Outdoor Boot Camp
Step-ups
Step-ups is a great butt and thigh exercise. This workout also challenges your stabilizer muscles and helps your balance and core strength. Tables and benches are an awesome outdoor boot camp prop, and can be found in most parks.
Mountain Climbers
Mountain climbers are all about shoulders, abs and legs. They incorporate your whole body and are a great addition to any outdoor boot camp workout. Although commonly used in military workouts, they are fast becoming a great addition to exercise classes across the board.
Side Planks
Side planks are great for many reasons. One of the best parts is that they do not require any equipment. They will help strengthen your obliques, abs, shoulders, hips, and arms. They can also be modified for any outdoor boot camp by first bringing the top foot in front of the bottom foot, or if that is too difficult, dropping the bottom knee down is another alternative to make it easier. When you do a side plank, you want to make sure and tuck your bottom elbow directly under your shoulder. This will help prevent un-necessary strain on that shoulder. Lift your bottom hip up as high as possible, and you will really feel your oblique on that side getting a great workout, and toning your love handles is always a nice bonus.
Pushups
Pushups is one of the BEST exercises that can be done for strengthening your arms, shoulders, chest, and abs. Pushups should be added to any outdoor boot camp workout as they can be done with just you, no props needed. The more pushups you do, the more you will be able to do. If you are a beginner, you can start them up against a wall, then progress to a table, down to your knees, and finally to your feet. Do them wide, narrow, side to side, and declined (putting your feet on a bench). Try them all… you will be shocked to see the increase in strength you will achieve.
Jump Rope
Jump roping is fabulous as you can take it anywhere; improve your cardiovascular fitness with them, and work on strengthening your endurance of your legs and arms. This outdoor boot camp exercise can be done stationary, on the run, or used in intervals between other exercises. You can do them on two feet, one foot, or staggered. Start off with a few minutes, and then gradually increase the time as you get stronger.
Partner Band Running
Partner band running is a great addition to any outdoor boot camp workout. It not only makes it super fun to have a partner working with you and pulling you back, it can be a competitive thing as well. Whatever resistance you give to your partner, you can rest assured they are going to give right back to you. band running is a great way to improve your cardiovascular fitness, get your heart rate up quickly, as well as strengthen your quadriceps, core, and arms.
Donkey Kicks
“Donkey kicks” are done in the all-four position and is done to work the glutes and hamstrings. You might think of it as an exercise from the 80’s, but it does the trick of tightening the booty and is a good outdoor boot camp exercise to add to your leg and butt workouts.
Deadlifts
Deadlifts are a great exercise for the butt and hamstrings, but must be done with care. If you round your shoulders and go all the way down to your feet, you will really feel your lower back, which is what we DO NOT want to feel. To do this exercise correctly you need to pull your shoulders back, pinch your shoulder blades together, and ONLY go down to a flat back and no further. Keep your knees softly bent, and you will feel it in the hamstrings if done correctly. Finally, pull your abs in and this exercise is a great addition to your outdoor boot camp plan to LIFT the butt.
