Energise Bootcamp HQ
You might have noticed a few healthy snaps on my Instagram feed a couple of weeks ago and wondered what made me swap my usual diet of chips and chocolate for smoothies and salads. Before you jump to the conclusion that my account was hacked, I’ll let you into a little secret. I went to a fitness bootcamp! When Energise Bootcamp got in touch to tell me about their latest fitness bootcamp in the Cotswolds, I jumped at the chance to go. My attitude to diet and exercise tends to change depending on my mood and my diary. Sometimes my Nutribullet is my best friend, sometimes I eat Colin the Caterpillar cake for breakfast. It’s very rare that my diet is 100% clean and if it is you can guarantee that I’m not complementing it with time well spent in the gym. The best thing about going to a fitness bootcamp is that you have no choice but to get your shit together. Sleeping in and skipping the gym is not an option. Simply get up when you are told to, exercise when you are told to and watch as perfectly portion sizes miraculously appear at appropriate times throughout the day. Thinking is optional.
Energise Bootcamp is hidden away in the heart of the Cotswolds countryside and conveniently built on a devastatingly steep hill. There is a lake with its very own pebble beach, acres of farmland and just when you think it can’t get any cuter a steam train chugs past making you feel like you are in an Agatha Christy novel. What is not so cute is pulling a 40kg kettlebell around its perimeter. Which brings me to the main reason Energise Bootcamp gets such great results. The training. I arrived at Energise after taking 7 weeks off exercise due to a medical issue. I went from sitting down all day to a hectic schedule of 8 hours of training a day. There were tantrums.
I can’t count the times I’ve said, if only I had my own chef to whip up healthy meals. If only someone would haul my ass to the gym. In an ideal world, your own personal trainer would wake you up at 7am and drag you outside for a pre-breakfast workout while your own private chef whips up a healthy breakfast that contains just the right amount of calories. This is how every day begins at Energise Bootcamp. Your days consist of thousands of squats, mountain climbers, lunges, press ups and kettlebell swings. You will come to love sit ups as this is the only time your bum will touch a surface and you remember what it feels like to sit down if only for a few seconds. Hardcore workouts are exactly I expected from the bootcamp. There were lots of others things that were a nice surprise like the emphasis on technique. I’ve been to a lot of bootcamps but this one isn’t simply about clocking up the reps it’s about mastering the right technique. We also learned a few self defence moves that I will definitely put into practice on my unsuspecting husband should he try to deny me carbs. I totally mastered the art of TRX (the scary looking string thing that you can find in most gyms) and also the basics of bare foot running.
We started the first day with a nice stretch and finished the morning with a killer circuit. Because we kicked ass we were rewarded with a mid-afternoon skinny mojito at the venue’s very own bar, The Havana Club.
JOKING!! The bar is of course off limits to bootcampers and I’m sorry to ruin lives but there really isn’t such a thing as a skinny mojito. *sad face* Instead we got avocado and dips. Most of the meals we had were inhaled before I had chance to take a photo but I did manage to take a few snaps of our snacks. All of the food is prepared by the bootcamp’s expert nutritionist Bex and the meals were surprisingly substantial. Chicken and avocado salads, salmon fillets on a bed of noodles and protein packed smoothies are all designed to fuel your workouts.
Day one is a total shock to the system although finding out the exact measurements of your thighs will motivate you to try your hardest. Day two you will attempt to escape if you could only move your legs enough to make a getaway. By the end of day three you will start to rediscover your cheekbones and on day 4 you will marvel at the changes in your body and what you are capable of. I lost 4lbs and a whopping 2 inches from my waist during my stay. A typical day goes something like this.
Get up, trip over unpacked suitcase, wonder why I haven’t unpacked, get dressed, search for water bottle, stretch, breakfast, check to see if I’m any thinner, boxing, snack, locate water bottle, vow to unpack, kettlebell session, circuit, cry , shower, get changed, dinner, TRX, contemplate ordering Dominos, 400 squats, peel off gym kit, bath, PJ’s, attempt to read, fall asleep with book on face, dream of carbs.
I shared a cosy room at the top of the main house with my friend. Comfy beds, a bath so huge I struggled to get out and fluffy towels. Everything about the accommodation is designed to make you feel at home. There is a TV room so you don’t have to worry about missing the Great British Bake Off and a cute massage room where you can have well deserved treatments on an evening. I couldn’t write about my bootcamp experience without giving the Energise team a mention. Zoe the bootcamp manager is on hand to take care of you throughout the week whether you actually need something practical like your gym kit washing or you simply fancy a chat. She is a ray of positivity and she often joins in on some of the harder workouts and shares your pain.
Things I learned at Energise Bootcamp
- Shellac nails are totally bootcamp proof
- There are a total of 6 service stations on the way to the Cotswolds (I may or may not have stopped at all of them)
- I can live without double stuffed oreos for five days
This wasn’t my first visit to Energise Bootcamp and it won’t be my last. The next Energise Bootcamp takes place on November 9th to the 13th. Are you up for the challenge? Book your place here.
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