WHY I LOVE BOOTCAMP
By: Jordan Lavender
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Bootcamp is the best of both worlds. It combines the intensity of an athlete session with the relaxed yet focused environment of general fitness training. Upon retiring from professional athletics, I wanted a space that was group and goal-oriented—bootcamp unequivocally fit the bill. Bootcamp training embodies the importance of community—they start together and finish together, and no one is ever left behind. As life takes its twists and turns it’s important to have a steadfast community around you that is not only trying to better itself but is always rooting for you as well. Bootcamp provides just that, we are a team. A win for one is a win for all at my bootcamp, and that is what life is all about. Whether it is the goal of weight loss, muscle gain, fitting into your wedding dress, or wanting a better quality of life I love that I get to help individuals relentlessly pursue their goals.
That being said, an intentional game plan is essential to achievement. I like to incorporate methodologies I’ve learned from track into my training. The practices that produced the most fruit in my performance were the ones where I had very little rest between intervals. It forced my body to work under stress and after each practice, I was able to handle more. The progression was naturally built in the workout because it gave me no choice but to continue until the last repetition was complete. Because of this, I enjoy creating workouts with tabatas—20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest. Tabatas allow me to help each person to increase their aerobic capacity, anaerobic capacity, VO2 max, and help burn more fat in a shorter time. That’s the healthiest bang for buck you can ever encounter and I‘m all over it. Intertwining tabatas in pieces of training, my clients are stronger and work better under duress. They feel invincible at the end of a workout because they know what they did wasn’t easy. Each one can walk to the car proud of the hard work they accomplished, and be confident when they walk back in for more. My workouts are written with my client’s mental state in mind. Thus, I am sure to construct a workout that pushes the envelope, but the finish line is still attainable. No one wants to walk out feeling incapable, and in conjunction, no one wants to leave feeling like the workout was simple and demanded no effort. I work to find the sweet spot so that my clients leave feeling like they can conquer anything—because they can.
With all this said, the biggest allure bootcamp has on me is the unspoken understanding that life isn’t about the undue pressures from outsiders or even ourselves, it is just about showing up and giving it your all—even if you only have 40% of yourself to give that day. Running track and field professionally, I gained an understanding of personal goals on the highest level. I learned a race and life are about your lane and what you can do at that moment with what you have to get to the finish line. Running your race is about staying in your lane just like life is about walking your own path. Bootcamp acknowledges and embraces the individual paths of its clients. It is not about the person next to you and their performance, it is solely about you. I wanted to step into an arena where I could be a catalyst or join one’s walk helping someone focus on their lane to reach their finish line. I understand that goals are ever-changing and ever-growing, however, to get there you must focus on one thing at a time and I love to be a part of the step-by-step process. Not to mention, it’s priceless to watch the celebration at the end. Bootcamp continuously reminds me that life is about your lane, your community, and your innate quest for individual betterment. To receive that reminder every day is invaluable, and I love every second of it.
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