Guest blogger Emma Thompson spent two days at Northern Bootcamp in August – find out how she got on, and how she managed to lose a staggering 8lbs in just two days!
A few of my favourite things from boot camp:
The scenery
Although I live in Newcastle (not exactly a concrete jungle) I still don’t have a car or much spare time to really enjoy the Northumberland countryside. When I got to Northern Bootcamp, it was a breath of fresh air… literally.
The Northern Bootcamp location itself is lush, with green rolling hills in the distance, flowers blooming all around, and horses whinnying at you over the fence while you exercise!
The picturesque English countryside is full of winding roads and scenes of meadows, sheep and an ocean view – perfect for a walk or bike ride.
And then you get to the seaside, with the gorgeous Bamburgh Castle, endless beaches and cute seaside villages. The location is a perfect mix of seaside and countryside! I definitely felt like I was on an outdoors retreat (not at all a military boot camp like some would expect.)
I woke up in the middle of the night momentarily and glanced out the window of my room… only to see the most beautiful, clear sky filled with stars! If I’d been there another night I would have made a point to sneak outside in the middle of the night for some stargazing. And when I woke up in the morning, I was greeted by three bunnies on the lawn outside the window and birds fluttering by. I felt like Snow White.
Exercise education
I am one of those people who needs to go to fitness classes – as opposed to exercising on my own, whether it’s at home or in the gym. It’s not like I can’t figure out how to use the machines, and I know plenty of Pilates moves, but I might do about 18 of something and get out of breath or bored and call it quits.
On camp, I really enjoyed the fact that they teach you methods to develop your workout, and ways to circuit train. It’s not at all someone yelling at you to do press ups or crunches.
Dan and Dave spent plenty of time explaining how to set workout plans or circuits for yourself so that you can complete a workout on your own.
Of course, we tried out ALL of these methods – practice makes perfect, right?
So we learned the difference between completing a circuit of activities in one-minute sessions, then by completing a certain number of reps, and a few other variations of circuits. It made it interesting, goal-oriented and you definitely felt accomplished after completing the circuits!
Plus, the different tools used were new to me – i.e. TRX system, which we all agreed we’d need at home. That kept it interesting, and I learned new exercises and worked on muscles I hadn’t flexed before!
Bootcamp food
I’m a snacker, and one of those people who is always hungry, so I was a bit concerned about the food that would be available on Bootcamp. I shouldn’t have worried at all though, I was in great hands with Caroline and Annie!
The food was delicious – great variety, nice and fresh, and not just salad!
Plus, the fact that we got snacks (and chocolate…. TWICE… while I was there for two days) was great. You’re so busy that you don’t think about being hungry, and when you get a break, you get a snack.
I was relieved that we got coffee in the morning and pudding after dinner, as well. I meant to take more pictures of my food, but I was too busy appreciating it… 😀
The people
It’s easy to put this at the top of my list of favourite things about going on Northern Bootcamp. I met some amazing people and had a great time with them!
Everyone on camp is going through the same challenge together, and you can rely on each other’s support and motivation. We enjoyed each other’s company and had a blast on each activity!
I wish I could have spent the whole week on camp, because I would have liked to spend more time with everyone, and I felt a bit guilty just stopping in for two days out of their seven days! WHEN I go again, I’ll be sure to do at least a week-long camp!
Bootcamp is also a chance to take time to focus on yourself, your health and wellbeing – not always something you have the chance to do in ‘real life.’ I’d recommend Northern Bootcamp to anyone – whether you just need a weekend detox or want to spend a week trying out new activities and clean eating!
Thank you to Dan, Dave, Caroline and Annie for the great experience, amazing food and improvement I’ve felt in my health and fitness! I couldn’t believe when I got home and weighed myself two days later and the scale said I was eight pounds lighter! It’s been great motivation to stay active and eat healthier.
