If you’re a fitness professional currently running bootcamp-type classes, you’ll understand the importance of having a variety of different workouts and workout styles to keep both yourself and your participants engaged. I want to share a simple workout I like to use, called the Kettlebell AMRAP; below you will find two versions of this workout.
The first workout assumes every participant in your bootcamp has their own kettlebell, the second workout assumes you have a ratio of one kettlebell for every four participants (for example if you have 20 participants you would need five kettlebells).
AMRAP stands for As Many Rounds As Possible, and is intended to be performed within a time constraint.
Kettlebell AMRAP (Option 1: 1 Kettlebell for every participant)
22 min Workout
22 x Kettlebell Swings
22 x Kettlebell Squats
22 x Kettlebell Lunge + Twist (11 each side)
22 x Kettlebell Bent-Over Rows (11 each side)
22 x Bodyweight Push-Ups
22 x Kettlebell Hip Thrusts
22 Yard Shuttle Run (11 yards there and 11 yards back)
Participants complete as many rounds as possible in 22mins.
Kettlebell AMRAP (Option 2: 1 Kettlebell shared between 4 participants)
22min Workout
22 x Kettlebell Swings
22 x Bodyweight Squats
22 x Bodyweight Lunge + Twist (11 each side)
22 x Kettlebell Bent-Over Rows (11 each side)
22 x Bodyweight Push-Ups
22 x Bodyweight Hip Thrusts
22 Yard Shuttle Run (11 yards there and 11 yards back)
Participants complete as many rounds as possible in 22 mins.
Optional interval intercession: Set your timer up at 2 min intervals. So, every 2 mins once your timer goes off, all your participants will perform 2 burpees and then they continue with their workout.
Why Kettlebell AMRAP?
Now let’s break down this workout and why it works so well in a Bootcamp setting.
Every one of your participants starts at the same time and finishes at the same time.
One alternate possibility for the workout above could be to perform ‘rounds’. For example, participants could be given the list of exercises and be asked to complete four rounds as quickly as possible of each. That could be problematic as your fitter participants would finish the workout a lot more quickly than the beginners. Instead of everyone working out together, the fitter participants are sitting around bored because they’ve already finished their workout as described and the beginners are feeling down because they feel like they are holding everyone up. Performing the workout as an AMRAP above is a great solution to both problems; while the volume will be higher for the fitter clients, the speed and intensity will be self-regulated and all participants stop at the same time.
Balance between Anterior Chain Exercises and Posterior Chain Exercises.
A common Bootcamp problem is that it’s easy for the instructor to program mainly anterior-based exercises (e.g. squats, lunges, push-ups, burpees, planks, sit-ups, etc) and neglect posterior chain exercises. The workout above is perfectly balanced with three anterior chain-based exercises (squats, lunges, push-ups) and three posterior chain exercises (swings, bent over rows, and hip thrusts).
Limited equipment
A problem many bootcamp instructors face is limited equipment. Maybe the instructor is lucky enough to have enough Kettlebells so that every participant can have their own but if they don’t, the workout still works. The only exercises your participants need the kettlebell for are the “Bent Over Row” and the “Kettlebell Swing”. All the other exercises can be performed with bodyweight.
Give this workout a go next time you run a bootcamp and let us know what you think.
If you’d like further education when it comes to running a successful Bootcamp, you may want to check out Bootcamp Level 1 CEC course.
Jono is the Co Founder and Director at Fitness Education Online, one of the largest providers of online CEC courses for Fitness Professionals. Jono has been in the industry since 2009 and also a best selling author, a podcast host and a winner of the Fitness Australia Educator of The Year Award.. Fitness Education Online also have one of the largest Facebook Groups in the world for Fitness Professionals with over 15,000 members click here to join.
