jumping rope, more squats…

We begin to cool down.

We stretch. We do abdominal crunches, which almost feel easy, after what came before
them. I drink a ton of water.  I wipe my
sweat drenched face with a towel. 

I go to my car and sit for a good three minutes, not moving.

Because it feels really good to not move after all the work
I did in Boot Camp.

My inner bad ass yogi runner is humbled big time.

She has a lot to learn about getting into shape.

I guess that means I’ll have to go back for more.

Have you ever tried a boot camp class?

What did you think?

Namaste, Divas!

©2012 Ilene Evans 

Comments

Boot Camp — 9 Comments

  1. Oh yeah – I did my first class in May after I bought a month-long boot class Groupon at the urging of a friend. The class booted my butt and showed me a thing or ten about my fitness level. I felt proud of myself for trying something new. Then didn’t return after my month was up – not my thing, but happy I tried it. I hope you feel proud of yourself for trying it, especially after you had just finished fight club! Grrrrr – you’re a fighter all right! I’m signing up for an 8 week boot camp class beginning in October with some school moms, just to be social and meet some new people. We’ll see … loved your writing on this (as usual)!

  2. Thank you, Mary! It was a huge change for me! And it totally revealed to me in very humbling ways where I need to strengthen. It’s almost as if, what yoga has made strong is very strong, but other muscles have been neglected…and those were the ones which hurt like hell the next day!
    That’s cool that you are giving Boot Camp another try. Might we see a post from you on it come October? Have fun!!!

  3. And I’d like to see a boot-camper try a slow and steady yoga practice. I’d like to see one of them hold and breathe thru some of the more difficult poses..wouldn’t you?!?!?
    Good for you for breaking out of the familiar and trying something new!!!

  4. Ok, I’m sitting here smirking and giggling because I THOUGHT THE EXACT SAME THING!!! OMG kicked my booty for sure. You figure that you can do 1 minute of anything, right? It’s not that long and come one, we’re run marathons! Can hold ridiculous yoga poses for long periods of time! HA! Bootcamp and HIIT are a completely different beast. And humbling as you say.
    I’m glad that you stayed to try it though and did something different. Are you going to go back? 😉
    How’s your injury by the way?

  5. Marice, I am loving boot camp! Sometimes, I am content doing yoga only and other times I have that great need to be physical. Boot camp challenges me and is fun – which is nice. A lot of the boot campers at the studio also do yoga! It’s great to see them practicing both ends of the spectrum!

  6. I am definitely going back! I have even made a little makeshift boot camp at home so I can boot camp when I can’t get to a class!
    You nailed it when you said they are completely different animals! And so humbling!
    My foot is doing OK – not great but better…

  7. Burpees are evil aren’t they? I’ve been thinking about doing another boot camp class myself but I’ve been too busy (read- too scared!) to attend. I had one boot camp session with a trainer last month and it was so incredible…even though I threw up after, lol. I usually do HIIT which I absolutely love, but this kind of workout takes things to a whole new level. That’s great that you’re setting up your own camp at home- hope your injuries get better! And thanks for sharing a great blog btw. Found you through SITS and it’s been awesome reading such great stories. 🙂