It was 5.45 on a Thursday morning. The only reason we would usually get up at that ridiculous hour is for an overseas flight, but unfortunately the only place we were going that Thursday was to the Corniche to take part in an intensive Bootcamp session.
Corey Oliver, who is the co-founder of the Original Fitness Co., and who ran the session that day, was waiting for everyone to gather holding a stopwatch. Already we were feeling quite anxious and wondering why on earth we chose this as the topic for this week’s story.
The day’s workout involved squats, push-ups, sit-ups and bicep curls, followed by running two laps of a small circuit, repeated four times. The aim was to beat your personal best with each round. It was hard, but the energy buzz was kept at fever-pitch by teams taking it in turns to do the routine while the others rested and chugged down water.
The Original Fitness Co. is already popular with Abu Dhabi’s fittest individuals for their personal training, combat fitness and more. Bootcamp is particulary popular with people the world over, from professional athletes to everyday folk, so of course the capital’s health fanatics want a piece of it.
OFC uses a one-day-on, one-day-off cycle, with a different workout of the day (WOD) each time. Their two WOD basics are metabolic conditioning, which works all your muscles and gets your heart racing, and strength and skill development, in which you learn new exercise techniques and build up your base strength. If you are looking for a group activity that really pushes you to your limits, this bootcamp is the real deal. It takes bootcamp to the next level and is a great way to get motivated, rather than just leaving it to yourself in the gym.
‘These bootcamp exercises take the form of traditional military and alternative fitness style work-outs, involving sit-ups, push-ups and squats, as well as various fun group challenges in a friendly and non threatening environment,’ explained Corey. ‘The programme works different muscle groups at different stages of the workout, so it’s very challenging. We also vary the workouts every time, so you’ll turn up and the session will involve something different.’
‘Besides the two main and obvious results – fat loss and cardiovascular fitness, at bootcamp we enjoy seeing our client’s mental strength and demeanor improving, it’s a mental workout too and you’ll be healthier in body and mind. It is good for those of us not used to the heat in the Middle East, to let your body acclimatise. Working out outdoors is great for your body. People say it’s too hot to exercise outside here, but that’s just not true. It’s all about getting used to the heat.’
Corey knows most of the people who attend the bootcamp sessions, and seems to have a mental list of everyone’s level of fitness, pushing them accordingly. The sometimes full on military-esque style works in keeping the group pumped up, and the atmosphere is upbeat even as people are struggling to keep going. So if you’re bored of the gym, and need some serious motivation then be sure to give Bootcamp a try. You’ll be sore, but not sorry.
Dhs600 for four weeks, Dhs100 for one session. Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6am, at the Corniche near Spinneys (02 406 9404).
