Day 4
The final morning of Bootcamp and by 6am I'm ready and dressed downstairs. Yawns keep coming and I can't stop them but knowledge that it's the final day keeps my feet plodding on. We're to weigh in first- and everyone is nervous and excited- ready for our results.
Considering its only been three days we know we can't expect miracles, but I still decide to hold off on the fruit juice till I've had my turn on the scales- every little counts. Gasps flood back to me as stats come in- one lady has lost 7 inches and 4 pounds, and it's the inches that really count in this game.
My turn on the scales and its revealed I've lost 1.5 pounds- not a huge amount, but that works out as half a pound a day and my waist is one inch thinner! My thighs have got bigger though, but we were warned this might happen- the extra circulation of the blood vessels due to the heavy exercise causes them to swell- but it is temporary.
I'm ready to go back to bed when we're told to meet in the field and I endure an hour of running up and down the hill carrying weighted balls and boxes. This is where a goods sports bra come sin really useful, and my trust Shock Absorber copes well with all the bouncing around. We do this exercise in teams, and the encouragement of the other girls really helps me drive one heavy foot in front of the other. The camaraderie spirit is really nice- some girls came in pairs and most alone, but you really start to feel like you've connected as a group. The oldest is 43 and the youngest is 23, though we've been told the eldest before was 57 and the youngest 18 (for legal reasons). It's very s strange to think that it's a Monday and weekend had passed without any booze or lie ins, but it does make me feel like the rest of the week will just fly by.
Breakfast is next- a bowl of porridge steaming in the sun and there's a lot of banter flowing as everyone starts talking about their plans for home. The two brides to be are thinking about their wedding and I'm just imagining going back and having a massage followed by some quality boyfriend time- they've packed so much into our couple of days it feels like we've been gone forever!
Our final activity is a group exercise in a field with tires of varying weights numbered 1-5 and we need to carry them across the field in order- but with the lightest number always at the top to different checkpoints. It's an interesting logic game and we soon find out who are the natural leaders in the group- and learn more about how we handles tasks under pressure. I've learnt that I'm more of a thinker than a leader and that it takes me a little while to be accustomed to a task whilst you see others automatically assume control full of get up and go from the minute the task is assigned- perhaps this is why I'm so crap at crosswords but so good at Scrabble? Hmm.
We're given a pack lunch for the train, and with many hugs and email exchanges I'm off back to reality, slightly thinner, very tired and with renewed motivation to eat well and exercise more.
The verdict: Two Weeks on
The Ultimate Bootcamp weekend is tiring, strenuous and slightly soul crushing at times, but does fill you with energy, excitement and some real motivation. The staff are friendly and considerate and know just where the breaking point is and you learn that healthy food can be nutritious and delicious- just watch those portion sizes. It's a great way to kick-start a healthy eating and exercise plan as great care and attention is taken to stress how easy it is to do most of the training home, without fancy gyms and equipment, and getting the right technique is really important too.
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Questions I had after the camp were quickly answered on the forums, and all boot campers automatically get free access to the hidden area of the site which provides you with recipes, photos of your experience and emails of the staff for any queries regarding to training or diet that you may have.
They also have a section where you can view photos of your experience, and as it's members only there's no risk that other people will be able to laugh at the strange faces you were pulling.
To try Bootcamp for yourself check out Ultimate Bootcamp here. Prices start at £495 for weekend and £1275 for a week with all food and actrivities included, as well as aftercare and support. There are locations around the country, with more opening up soon.