In the past few years, the fitness industry has seen an increase in military style workout programs called fitness boot camps. These programs are short in duration and usually last about 4 weeks with 2-5 sessions per week.

The main goal is to get you in the best shape possible in the least amount of time. Most of the programs are offered to everyone, while others cater exclusively to women only. A fitness boot camp for women can be a great way to get back into shape while having fun at the same time.

Here are 10 great reasons and benefits to join a fitness boot camp for women:

1). Get motivated and get going, perfection is the lowest standard. Any women think they have to “be in shape” to join a Boot Camp which is absolutely not true.

2). Some women are self-conscious of their body image prior to joining. Weight loss and maintaining a healthy lifestyle are important, but just as important is finding a comfortable environment to workout.

3). They provide women with the time to bond and share common interests that they may not experience with non group workout classes. Women can feel comfortable joining solo or with their friends.

4). Women tend to be less competitive than men; therefore, the atmosphere in the boot camp workouts while serious tend to be more relaxed.

5). The nature of program is very focused and goal-oriented. Making a boot camp into a routine with the same group of people over time means that everyone is motivated to attain their fitness goals..

6). Fitness boot camps for tend to be more welcoming and less intimidating for women of all shapes and sizes.

7). You can have fun getting into shape and work towards your goal of either being healthier or losing weight. They can be held indoors or outdoors for maximum workout benefits.

8). If you don’t exercise regularly, jump start your fitness by getting into a routine and making it a regular part of your lifestyle. Women have busy lives and it’s difficult to make time for themselves. Making a regular fitness class over time will help you achieve a more balanced lifestyle in the long-term.

9). It’s a great way to make new friends and network with one another.

10). Aspire to the next level. Once you achieve success with your first workout, you’ll want to take your newly found fitness level and try a more advanced workout. This prevents your body from plateauing and ensures that you continue to push your body to get even more results. Once you start, don’t stop!

In the end, my advice is to first check out the camp you are interested. Do the play music during your session to make the program more fun? (Imagine working out to dead silence-for an hour!). Above all, you should look for an instructor who makes you feel motivated, encouraged, and energized. For some, this may mean a military type style workout. For others, it may be something less overwhelming. Find something that suits your comfort zone, get started, and train safe!

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All New Boot Camp at 530 am Serving Mount Pleasant, Bowness,West Hillhurst,Right near Sait.

Do you want to:
Reduce your body fat
Get greatly improved posture
Have better relaxation
Take off 5-30 pounds of fat
Get a 1-6 inch decrease in the midsection
See a 25% improvement in endurance
See a 25% increase in strength
And have all of this after only 30 days, You Can!!

Have fun and get in great shape!
Can you really afford not to be healthy?
Are you looking for a jump-start to your fitness program?
Then this adventure is for you! Whether you are a beginner,
an avid fitness enthusiast or just tired of the same routine
come try this whole new approach to exercise…fun!
Have a truly great day , everything is possible!
support@FitnessBootcampsCanada.com
Allan Fine / Fitness/ Lifecoach FitnessBootcampsCanada
Phone: 403-246-7386
1-866-308-0606
Mountain Standard Time
http://www.fitnessbootcampscanada.com

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Instructors shuffle exercises between cardio and muscle building, and participants foster camaraderie not found in gyms.

When the New Year's resolution calls for getting in shape fast, joining a gym and pushing yourself hard every day probably won't happen. What will work? Having someone scream, "Drop and give me 20!"

Fitness boot camps may be one of the fastest ways to go from zero to fit. The setup is simple enough: A trainer leads a group of clients through an intense hour of cardio and functional-strength training. The secret lies in the circuit-style workout that toggles between cardio and muscle building. This leaves little if any down time, and the shuffling of routines prevents boredom and exercise ruts. For people willing to put in the work, boot camps enable exercisers to see results quickly, the better to stay motivated.

"It's a very efficient workout because you're working your whole body in a short period of time," says Cedric Bryant, chief science officer for the American Council on Exercise. "It's fun, and the exercises are different, so you're not going to get bored."

Los Angeles-based actor Ed Stanley made his New Year's resolution to get fit a year ago, joining Boot Camp L.A., a nearly decade-old program that takes place six days a week at the park by the Page Museum on the Miracle Mile. Stanley wasn't happy with the ever-increasing size of his waist.

"I knew that I needed to be accountable," he says. "But I didn't expect it to be fun. It's challenging, but it's also fun."

He now takes pride in pushing himself to achieve athletic goals he didn't think possible. "I never thought of myself as an athlete," he says. "But I ran a 5K within a month of starting boot camp. And I thought, 'I really have to start looking at what I tell myself.' "

Stanley says he lost about 15 pounds in two months. "After about three weeks, I looked in the mirror and noticed my body was starting to transform."

Teammates

Boot camps have some special features. Many are held outdoors and often incorporate common environmental features such as stairs or ledges for cardio as well as functional exercises using only body weight or free weights. Encouragement comes not just from the instructor but also from the other participants, who cheer and clap for fellow campers. And people are often paired or grouped for friendly competitions, fostering a camaraderie and support not usually found in regular fitness classes.

That camaraderie strengthens with time, establishing accountability, something fitness experts say is essential for sticking with a program. After you establish a presence in the program, other participants expect you to show up — and they may call if you don't. While some people sign up for only one or two monthlong sessions to get in decent shape before moving onto other sports and activities, others stay for years. Weight loss depends on diet, metabolism and how much effort is put into class, but can be maintained by continuing to take part in boot camp, or segueing into something else.

"It definitely helps push people," says Allan Fine, Fitness Boot Camps Canada founder in Calgary Alberta. "If we're doing stair drills and someone is tired, someone else will say, 'Let's go slowly, and I'll go with you.' "

"I've seen people say, 'I'll see you here tomorrow' — and they shake on it," says Fine, who has been at the helm of FBCC's Bootcamp in Calgary since 2004. He's expanded his boot camp to other locations (where sessions are led by other instructors) and a series of DVDs, but he still commands the troops at his indoor studio, putting men and women through their grueling but enthusiastic paces every day.

"Boot camp means commitment," Fine says. "You can join a gym and not go, but if you sign up for boot camp for a month it tells you where to be five days a week. The workout is hard, but you could never do this on your own. You can't go to the gym and duplicate this."

Some newcomers, or potential newcomers, are intimidated by the programs. Fine says they shouldn't be.

Classes are filled with many first-timers or people who haven't exercised in a while, especially in January, he points out. "This is not triathlete boot camp; this is regular-people boot camp. If you were in great shape, you'd be the trainer," says Fine, adding he modifies exercises for those with bad knees or weak backs.

Boot camps do share one thing with other fitness programs: muscle soreness.

That probably can't be avoided, but, Fine says, it shouldn't be bad enough to derail fitness plans. "The fact is, if you haven't done anything, there's no way around being sore. It's something everyone has to go through. But if you're feeling like you can't get out of bed, you can. The first week is the worst week, but after that you're going to feel great. Take a couple of Advil."

Despite the moniker, most boot camps aren't anything like the real deal. Instructors may be tough and demanding, but we don't call clients "maggot" and push people until they vomit.

Fine has a 22 year background as a Fitness and life coach.

Old dogs, new tricks

Boot camps have become such an indelible part of the fitness culture, having proved their get-you-into-shape-fast effectiveness over the last decade or so, they've spawned a host of variations. Boot camps take advantage of the sand and water; bridal boot camps help brides fit into their gowns. Some are geared toward women, children or seniors, and others are sports-specific. Each location and instructor brings a different environment or atmosphere.

Finding a suitable boot camp may take a few tries — the setting may feel uncomfortable or the instructor might not be a good fit. If you'd really rather slug the instructor or if you're bored by him or her, the class won't do much good. Although instructors should do a health screening for new students, participants themselves should be up front about any injuries or chronic conditions.

Fine says boot camp is not something to be entered into lightly — preparation is key. "Make sure you get adequate rest and that you get adequate nutrition — those things are going to impact how enjoyable the actual workout is going to be."

He adds that über-competitive former athlete types may need to check their egos at the door. "They need to be man or woman enough to back off and not attempt to keep up with everyone. Maybe you don't do every exercise that everyone else is doing, and you can't be so prideful that you say, 'I'm going to do it even if it kills me.' "

"That you continue to show up and enjoy it is half the battle," Allan says. "It's hard, yes, but people are having a great time."

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Here is a reprint of a Canwest article I am in January 4th 2010

You can win the battle of the holiday bulge

By Martha Worboy, For Canwest News Service

This holiday season, Julia Grieve plans to keep her energy levels high and weight gain at bay with a little strategic planning that includes eating well and drinking plenty of water.

Photograph by: Hugh Wesley, Canwest News Service

This holiday season, Julia Grieve plans to keep her energy levels high and weight gain at bay. But don't think that the 38-year-old mother and chief executive officer of Preloved — a popular line of redesigned vintage clothing — intends to avoid holiday socializing.

With a little strategic planning that includes an early morning jog three times a week, Grieve aims to go out, eat right and feel great.

As a Toronto-based mother of three children under 10, Grieve says she has no time to feel sluggish.

"For me now, it's about how I feel. I can't feel hungover or bloated after a night out."

But she admits she didn't always plan towards a healthy holiday season.

"I always go to a lot of parties and I never used to think about it. But without fail, I would suffer in January. You put on five or 10 pounds and you don't really feel so great," she says.

Many people deal with the yuletide season by eating and drinking their way mindlessly through the holidays, according to Nicole Springle, a registered dietitian at Cleveland Clinic Canada in Toronto.

Alternatively, they'll rationalize their eating in ways that are counter to their bodies' needs.

"People will skip meals for a big meal," Springle says. "Or they'll go to a party after work and haven't had anything between lunch and the party. Then, they're starving so they'll fill up on high-calorie food."

Springle says it's important to eat regular, balanced meals and snacks throughout the day to maintain blood sugar levels and avoid cravings of the sweet and salty kind.

She encourages skipping the seasonal sweets and snacking regularly on protein mixed with complex, fibre-rich carbohydrates such as dried fruit and nuts or an apple and some low fat cheese, and sticking to the four food groups at meal time.

Calgary life coach and personal trainer Allan Fine suggests not only eating regularly but having a small meal before heading out to a party.

"If you show up hungry, your chances of overeating are huge," he says.

Fine also points out the common problem of sweets and leftovers from holiday festivities being passed around the workplace.

"People will give you tons of sweets this time of year. Have one or two, that's fine, but don't stand by the water cooler with a buddy eating a box of them," he says.

A little self-supervision can go a long way in the battle of the holiday bulge. But it's tough to stick to a plan when you're being pressured to consume for weeks on end.

What do you say to your mother-in-law during Christmas dinner when you haven't cleaned your plate?

"Tell her 'I'm stuffed, can I take it home?'" Fine says. "Don't worry about eating everything in one meal. The thing you want to avoid saying is 'I'm stuffed, roll me out of here.'"

And be prepared to plan ahead, says Springle.

"Allow yourself to have treats but think about it beforehand. How much will I have? What is OK? If you go in with one plan, it's easier to stick to."

But it's not all about the food we consume, it's also about the energy we burn off. And although people might struggle with the hectic pace of the holiday season, Fine says there's always time to integrate exercise into the mix.

"Don't wait until New Year's," Fine says. "There's no reason not to join a gym now."

If you're not a gym person, it's important to find other ways to stay active. Fine encourages people to join a group fitness program or hire a personal trainer instead.

Even if you hate formal exercise programs, there are still ways to keep your body moving.

Take the stairs in your office building instead of using the elevator and don't park close to work, Fine suggests.

The bottom line?

"Workout and take care of yourself so you can enjoy yourself when you want to," Fine says.

—

Party tips from registered dietitian Nicole Springle:

You're at a party and the food and drinks are coming at you in all directions. Rather than accept everything you're offered, follow these tips to make wise and waist-friendly choices — and still enjoy a few indulgences along the way.

- If you arrive at a party hungry, try to fill your plate initially with fruits and vegetables (this will help fill you up so you won't be tempted to eat too many truffles or tarts).

- A soup or a salad will also help fill you up at the beginning of a meal.

- At a cocktail party, don't stand by the appetizer table or you may find yourself eating mindlessly.

- Decide ahead of time what appetizers and desserts you're going to sample, and stick to your plan.

- Try not to eat off the trays at a buffet table, and limit yourself to one plate only.

- Be attentive to what you eat. Savour the food and enjoy it but don't just keep your hands busy while mingling.

- Monitor your drinking. Thirst is often mistaken for hunger.

- Alcoholic drinks can be high in calories. Pace yourself with water.

- The body takes about 20 minutes to feel full. If you're racing through your plate, you're not giving yourself time to feel full.

- Research shows the first bite and the last bite are the most enjoyable; the rest is filler. You probably don't need as much as you think.

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2010 is going to be a remarkable year. Lets face it 2009 was more than challenging as we just start to come out of the most recent worldwide recession in history.

Muscle Building & Fitness Predictions.

1. More Rising Fitness Role Models For Generation Y

In 2010, you're going to see more rising fitness role models for Generation Y. My hat
goes off to Taylor Lautner from the new movie New Moon who got into
outstanding condition for his role as Jacob Black. What really struck home
was the reaction of all the younger girls whispering and giggling when
a shirtless Taylor appeared. I could even sense an energy amongst the young males in the
crowd who could relate to the fit actor on screen who gained about 30 pounds of muscle
mass for this role.

There have been a lot of actors who have got into great shape for blockbuster movies…
Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds, Brad Pitt and Daniel Craig but not actors for Generation
Y that younger guys could connect with at a deeper level. I don't think young teens can
relate to Arnold in Terminator or Brad Pitt in Troy but I believe Taylor will change that
in New Moon. You're going to see a lot more young movie stars muscling up in 2010 and
inspiring a younger generation of teens to muscle up and get fit.

2. Rise Of The Boot Camps

The boot camp trend is going to continue to rise and compete successfully against
commercial gyms. Boot camps appeal to the one thing that even Bill Gates cannot buy
more of – time. I believe high-intensity boot camp workouts will continue to increase
because people are experiencing less and less time. Boot camps can combine three of the
most critical components of fitness – high intensity training, interval training, body
weight training – all into a fat incinerating, muscle-building, metabolism boosting
workout that lasts only 20-30 minutes. Outdoor and indoor boot camps will continue to
rise across Canada and the USA.

Everyone Will Have A Personal Trainer  and Life coach

Just like you have your own accountant, mechanic and dentist, I believe that everyone
will eventually have their own personal fitness trainer and or  life coach. Each year 1-on-1
personal training has continued to become one of the fastest growing professions and I
believe it's because prospects are valuing expert guidance and motivation. Personal
training is no longer for just the financially wealthy or for celebrity movie stars.
Prospects are going to recognize the wise investment in their long-term health, the power
of accountability and getting a higher quality workout.

Lastly, Let's talk about my newest passion SEO ( Search Engine Optimization). Having designed and attended my own websites for the last 10 years , you have to become pretty knowledgeable about many website things.  One of the biggest news is website SEO or getting your website to rank on Google on page#1 and hopefully #1 on that page. That is what I have done with the Boot Camp Website
There's so much more to say and I have to get out to teach Boot Camp so Have a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

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Another amazing inspirational testimonial from my client Joe Tod , He has already lost over 60lbs of fat in the Boot Camp program and I though I would share his latest You Tube Video with you all.

This is why I do the boot camp program and I get such a kick when lives are changed.

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Your body and its state of physical fitness are your most important assets. You should always remember that it is always easier to keep healthy, then to regain your health. Of course, it can also be cheaper to stay healthy then to get treated medically. Thus, it is imperative for everyone to take steps to keep their bodies physically fit and in shape. However, fitness is a diverse concept. In order to be considered as fit, you have to reduce your weight to its normal levels, you have to increase your cardiovascular endurance, you have to increase your strength and you have to undergo resistance training. However, all of this can be very difficult to do, especially if you don’t know how to proceed.

In the beginning, many people try to achieve fitness on their own with the information that they learn from the media and the Internet. But, mostly this can be a futile effort as achieving fitness requires effort, motivation and finesse in order for you to succeed. You can’t hope to combine the proper exercises in their proper intensity levels. Thus, you would need something like a personal fitness instructor to help you along the way. Of course, hiring a personal fitness instructor can be an expensive method, since you would have to pay at least $100 to $150 per hour to keep a fitness instructor. You can easily see that the bills can pile up very quickly.

However, you don’t need to worry as you have another viable alternative. This viable alternative is to go enroll in a fitness boot camp. Fitness Boot Camps Canada is a special fitness camp with several fitness instructors who channel your efforts to create the best possible fitness for yourself. In a boot camp, you will be able to have many benefits for attaining fitness such as:

1. Working in a group environment to attain fitness

2. Getting help from your fitness instructors on difficult fitness techniques

3. Getting motivated from your group members and from your instructors

4. Being able to do group fitness activities

5. Your meals are kept under control in a fitness boot camp

6. Your sleep and your rest periods are also regulated for best results

7. Your fitness achievements (such as your weight, your cardiovascular endurance, your resistance strength etc) are continuously measured in order to track your progress.

8. Whenever you don’t feel up to it, a fitness boot camp can make sure that you continue your fitness program without giving up

9. A fitness boot camp can be much more cheaper than hiring a personal fitness instructor, as you can continue with only $100 to $350 per month on most fitness boot camps

10. You can make sure that you always have the help you need in a group setting.

So, as you can see, Fitness Boot Camps Canada can be the perfect solution for your weight loss as well as your fitness needs. So, then you may ask yourself on how to find the best fitness boot camp for yourself. Well, the best way is to make sure that you look on the Internet to find the best fitness boot camps in your area. Then you can easily talk to them and examine the various programs that they offer. Or another way on how to find the best fitness boot camp can be to ask around to your friends and neighbors on the fitness camps that they may have used.

Make sure that you go and visit the relevant fitness boot camp before you enroll. You have to be certain that their program and their instructors are compatible with your needs. However, don’t make the mistake of going to a fitness boot camp that doesn’t really force you to attain your best. You will need some gentle pushing and encouragement in order to make sure that you get your level of fitness that you desire. Don’t forget that achieving fitness and weight loss requires patience and diligence for you to be successful and this can be best achieved in a fitness boot camp.

What is the Fitness Boot Camps Canada Adventure?

A four-week minimum outdoor (indoor in winter) program of fitness instruction, nutritional counseling and motivational training. You will be inspired and have fun while participating in a fantastic workout led by Certified Fitness Boot Camps Canada Fitness Trainers. Each day, camp will be one hour in length starting at 5:30 , 12 noon downtown. or 530 pm. New locations and times are opening on a regular basis as we expand.

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Answer our Survey and you could win a month of Bootcamp, don't forget to include your name and email address if you want to win.

The Top Fitness and life New Years Resolutions which affect most People!

Every year it seems that the same Top Fitness and life  New Year resolutions crop up. Why? It's obvious. Because they are just so hard to keep! I have trouble keeping my resolutions, but this time I'm determined to finally do better. It's the same old thing . Knowing doesn't matter. Like knowing how to lose weight doesn't seem to matter at all.

Success is not an accident, it begins with a well-conceived plan. You can and will achieve more in the next year than you have in the past with a great plan of action. Then by taking action you can and will succeed!. By investing your efforts into a New Years Resolution, you give yourself a launch pad for starting your new year and your new life.

This year I'm determined to try harder and I plan to succeed. The only two resolutions listed below that I was able to keep in 2009, were to  organize myself and to get more exercise.At least I made a great improvement over my 2008 attempts. As for smoking,  that is the #1 thing I would tell you to do , Quit Smoking!

My list includes many of the items listed below, but this Lens is not about my New Years Resolutions, but the Top Ten Resolutions. Here's the list.

• 1. Stop smoking
• 2. Get Fit
• 3. Lose Weight
• 4. Enjoy Life More
• 5. Quit Drinking
• 6. Get Organized
  
• 7. Learn Something New
• 8. Get Out of Debt
• 9. Spend more time with your Family
• 10. Help Others
• Be a better person
  

So, that's the Top Ten New Years Resolutions. Write them down and see how successful you are at keeping them. I hope that you have more success than I've had in my resolutions over the years. Happy New Year!

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Joe Todd does it again with another great weigh in.

So far to date Joe has lost 54.4 lbs of fat + as when he started he was 323 and we didn't get to weigh him in for a few weeks.
You can read all about Joe on his website  seejoeshrink.com
Do you have a lot of weight to lose?

Don't think you can do it? Your Wrong if Joe can any one can!!

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Getting Married in 2010?

Attention Brides and Grooms!! If you can answer YES! to any of the following:

1. Are you getting married in 2010?
2. Do you want to be in the best shape of you lives?
3. Ladies is that dress a little tight?
4. Guys, want to get rid of that waistline?
5. You can both lose 5- 30 lbs quickly before your wedding.

Well, are you?

1. Running out of time? Fitness Boot Camps Canada Bridal Party features a 4-16-week (16 weeks works the best) crash course that works for any body type, Groom included! Guaranteed!!

2. Stressing out? Helpful stress-relieving stretches will calm your pre-wedding jitters!

3. Having sleeveless-dress anxiety? This Easy to follow program will tone your arms and make your back look fabulous!

4. Brides and Grooms,concerned about a specific target area? From thighs to abs to arms, Fitness Boot Camps Canada Bridal Party has the exercises for every Groom and bride-to-be's problem area!

5. About to settle for the first dress you see? Fitness Boot Camps Canada Bridal Party gives you the confidence to choose the dress you really want to wear.

Bridal Party Boot Camp will transform your body and mind. You will enter in empty and leave with a toned body, reduced inches, lower body fat percentage, motivation and high energy. Bridal Boot Camp is an all encompassing program designed to enhance your wedding day by empowering you with the gift of CHANGE. My primary goal is to ensure you feel good about yourself on your wedding day. My secondary goal is to give you the tools to keep transforming for an eternity. I will teach you how to eat, design workouts for yourself, and keep you motivated. Your results will be a direct reflection of the effort you put into each workout during Bridal Party Boot Camp.

Women and Men of all fitness levels, sizes and ages are gaining great results with Bridal Party Boot Camp! You can too! Are you looking for a jump-start to your fitness program? Then this adventure is for you! Whether you are a beginner, an avid fitness enthusiast or just tired of the same routine come try this whole new approach to exercise…fun!

Bridal Party Bootcamp
Success Stories

June 1st
Julie Garner Lost 16lbs
and 12% Body Fat

Fitness Boot Camps Canada's Bridal Party Bootcamp
Bridal Party Boot camp is a total fitness program geared for brides and grooms. It works because it integrates the right elements in the right way. It incorporates stretching, ab work, aerobics and strength training in streamlined, 60 minute workouts designed to shape and tighten every muscle group. Best of all, Fitness Boot Camps Canada's Bridal Party Boot camp works fast!!

About Bridal Party Bootcamp

This is a certified personal trainer and nutrition Program. Fitness Boot Camps Canada's Bridal Party Boot camp is a total fitness regimen geared for brides and grooms. We want every bride to feel healthy, confident and beautiful when she walks down the aisle. We want every groom to look dashing and handsome. You want to look and feel your best on your wedding day, and this is one gift you owe to yourself!

Have a friend or loved one getting married? Give her and him a gift certificate!

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