The Biggest Mistake That “Bootcamp” Fitness Programs Make

The biggest mistake that I see "bootcamp" fitness programs make is that that's the only thing that they do.

They only do high intensity circuits.  Nothing else.

Your Workout Program Has To Change

If your TV only had one channel, you'd be bored to tears.

If you only had day time, it would be hard to sleep.  If you only had night time, it would be hard to snowboard.

Your workout program has to change.  It has to change like seasons.

The technical term that most trainers use is "periodization".  A fat loss program is more effective when it has the proper periodization.  I prefer the analogy of seasons.

You can't argue with the seasons.  Likewise, you can't argue with how your workout program has to change.

Your sets and reps have to change every 3-6 weeks. 

If you're doing high intensity circuits, you should cycle off of that every 3-6 weeks.  High intensity circuits should be a phase, not what you do forever.

The Stubborn Seven Pounds has two phases.  They aren't "beginning" and "advanced", it's more like "winter" and "summer".  And, much like winter and summer, you could repeat them as a cycle.

My next book, Fighter Workouts for Fat Loss, has eight phases.  It's a more sophisticated cycle.  It's more fun. It's also coming very, very soon.  I know, people keep asking "When?" All I can say is that it will be very soon.  It will come with 24 videos, and right now I'm filming 3 videos per week to try and get it complete.

All Great Workout Programs…

All great fitness programs have phases or cycles.  All great trainers take their clients through different cycles or phases.  That's what makes great workout programs instead of just great workouts.

In fact, the way I know a trainer is good or not – are they talking about "workouts" or are they talking about "programs"?

It's one of the reasons that people with trainers get better results than people who don't have trainers.  All great trainers take their clients through different phases, whether it's Harley Pasternak, Alwyn Cosgrove, Gunnar Peterson, P90X, Holly Rigsby, Craig Ballantyne, Valerie Waters…  or of course Josh Hillis.

Just remember these 2.5 rules about workout programs:

1.) Intelligently changing your workouts will get you better results from your workouts.

2.) Planning to push your workouts hard sometimes and then back off other times will get you better results from your workouts.

2.5) You just can't push the same way, the same sets and reps, the same intensity all the time.  If you want the highest level of results possible, it's gotta change.

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Josh News:

I have a problem with over committing myself.  I'm taking too many courses and certifications this year. 

I'm addicted to learning about fitness.  When I found this whole Z-Health thing, I found an entire course of study I'd never even considered before.  I felt like – "I need to know EVERYTHING yesterday!"

And I'm addicted to writing books.  I'm finishing up one book, and I have three more already outlined.  I feel guilty for not having all of them written already.

But there's a cost to that.  People ask me, "What did you do this weekend?"  And I'm like "Ummmm…  worked on my book."  I've gotten so caught up in needed to learn everything now, and create everything now, that I'm missing out on normal chill time and hanging out.  I'm out of balance.  And I'm frustrated.

So I'm really taking on that there is nothing to do, and no where to get.

I don't need to know everything right this minute, I can take a leisurely amount of time to learn the things I'm committed to learning.  I don't need to be stressed out and down on myself that I don't know everything already, because I'm on track to learn it.  On top of that, there's nothing missing right now – I'm already really good at what I do.

In reality, I've hit all of the career benchmarks that I used to think would be the "end all be all ultimate for my career".  And it just made me feel like I had to do more.  So I'm going to enjoy being exactly where I'm at.

So right now I'm cutting projects, I'm keeping the certifications/seminars that I have scheduled for this year (four), but I'm committed to not adding anything new.  In terms of books, I have one more I need to write…  but it's short!  And I won't start until October.

It's opened up for me to be able to kick back and chill with my wife, and not have to think about business.

Instead of signing up for a another seminar (which I had planned to do), my wife and I just bought tickets to The Mile High Music Festival, with Tom Petty, Dave Matthews, The Flobots, and Michael Franti with Spearhead.

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By Josh Hillis
Author of How To Lose The Stubborn Seven Pounds

Josh is currently finishing up his second book Fighter Workouts for Fat Loss

Josh is a fat loss expert, a kettlebell instructor and personal trainer in Denver, Colorado.  Josh helps women and men lose stubborn fat.

"I've seen more results in 6 weeks training with Josh than I saw in the previous two years working out on my own" -Stephanie Weis

For information about kettlebell classes in Denver, click here:
www.denver-kettlebell-bootcamp.com

© Joshua Hillis 2008