Fitness is at the center of what we do.
To Tilla Fit, fitness isn’t optional.
It’s something that every person needs.
Over the past year, we shared 52 reasons WHY people need fitness.
Now we shift to the next question.
HOW do you start?
HOW do you stay consistent?
HOW do you build a lifestyle that lasts?
HOW do you get results?
Over the next 52 weeks, we’ll answer those questions.
Here is week 16 of 52 on HOW to approach fitness.
“Build a Classic Bootcamp Workout”
Last week, we talked about strength training.
We learned how sets, reps, weight, and rest can be manipulated to progressively make us stronger.
But strength is only one piece of fitness.
We also need to train our heart, lungs, endurance, coordination, and ability to continue moving when we’re tired.
That’s where one of our favorite styles of training comes in.
At Tilla Fit, we call it a Classic Bootcamp.
What is Classic Bootcamp?
It’s actually incredibly simple.
Take several different exercises.
Put them together.
Choose a set number of repetitions.
Then continuously work through them for a certain amount of time.
For example:
10-Minute Classic Bootcamp
10 Goblet Squats
10 Push-Ups
10 Dumbbell Rows
200m Run
Complete all four movements.
Then go back to the top.
Continue cycling through them for 15 minutes.
That’s it.
But there’s more thought behind this workout than it might initially appear.
Why Combine Movements?
Remember the movement categories we talked about a few weeks ago?
Squat. Hinge. Press. Pull. Lunge. Cardio.
Those categories give us a simple way to build balanced workouts.
Instead of doing 100 squats followed by 100 lunges and completely exhausting your legs, we can spread the stress around the body.
Squat.
Then press.
Then pull.
Then run.
While one muscle group is working, another gets an opportunity to recover.
Your heart rate stays elevated, but you’re able to continue moving.
That’s one of the biggest benefits of this style of training.
You’re developing muscular endurance and cardiovascular fitness at the same time.
How to Build it Yourself
Start by choosing 2–4 exercises.
Try to use different movement categories.
For example:
Squat + Pull + Cardio
Or:
Hinge + Press + Bodyweight
Then choose a repetition range that allows you to keep moving.
For many exercises, 8–15 reps is a great place to start.
The goal isn’t to choose a number that forces you to stop for two minutes after every movement.
We want sustainable intensity.
You should be breathing hard.
Your muscles should be working.
Your heart rate should be elevated.
But you should still be able to move well.
Set The Clock
For someone starting out, maybe it’s:
8–10 minutes.
As your fitness improves:
12–15 minutes.
Eventually, you might perform workouts lasting 20 minutes or longer.
But remember:
Longer doesn’t automatically mean better.
Harder doesn’t automatically mean better.
The goal is to create enough intensity to challenge your body while still allowing you to maintain good movement.
Don’t Turn Every Bootcamp Workout Into Competition
This might be the most important part.
Your goal isn’t always to finish the most rounds.
Your goal isn’t to use the heaviest dumbbells.
And your goal definitely isn’t to make yourself feel as terrible as possible.
Intensity is valuable.
But intensity without control isn’t the goal.
Choose weights and repetitions that allow you to maintain quality movement throughout the workout.
If your technique starts falling apart, slow down.
If 15 reps forces you to stop every round, try 10.
If the weight is too heavy to move confidently, make it lighter.
The workout should challenge your fitness, not your ability to survive it.
Strength + Bootcamp
Now let’s bring the last few weeks together.
Remember our 45-minute workout?
0–10: Warm-Up
11–25: Strength
26–40: Classic Bootcamp
41–45: Cool Down
We’re starting to fill in the blanks.
Your strength session builds strength and muscle.
Your Classic Bootcamp develops cardiovascular fitness, muscular endurance, coordination, and work capacity.
Put them together consistently, and you have a simple approach for building a strong, capable, well-rounded body.
This Week’s Challenge
Build your own Classic Bootcamp.
Choose:
2-4 exercises.
Different movement categories.
8–15 manageable reps.
10–15 minutes.
Then set the clock and get moving.
Don’t try to create the hardest workout possible.
Create a workout that allows you to move well, challenge your entire body, elevate your heart rate, and finish knowing you accomplished something productive.
That’s a Classic Bootcamp.