Everywhere you look there are advertisements for indoor and outdoor Boot Camps happening all over the city. Before I get too deep into this subject and upset people, I want to say I have no issue with any modality of training. If a boot camp will help people get out from in front of the television and moving more than they currently are this is fantastic. What concerns me about these boot camps is they are being billed/advertised as "personal training" which they are not even close to being. Personal training is exactly what the name states; PERSONAL TRAINING, not group training, not cookie cutter, one size fits all training, not one instructor watching over 10, 20 maybe 30+ people per class. Personal training is one-on-on training and if your trainer is qualified and does his/her job, your workout is created to meet your goals. Boot camps are generic exercise routines and although they do burn calories they do not meet individual goals and fitness needs.

I have been seeing a large number of new "trainers" flood the market in the past few years and more and more are offering Boot Camp training for cheap prices and again, calling it Personal Training. In my opinion this is false advertising as well as dangerous to anyone that joins these fitness groups thinking they are getting individualized training. Many, not all, trainers that run these boot camps are assuming everyone is on the same fitness level and since the instructor is watching over so many people, it would be difficult for them to ensure everyone is using good form and doing all the exercises correctly. What would be worse than someone not properly executing an exercise is a trainer trying to watch over such a large number of people; they may not see someone that is under duress during the exercise routine and this could lead to serious injury and/or death.

Most boot camps that I have seen offer class costs ranging from $10/session to a flat rate of $200-$300/month for as many classes as you would like to attend. The $10 a session seems like a bargain compared to Real Personal Training from a professional but again, are you really getting personal training? It seems you are just working out in a group class which you can get for FREE at many fitness centers in town. Most larger gyms offer tons of free group classes and the monthly costs are generally around $30/month for everything. So, if you are going to utilize just a boot camp/group class for your exercise routine, why spend any extra money and just join a gym and get it all for free.

There are a few great trainers here in the OKC Metro and I can recommend a couple if I am unable to help you. Speaking of good trainers, there is a great PT studio in the Yukon/Mustang area I highly recommend. These two trainers do a great service to their clients and are very good at what they do. This particular personal training studio does offer a Boot Camp on Saturday's which they do not advertise as personal training. It is just an add on service they offer their clients and the general public; they are being perfectly legit in how they offer this group class. If you would like, please contact me for more information.

Now for those that want real personal training which include custom diets and custom workouts for your specific goals, one-on-one attention from a certified  trainer that takes their profession and your health seriously, please pick up your phone and call me or my wife today and let us show you what real personal training is all about.