I was 22 when I joined my first fitness bootcamp, and it helped me tone up and increase my endurance immensely.
At the time, I was also working in a physically demanding job, so focusing on specific muscle groups to target and strengthen those muscles actually helped me be more efficient in my day job.
Now, I see pictures of myself back then and my arms and shoulders were much more toned than they are now.
Since that time, I’ve had an on-again off-again relationship with bootcamp. While it is certainly an effective way to lose weight, tone, and increase your cardiovascular and muscular endurance, it’s freaking expensive. So is it worth it?
How Much Bootcamp Costs
I am lucky, because my cousin runs a fitness bootcamp. This allows me some discounts on the bootcamp depending on the time of year.
Most people aren’t so lucky, and even with my discounts, it’s still expensive.
You can expect to pay anywhere from $150-300/month on bootcamp, depending on how often you can go, and whether or not it is an indoor/outdoor bootcamp. It also depends on your location.
Not only do you have to pay for the bootcamp itself, but you also generally have to buy weights and a mat. These things are a one time cost but the can certainly be costly if you want good quality equipment.
Cost of Bootcamp In Comparison to Other Paid Group Fitness
Bootcamp isn’t the only paid fitness program out there. You can sign up for various different classes that are similar to bootcamp. I looked up a bootcamp in my area, and for one month at three days per week, it is $215. Here are a few comparisons:
- Crossfit
Cost: $200/month, unlimited uses per month
Effect: High focus on muscle building, quick results, not as much cardiovascular/weight loss - Zumba
Cost: $42/month, unlimited uses per month
Effect: Weight loss/toning, little to no strength training - Yoga
Cost: $132/month, unlimited uses per month
Effect: Light toning, stretching, weight loss (depending on type of yoga) - Pilates
Cost: $150/month, unlimited uses per month
Effect: Weight loss, toning, stretching
Pilates and Crossfit are the closest to bootcamps, but really to get the benefits of what bootcamp does (both cardio and strength training), you’d have to do two of the above – ie Zumba and Crossfit.
While bootcamp is the most expensive in my area as per the examples above, it does give a better overall workout.
Going to a Bootcamp vs. Working Out By Yourself
Bootcamp has one huge benefit over going to the gym: motivation.
When you are in a group setting and other people are working their butts off (literally), it’s pretty motivating. If you have a trainer yelling at you to keep moving, you aren’t going to stop like you might if you were on a treadmill by yourself.
Another huge benefit to bootcamp as opposed to going to the gym or working out by yourself is knowledge. A bootcamp is usually run by a personal trainer, so they have the knowledge and expertise to help you work certain muscle groups, and ensure you are on track with form.
A benefit to working out by yourself is that you can pace yourself to what feels comfortable for your body. Not everyone can push themselves to the point of almost throwing up and feel okay with it.
So, Is Bootcamp Worth It?
It does sound like I’m gung-ho for bootcamp based on what I’ve mentioned above, but I would generally say that if you have self motivation and control, you probably don’t have to pay the high cost of fitness bootcamp to get a comparable workout.
Sure, you won’t have the knowledge of a personal trainer, but there are plenty of resources on the internet to utilize for workout ideas.
Know yourself and your fitness personality. Some people work best with motivation in the form of an angry trainer yelling at them; some people have great workouts by themselves.
Have you ever joined a fitness bootcamp? If so, did you think the cost was worth it?
I agree that bootcamp is expensive, but sometimes I need that structure to get myself moving after several months of being sedentary. I actually managed to move right into Insanity after a four week bootcamp session last summer. I kept it going fairly regularly for a couple of months or so until life got in the way. I would have never began again without that initial push, though!
I have done bootcamps before and had good results. However, I just recently let my membership lapse at a gym that specialized in bootcamp-style workouts. In the year that I was client with them, the monthly price increased from $60/month to $125/month. It was too much to handle financially. (We are also in a smaller city/town, so that is very expensive).
I get that it costs money to run and operate a gym with specialized equipment, but I just couldn’t get over the fact that in the year I was there, with the price doubling, they didn’t add any new classes, trainers, equipment or improve the facility. I had to quit. Now, I am doing spinning for $10/class and running lots. I do weights at home and drop-in to a yoga class one in a while.
I actually kind of prefer working out by myself, since I feel like I look like someone about to have a heart attack when I’m working out. That being said, I think a bootcamp could be good for getting started and ingraining how many times you have to go to the gym, having someone double checking you’re going, etc. or if I were losing weight for a specific event, but other than that, I think I’m happiest plodding along in the pool by myself.
I have been considering doing Zumba or Yoga though – they both look fun, but I have no idea what I’m doing, so probably at least starting out in classes to get the right forms would be a smart approach.
Great post, I like the idea of a bootcamp but have some wrist problem and not sure if I could do a full training. I personally, do workouts at home, using mostly DVDs and youtube and my own mind and quite okay with it. If I lose the motivation, I lose it to go to a gym, too so it doesn’t make much difference if I exercise at home or in a gym. (Money paid for a fitness pass does NOT motivate me, strangely…)
If one doesn’t feel up for a bootcamp, they can still hire a personal trainer in a gym – a bit more expensive than an average monthly pass but there is no yelling only the knowledge and instruction. 🙂
Excellent post. I am a new reader and came across your blog. Groupons can be another way to keep down fitness costs and I am fortunate that I was able to find a Costco deal where I paid $349.00 up front or $14.54 a month for a 2-year membership. Not too shabby!
Bootcamp is something that I have never tried before. I react really poorly to people yelling at me, so I’d need to see the instructor in person, teaching a class, before I would decide to sign up.