With Hollywood singer Jessica Simpson using the bootcamp workout to get back in shape, Life@work tells you why it’s great for you. PLUS: A home bootcamp guide

The appeal of the bootcamp workout lies in its simplicity. If you get intimidated by group fitness classes that involve complicated moves, bootcamp might be your answer,” says fitness expert Shalini Bhargava, who conducts bootcamp classes at JG’s Fitness Centre, Santacruz.

What is bootcamp?
Bootcamp typically blends military style and athletic performance drills. The workout is straight forward and intense, and can be done outdoors or indoors. It works out your entire body, heart and muscles, since you move from one exercise to the next, without any rest in between.

The exercises involve calisthenics, like pushups, squats, crunches, jumping jacks and jogging. The difference lies in the intensity. The challenge is to take your body to its limit. “But make sure you know all the exercises in the right form, in order to avoid any injury,” says Shalini.

Walk on-the-spot for 3 to 5 minutes at a brisk pace.

Lower back stretch: Stand with your feet apart, knees slightly bent. Roll or hinge forward from your hips, keeping upper back and shoulders squared. Now, slowly arch your lower back by pushing your hips out and up. Slowly reverse this by pulling in from your pelvis in. Repeat thrice.

upper back stretch: Straighten your back, and hold abs tight. Push your left shoulder to the right knee. Hold for  5 counts, then push right shoulder to left knee. Repeat 2 more times.
Front thigh stretch: Stand on one leg and hold the ankle of the other leg by curling the leg in. Hold for 5 counts. Repeat with other leg.

back thigh stretch: Keep one leg in front of the other, and roll forward from the hip. Hold on to the farthest point shin, ankle or the floor of your leg. Hold for 5 counts, and change legs.
Calf stretch: Simply lift yourself up on your toes, reach out with your arms, elongating your entire spine. Hold for 5 counts and repeat 2 more times.
Now, start brisk walking for 3 minutes, gradually increase the pace and jog on-the-spot for another 3 minutes.

Workout Routine

Do 25 jumping jacks (jumping with your hands at your side).
Immediately go down on the floor for 15 push ups.
Do high speed jogging for 2 minutes, followed by 20 abdominal crunches.

Next, do 20 half plie squats. You can hold a bottle filled with water in your hands, to add weight to the squat.
Do 50 alternate knee ups.

Immediately go down on the floor for 15 tricep dips. Sit down on the floor. With your hands behind you, extend your legs outwards, bend your knees, and lift your torso. Dip down slowly.

Run for 3 minutes.
Go down on the floor, and do 15 oblique crunches on each side while cycling in the air. 
Now, do a set of 15 stationary lunges on each leg.

Next is a set of 15 shoulder dips, followed by reverse crunches.
Sprinting station: Run as fast as you can between 2 stations for 50 minutes.
Now, brisk walk for 30 seconds.

Duck walk half way between the 2 stations.
Twist 20 times, by jumping up and moving your lower body to either side.
Give 10 forward kicks with each leg.

Practise 1 full minute of forward jabbing (see pic).
Walk for 3 minutes, and cool down.

Stretch all your muscles as you did during the warm up, but this time, hold all the stretches for 25 seconds. Breathe deeply when you complete the “cool down”.