Boot Camp Format

At 5.45 am, everyone lines up for roll call, hands behind their backs and standing straight. NO chatting is allowed or punishments are certain to follow. The same goes for turning up late! It’s really like the army! If you break the rules, your fellow recruits won’t be happy if you get them 20 extra pushups!

Immediately after roll call, the Boot Camp begins with some rope work…60m of heavy rope! The recruits raise the rope above their heads and then run a lap around the oval, without letting the rope touch the ground. It’s hard work, in the chill early hours of the Autumn morning, the grass is wet with dew, and legs are still heavy from the nights sleep.

Everyone is now running around the oval holding the rope. The Instructor calls a halt. “Remember your numbers,” she barks, numbering half the squad One, and half Two. One is called, and they all let go the rope and do some quick body weight drills. They pick up sandbags and do 30 squats; then pick up tyres and do 20 shoulder presses and 20 tricep dips. The tyres are heavy, and damp, but no-one dares complain. The team environment, not to mention the watchful instructor, (aka “Colonel”) motivates everyone to try their hardest. When finished, the Ones run back to the rope, and the whole squad continues running around the oval. Then the Twos are called, and they go over the same drill. This is repeated 3-4 times within only a few minutes, so everything is fast and consistent! By now, the recruits are definitely warmed up; and have a chance for a brief drink of water. Then back to work!

Still with the rope, it’s now time for a bit of fun….and impromptu Tug of War. It’s the best of three rounds….and the battle is on! The A Team is pitted against the B Team. Everyone holds the rope, hands on the rope, legs braced, feet planted firmly…well, as firmly as you can on wet grass! The Instructor marks the centre of the line, and then…Heave! Heave! One side briefly prevails, then the next; then, slowly, slowly, every muscle straining, The A Team gradually gets the upper hand. At the end of the three rounds, the A Team has won and the aptly named B Team has to do 100 pushups, and pack away the rope!

Now it’s time for piggy back squats! The squad are put in teams of two, both of more or less the same height and weight. Then, one member of the team has to pick up the other and run to the 20m marker. Then they swap positions, and the new “donkey” has to do 20 squats and run back to base. This is repeated…for as long as the Colonel feels; better hope she isn’t in a bad mood!

Another drink of water, and it’s time for Running the Railroads! Still in two teams, everyone has to lie down on their tummies, about half a meter apart; yes, on the damp grass, no ‘princesses” are allowed in Boot Camp. One person remains standing, and they have to run over their team-mates. They then lie down at the end of the row, and the second person gets up and does the same thing, until all the members of the team have finished. It’s a race to the finish line and back, and of course, the losing team has to do punishment drills! These are commando crawls across the width of the oval…yes, in the wet and muddy grass; and they finish with burpees, burpees and MORE burpees!

Finally, the exhausted recruits are given time to cool down with some static stretches. Recruits stand upright, bend their right leg, and take hold of their foot, stretching the foot as close to the butt as possible. This yoga-based stretch is excellent for tight quadriceps, as well as for balance. They also do some hamstring and calf stretches, as well as stretching tight arms and shoulders.

Finally, it’s time to pack up and say temporary goodbyes…your muscles are sore, you’re dirt and a bit wet, your body is tired and sweaty, your hair is damp and clammy and grass is clinging to your knees…but you feel fantastic and raring to go. You could, almost, do it all over again! But you have to wait till next time…and you never know what you are going to get!

One day you might find yourself running up and down a bank, holding a tyre above your head, then have to suddenly drop and do pushups on the tyre. Or you might have to play a game of Tag, but using heavy medicine balls. Or do a series of callisthenics, like squat jumps, burpees, pushups and tricep dips. Other times, the Boot Camp can involve a long bike ride, then a welcome swim in the sea. That is the joy of Boot Camp; the variety of different exercises!

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