deni, why dont you do a bootcamp? i have heard a variation of this for pretty much ever. and my reasons for not usually start and end with "i dont really want to". not the reasons why for THAT are long and varied - which we will get in to in a bit. suffice it to say, i broke down (or got off my ass, depending on who you ask) and finally offered one. i actually said to my regular crew - if i get 10 people who want to do this, that will justify it - but im not sure i will. to which the fitness universe said "hold my beer".
im not sure where to start, except to say that i was totally overwhelmed by the number of people who wanted to sign up - so much so that the first day was a complete clusterfuck of disorganization - up to and including me trying to run credit cards upside down all morning. it was not pretty. and the entire time all i was thinking was - omg, what was i THINKING? probably a very similar thought to all those people who walked in and were sure i was either completely inept, or going to try to kill them -maybe both.
BUT. we survived day one. and two. and then three. you get where i am going with this. we are almost halfway thru our 12 weeks, and while we have had some recidivism, i'm super impressed with the number of bootcampers still coming in. AND we are all learning a ton about each other, the gym, and what comes next.
here's what im learning: just because i do not like something, doesnt really mean anything at all. especially as it pertains to fitness. i had this crazy idea that if i thought something was boring or not fun, then it must be boring or not fun for everyone. i joke alot with my friend Sherri, who loves a circuit. i throw them in on like 4 fridays a year just to make her happy - but i hate them. with a capital H. not because they arent hard, but because my mind wanders and i dont focus - so i dont push myself very hard. they just are not my thing. which when you own your own gym is great - because i dont have to program them. even though i probably should. one of the perks of SiB for me is that i get to program what I want. selfish, i know - but im working on that. thanks to, among other things, my bootcampers.
The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches but to reveal to him his own. ~Benjamin Disraeli
so my philosophy of working out is to just not be bored. we never do the same thing in a week - or a month really if i have my way. sure, we repeat movements -that is unavoidable. but we absolutely do NOT repeat workout types during the same week. monday doesnt tuesday, or wednesday - and definitely not friday. if you hate one day, chances are something you like is on the way. i could probably credit the basic idea to tony horton and his muscle confusion concept from the original P90x - remember that?? anyway, i like to not be bored. sue me. so when i decided to do bootcamp, i figured i would try a similar concept. shake it up - not do the same circuit every week - or even a circuit at all. after all, this is MY bootcamp right? so it has to have an SiB twist.
interestingly, 5 weeks in, we have done 4 different workouts. the idea was to do 3 different workout styles, 4x each, so we would not be totally bored but still able to see improvement. unfortunately, week 2 SUCKED donkey balls. not that it wasnt a decent workout. it was just B-O-R-I-N-G! yowza. like, deni, we dont have to do that one again do we? boring. which brings me to the number one thing i love about bootcamp. this is FOR THEM. and they know that. bootcamp has ZERO to do with me, other than that i am running it. these people have completely different reasons for doing bootcamp. and WOW. i really needed that wake up.
fitness is for EVERYONE. no matter where you are in your life. being fit means different things to different people - as it SHOULD. it is a completely individual concept. and i was missing that. i think we, as a group, get sucked into the competition of fitness. which is also cool. it keeps us motivated. and gives us progress reports, and goals. but it also is a false perception. just like there is always someone skinnier than you, or fatter, or taller, or shorter, or smarter, or braver, or whatever else - there is also always some both more AND LESS fit than you. so it has to be about YOU. and where you are on your journey. i had erroneously made the assumption that people wouldnt want to work out just once a week. or wouldnt push themselves if that was all they were doing. basically i made a super jackassy judgment, based on nothing but my own definition of what it means to be fit.
Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared. ~Buddha
so i apologize. sincerely. and i THANK YOU for showing me the error of my ways. i cant tell you how much i love bootcamp. like LOVE bootcamp. it opens my eyes every week to something different. and someONE different. also, there is alot of laughing and dancing - which is just SO FUN. bootcamp has reminded me that you get out what you put it. and whatever that is, its totally good. maybe bootcamp is your first foray into organized exercise. maybe its a fun thing to torture your girlfriends with on a saturday morning. maybe its the jump start you need to get back in to the gym routine more regularly. maybe its just a part of your overall journey. it doesnt really matter. because whatever it is FOR YOU, it serves that purpose. it doesnt have to be about what I think it should be about. duh. hello, deni. stop being so freaking self-centered. look outward and really SEE what is going on out there.
i appreciate all of the feedback so far. let me tell you, my bootcampers are not shy. and that is so awesome. creating a synergy of such a large group of people is so interesting. not everyone is going to like every single thing - obviously. but we are growing as a unit - finding out what works for a group that size, with all the various conditions and modifications that come along with it. probably my very favorite thing is the enormous amount of positivity that IS bootcamp. everyone is so encouraging. everyone is so happy to be taking the plunge and embracing this step of their fitness journey. i am so grateful to be a part of that. and i am so fortunate to have such a cool group of people to teach me this lesson.
i love the gym. i really do. and mostly i always have. i know that is not true for a lot of people. but what i REALLY love as i grow older is that there is always something NEW to love about it. my fitness community continues to grow as i do - and how awesome is that? one of my longest held inner dialogues-slash-parenting philosophies is that you get what you need when you need it. whether that is help or perspective or a lesson or just new shoes - you get the drift. anyway, i did not know i needed a fresh perspective on the studio, until i got it. and boy am i glad i did.
Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does. ~William James
keep showing up people. to the gym, to life. for your friends. that's the key. you may not know why at the time, but it matters. these little ripples spread. thanks for the wake up, and the enthusiasm. and of course, the dancing. dancing makes everything better. xo
