Are you going skiing this season? Well if you are, its a good idea to get a head start on those muscles that are going to get your through your week on the slopes. Even if you are a beginner skier or advanced, its still a bit of a jolt on the legs on your first day back on skis!

So we have 3 simple exercises for you to do at home, or at Bootcamp classes, that you will thank us for when you head off on the ski hols!

The Wall Squat:

• Best do use a wall or a partner for this
• Get into the squat positition, keeping your knees behind your toes, and your thighs parallel to the ground
• Hold that positition for either as long as you can, or for 4 sets of 30 seconds, with a 15 second break in between each set.
• Remember to keep feet flat on the ground, and to keep core muscles engaged and to keep breathing!

The Lunge:

• Best done in 4 phases, out, down, up and back, and count them out to help with your timing and technique
• Stand with your fee shoulder width apart, take a large step forward with your right leg, keeping your hands on your hips and your head held up looking forward.
• Now lower until the right thigh is parallel to the ground and your back knee is about 4-5 cm from the ground
• The right knee should be at 90 degrees.
• The front leg is then straightened and finally, step back before changing legs and repeating. 

The Jump Squat:

• A squat with a jump
• Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and hands by your side
• Bend your knees, keeping them behind the toes, and lowering your backside to the ground until the thighs are parallel to the ground, and the knees are bent and 90degrees, like a squat.
• As you raise up, Jump Upwards and return to the ground going straight back into a squat
• Keep your knees soft and your back in neutral position. Remember to breath throughout!

Your Bootcamp classes will give you a great overall fitness, and help you for sure on your ski trip. To be cardio fit, really benefits you when skiing, so be sure to get to all your classes in the lead up to your holidays!

See you on the slopes!!

Lorraine

Top tips for training in Colder Weather.

Stay on you feet: Keeping your feet moving when in the cold will keep them warm and help you enjoy being outdoors more. Avoid over-layering, as this will cause them to sweat, which in turn lead to cold toes. For a typical Bootcamp session, a single pair of warm, wicking socks will do.

Hydration: Avoid de-hydration. This is one of the biggest challenges when training in the cold, so make it as convenient as possible to keep yourself hydrated. It might not seem like top of your list when in the cold, but its just as imporatant as when training in warmer weather. Try putting luke warm liquids in to your bottle, so it doesnt freeze, and maybe add some squeezed lemon for flavour.

Warm clothes for afterwards: Be sure to have something warm and dry to put on after your class, to avoid getting the chill. After class, when you are standing around, chatting, this is when your temperature drops, so be sure to change into a warm dry long sleeved top for afterwards as soon as possible, and if your socks got wet, change them too.

Do not overdress: It might seem nice and comfy when you are getting ready and at the start of the class, but you will sweat much more  that you would otherwise, and this will cause your clothes to get wet. If your clothes are wet, your body is cold! If you feel slightly cold before starting your training, then you are dressed just about right.. you will warm up minutes into the class.

Head gear: You lose most of your heat through your head, so a hat or a buff is ideal for training. There are lots of different ways of wearing a buff, so check out the website for some different ways to look cool and stay warm! Another great use for a buff, is the use over your mouth in really cold weather, to warm up the air your breath in at the start of your session.

Gloves: Gloves will get you through your class in a bit more comfort, still giving you the Bootcamp experience. Ideal gloves will not be too bulky. Icebreaker do a great glove with Merino wool, providing good insulation, durability, odour resistance and moisture control and soft and itch free.

Layers: Wearing a thin good quality layer underneath, will keep you warm and take moisture away from your body, keeping your warm and dry. 

Most importantly, don't let the cold or wet weather stop you, you will absolutely love it when you are out there! Remember... Your skin IS waterproof:)

If you have any questions for us, please feel free to email or call us anytime!

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Cheers

The Bootcamp Team

Your next FREE Fitness Assessment will take place this Saturday, February 04th in Clontarf Promenade @ 10.30am. *Your instructor will be giving a short introduction talk before the class where you'll learn how to calculate BMI and other handy tips to help you on your road to improved fitness. So please aim to get to the location @ 10.15.

We'll meet at the bandstand by the lake in the park. Click here for map showing the meeting point.

This is a great opportunity for all our new Bootcampers to get their first Fitness Assessment to give you an idea of where you're "at" in terms of your fitness levels and abilities. For those who have done one before it's great way for you to follow up on your last Fitness Assessment!

We will then upload your results to your Personal Profile and then when you do your next Fitness Assessment you can see where you've improved and what you'd like to work on!

How it works:

For a full breakdown of what's involved, averages for all exercises and how the results are calculated click here.

Let us know you'll be coming:

To book in for your Free Fitness Assessment, just log in to your profile, click "Book & View my Bootcamp Events" and simply book the Fitness Assessment  Simple as that!

It is free for all fully registered Members and Loyalty Members. If you are using the Book of 12 Vouchers, please book in online and present a Voucher prior to the class in order to participate.

It's great fun and you still get a great work out!

We rotate our Fitness Assessments between Bushy Park, Phoenix Park & Herbert Park once a month to keep it fair for all our Members to get to one.

And the Winner is...

And the best news is we will also have a Leader Board for the best performance and a runner up! All your results will remain private, except those on the Leader Board, where only names will be displayed, and not results.

PS: All our other Saturday classes go ahead as normal.

We hope to see you all there!

Cheers, 

--
The Bootcamp Team.

What Food Groups do I need to consider throughout the day to give me a good nutritional and well balanced diet??

If you break down your day into servings of food groups, it will ensure that you get what you need to sustain a healthy diet and will steer you in the right path to help you cut out all the 'bad foods'. Let us go through the ideal daily plan for a typical Bootcamper:

1) Carbohydates: Cereals, Bread, Rice, Pasta, potatoes etc. (6+ servings per day) 

These should make up the majority of your daily food intake. A serving can be a slice of bread, 1oz of wholegrain cereal, a medium potato (boiled or baked) or 2 tablespoons of cooked pasta/rice. Choose high fibre breads and cereals where possible. If you are doing a lot of physical activity, then up t 12 portions may be necessary.

2) Fruit and Vegetables: Fruits, fruit juice, vegetables, salad, vegetable soup etc. (4+ servings per day)

2 tablespoons of cooked vegetable or salad, a medium size fruit, small bowl of homemade vegetable soup, a 1/2 glass of fruit juice are all examples of portions sizes. Choose green leafy vegetables where possible for essential folic acid. Try and get into the habit of substituting cakes and biscuits with fruit and chopped up carrots etc. They will not only keep your fuller for longer,but will give you the nutrition required on a daily basis and reduce your sugar intake.

3) Dairy: Milk, Cheese, Yoghurt etc. (3 servings per day) 5 for pregnant/breastfeeding women and 4 for teenagers.

This is how you get your daily intake of protein and calcium. Vital for your bones and muscle repair. Low fat dairy products contain as much calcium as full fat products. Serving examples include a carton of yoghurt, 1/3 pint of milk, an oz of hard cheese (approx. a matchbox size amount. These foods all contain fat and protein.

4) Meat, Fish and Alternatives; Chicken, Beef, Fish, Eggs, Beans etc. (2 servings per day) 3 for pregnant women.

These foods contain fat and protein. A serving is 2oz of cooked lean meat, 3oz of fish, 2 eggs, 6 tablespoons of beans/pulses (eg Kidney beans or lentils), 2 oz of cheddar cheese, 3oz of nuts. Ideally, you should have a portion of nuts/seeds on your desk for snacks throughout the day, rather than dipping into the cookie jar! They are also great for pre-Bootcamp training, to give you energy for the class without over filling you. Be adventurous and try something you haven't tried before. You will amaze yourself when you invite these new flavours to your palate.

5) Others: Fats and Oils & Confectionary. (sparingly)

Needless to say I'm sure, that you should avoid sugar frequently, and keep your alchoholic intake to a minimum. Very often, people will choose to diet with food, but stay on the high alchoholic intake, and will see little or no results. This is due to the high amounts of sugar contained in alchohol. FYI: 1 unti is equivelent to 1/2 pint beer or 1 glass of wine. 1 measure of spirits is 1.5 units. Women: 14 units per week; Men; 21 untis per week. Where you use butter, use 1oz of low fat spread instead of your usual big spread of full fat butter. The small changes can make a big difference overall.

Top Tips to eating Healthier:

1. Make your lunch for work, rather than buying at work. This way you will have better control of what you are consuming, rather than impluse buying when hungry. Tubberwares are a great investment!
   
2. Do a weekly shop, where you can buy your healthy items at a cheaper price and prepare your meals throughout the week.
   
3. Keep a food diary, and mark out all your servings in a table format, so you can see what you are eating each day. This will show you if you are over on some and under on others.
   
4. Try out new receipes on line. Be inventive and don't be afraid to make something you haven't considered before. It's not that difficult to follow a well written receipe, and you never know, you might just enjoy the cooking!
5. Don't pick at cakes and biscuits throughout the day, just because someone else near you is... It't your body.. not theirs!
6. Subsitute your bad snacks with good ones.. fruit, dried fruit, nuts, seeds etc.
   
7. Fill up a litre and half bottle of water each day and be sure to drink it by the time you leave work.
   
8. When out socialising and having a few beers, have a glass of water between drinks. This will not only keep you hydrated, but it will slow down your alchoholic intake, and save you a few cents in the meantime!
9. Try seasonal fruits and vegetables. They are not only plentiful, but also at their best and usually on special in the supermarket.
   
10. Chew your food at least 16 times before swallowing it, and take little breaks when eating. Don't eat your meals so fast.. enjoy them!
    

If you have any further questions to ask us while you are doing your Bootcamp training, feel free to email us and we will do out best to help you out!

Cheers

Lorraine

Water plays such a massive role in our body. From transporting nutrients throughout our bodies, getting rid of toxins, regulates body tempeture, lubricates your joints, and helps with digestion. Water makes up almost 70% of our body with our organs containing even more.Your liver contains almost 95% water, and as your liver plays a critical role in our bodies by breaking down toxins, and removing them from our bodies, storing fat soluble vitamins and more importantly, it also plays a huge role in carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism. Your liver is also repsonsible for the storage and mobilization of fatty acids, so it is vital that we keep it running at its full capacity. When you dont drink enough water, your kidneys cannot fully function, and they are responsible also for removing toxins and waste material. When this happens, your liver has to pick up the slack. If your liver is working twice as hard to remove toxins, then FAT METABOLISM is not going to be able to function to its full capacity.

When your body doesn’t get enough water, it holds onto what it has, this is Water Retention, and it is simply survival. Your body has a tendency to hold onto and store what it doesn’t think it will get in the future. Once you start drinking more water, your body recognizes that it is getting a steady external supply, and it starts letting go of the water weight it’s been holding. That water retention in your waist, face, and ankles is released because there is no longer a reason for your body to store it.

Studies have shown that just slight dehydration can hugely impact exercise performance. Sometimes being hydrated is the difference between getting those last two reps, doing an extra 3 burpees, or running that lap 5 seconds faster. It may not seem like much of a difference, but that better workout you just had as a result of being fully hydrated, just built you some muscle. And in return, that muscle is now burning more fat for you, even while you rest.

How much water do I need to drink to lose weight?

Ideally, you should drink about 8 pints of water a day to support your fat loss goals. It might seem like a lot, but if you drink a pint when you first wake up, 1 at berakfast, another at your 11oc break, 1 at lunch, dinner and before you got to bed, then thats 6 gone, and only 2 more to get through throughout the day. You’ll get used to it. You may not be thirsty at first, but as your body starts to let the water go that it’s been holding onto, you’ll notice that you’re thirsty more often.

Add a lemon, lime, or orange slice to your water if you need some flavor. 

Best of luck with it, and make this part of your New Year, New You regime!

Cheers

The Bootcamp Team

Complete 4 full 6 week sessions with us, with no break between sessions, and you get your 5th Session Absolutely FREE!! Thats 30 weeks for the price of 24!!

All you have to do is keep doing what you do best:) Book in as normal into your sessions, and apart from taking a weeks holiday timeout, you can avail of the 5th Session Free offer.

This will apply to any sessions starting from Jan 2012 to coincide with our new pricing structure of €99 for 6 weeks.

How do you claim your free session?

Simply book in for your sessions, back to back, and once you have paid for all 4 sessions, contact the office (01) 2343797, at the end of your 4th session, and we will take care of the rest for you!

Happy training everyone!

Cheers

The Bootcamp Team

Yes, you read it right... its our 5th Annual Ski & Snowboard Trip, Soldeu, Andorra, March 2012.. if you can think that far ahead:)

This trip is our best trip of the year.. always full of great stories, ski and snow! All Bootcampers are welcome to come along, and are promised a trip of a lifetime! If you have not skiied or snowboarded before, no probs.. you can get lessons in ski school, where you will meet up with some great people, and going on past years.. you could end up with more than just a ski buddy by the end of the week! And if you are a pro.. then no worries, we have selected an area where there are endless areas and trails to explore for the week there.

The Apres Ski is second to none.. and the on and off slope entertainment, is worth it alone.. just think.. skiing down the last run of the day, straight into the bar with a gluvine or hot chocolate waiting for you, surrounded by a bunch of laughing Bootcampers,  telling of their funny stories on the slopes that day!!

Who's Going: All Bootcampers & Instructors are welcome to come along on this trip, and lots already coming along! If you joined Bootcamp on your own,  this is how you will get to meet other people! It's ideal if you love skiing but can't get a group to go with yourself...so come join us! Last years’ crew and the crew from the year before still hang out regularly! So what are you waiting for? There'll be, as always, a great mix of ski & snowboarding levels on the trip.

Where: We're going to Soldeu, Andorra (Home of the 2012 Ski Championships). Our accommodation is a 4 star hotel, right in the middle of it all, ski slopes, restaurants, bars, cafes and lots more. So no need for buses and taxis while you are there. 

When: 4th March 2012, for 7 nights. Saturday to Saturday. 

Cost: Here's the good bit... We did great on this price for you this year, as we know things are tighter than normal.. so it's only €649pp. This will include all taxes, return flights, 7 nights 4 star accommodation, breakfasts, dinners, ski guides, and transfers to and from the airport. Single rooms are extra and will be on a first come first serve basis (ask for details), otherwise it most likely be a twin room that you'll be in. This always works out great, so if you are coming on your own, fear not.. you'll be roomed up with another great Bootcamper!

How to book your place: The payment plan is perfect for those who want to pay a small bit each month, right up to when we go. You can reserve your place by logging into your account and going to the ‘Book and View my Events ' section and simply booking your place from the drop down menu.The non-refundable deposit to secure your place is €50, and we will need to get this in straight away to secure your place.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to call us at (01) 234 3797.

So what are you waiting for... get booking.. its on a first come first serve basis, and each year we have over 40 Bootcampers of all levels on these trips.. go on.. you know your want to!

Check our some of our pics from previous ski trips.

Ski Trip 2011

Ski Trip 2010

Ski Trip 2009

Ski Trip 2008

FAQ's:
Is it ok to go on my own?
Yes of course, that's the best part! Each year, more than half of the group have come alone and that's how you make new friends and have the craic! We know that it can be difficult to get your usual buddies to come along on a ski trip for a whole week, with all the commitments that they have, so this is perfect for you!

What about the rooms?
There are single & twin rooms available. The room allocation will be done before you go, and we will all meet up and you can see who you are sharing with before we head off. It always works out great! The single rooms are limited and have an additional supplement - email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for details. 

I don't know how to ski?
That's no problem at all! There is always a good bunch that go, who have never skied before. So you will simply join in a ski school with them and believe me, it's at blast!

I'd like to try snowboarding:
Why not! You can do a few days skiing and a few days snow boarding if you'd like to try it out. You can book lessons for this and at least say you've given it a go. Or you can simply book in for snowboarding school for the week.

What happens after the skiing?
After skiing, we generally find a pub, and meet there for a few scoops and have a great laugh about the day on the mountain! Then we have dinner each evening, where we all meet up again and hang out! There will be other activities there for us to take part in too, and our rep on the ground will tell us all about them.

Can I bring a friend?
If you have a mate that would like to come along with us, as long as we have room when you are booking, then yes, they can come too. They will be coming along as a Bootcamper, and will need to create a profile on our website and book in there.

I don't have ski gear, can I rent it?
Yes, almost all of the group will be renting skis, boards, boots, and poles. So you won't have to worry at all about that. Renting your gear is generally the norm! 

What about ski packs? 

The ski beginners ski packs are priced from €289 and include your skis, boots poles, lift pass for the week, and your lessons all week too! An excellent price. There are other ski pack options too which you can get from Derek on 01 2401717 or email him on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

I am a really good skier.. Will I be alone for the week?
Not at all. There's a good bunch of adavnced skiers going, and each day they will meet up and head off exploring the mountain in a group. It's lots of fun! We may even have a guide to take us around the mountain if we're lucky like previous years!

Well that's all the serious stuff out of the way for now..

If you have any other questions at all, please don't hesitate to call us here on 01 2343797.

Cheers

Lorraine & The Bootcamp Team

Get the most out of your Boocamp Ireland Membership

We're always looking at ways of getting you guys the best value for your Bootcamp Ireland membership. Below are some handy things to know about your membership that will help you maximise the potential to get the results everyone is looking for!

As you know €99.00 gets you a 1 hour class in your preferred location twice a week for 6 weeks. We strongly urge you to train consistently over the 6 weeks that your membership lasts but if you happen to miss a class one night you have a couple of options;

Train Anywhere

• Our Train Anywhere bonus means that you can make up for a missed class in one of our other weekday locations. So if you're running late one evening we'll squeeze you in to another location that night. Or if you want to train in another local location the next night we'll also sort that for you. You need to contact the office in order for us to arrange the details.

Saturday Sessions

• If you cant train elsewhere that week our Saturday Sessions are open to all full time members to help you catch up on that class. These classes take place @ 10.30am in the following locations; Clontarf Promenade, Bushy, Herbert and Phoenix Park and Greystones RFC. There's no need to book in, just turn up, give your name and your usual training location and away you train!
• You can also use these Saturday classes to get an extra workout in, for free! In other words you can go along to 3 classes a week if you want to push it to the max!

Extra Week Vouchers

• If you are going to miss 2 or more consecutive classes (maybe you're going on holidays or you might have a niggly injury you want to rest) you are entitled to 1 week of 'time out'. This week is then added on when you pay for your next session. To organise this you need to contact the office. **This option has replaced our old Holiday Voucher System. So if you are in possession of a holiday voucher from your last session or if you think you are entitled to a voucher we'll simply convert any old vouchers to our new 'Extra Week' vouchers. However it's important that you contact the office on (01) 234 37 97 to arrange the details**

Bonus 6 week session

• If you join 4 x 6 week sessions back to back (this means no more than one week break between sessions) you get your 5th session absolutely FREE. 30 weeks of training for the price the price of 24. There's no catch, it's as simple as that :)

We hope all these added benfits will make it easier for you to get the most out of your Bootcamp training.

See you at class soon :)

Cheers,

---

The Bootcamp Team

Orange and Mango

Focus on Food: Orange

Orange juice is the #1 citrus fruit consumed worldwide, and the reason is not simply its delicious and tasty flavour. Orange juice is rich in Vitamin C, folic acid, Vitamin B1, dietary fibre, potassium and magnesium. Orange juice also contains metabolizing ingredients which increase the effect of Vitamin C in the body, which aids cell protection.

Focus on Food: Mango

Mango delivers a rich cocktail of antioxidants composed of essential vitamins and minerals. Mango is richer in Vitamin A than most fruits, and also exceeds with high levels of folic acid, calcium, zinc, iron, potassium and other rare trace elements which support a strong cardiovascular system. Two important free radical scavengers, beta-carotene and a high dose of Vitamin C help to successfully reduce oxidative stress within the cells. The only thing that is scarce in a Mango is calories…..something so healthy never tasted so delicious!

* Information provided with thanks to Venga UK Ireland. Click here to find out more about Venga Drinks and where to you pick up one of these delicious drinks! 

Venga Rehydrate contains Orange & Mango.

Bootcamp Sessions for €99.00!! PLUS... SPECIAL OFFER OF 2 WEEKS FREE BOOTCAMP!!! Read on for more..

Now that we've got your attention we'll fill you in with the details :)

We're launching a new price structure with immediate effect. So from now on a Bootcamp session costs just €99.00 *

For that amazing new price you get;

• 6 weeks of training
• Free Bonus Saturday classes
  
• 'TRAIN ANYWHERE' option**
• Great new BONUS SYSTEM for returning members, 5th session FREE! ***
  
• Activity Trips,
  
• Weekends away,
  
• Free nutrition workshops,
  
• Monthly Hikes,
  
• Social events,
  
• Exclusive Members Competitions,
  
• Surf Trips,
  
• Ski Trips and lots, lots more...

All of that for the amazing price of €99.00.

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE...........

€99.00 FOR 8 WEEKS.. That's 2 WEEKS FREE BOOTCAMP!

To celebrate this new pricing and as an early Christmas present from us, to ALL OF YOU if you purchase a 6 week session before the 19th Dec you get 2 weeks extra FREE!!! So that's €99.00 for 8 WEEKS!

And there's no limit to how many you can buy!!

So for Christmas why not treat a friend to 8 weeks of Bootcamp? Or maybe you have a family member who you think needs that gentle helping hand in getting into a new year fitness regime. (if you're buying as a gift, please contact the office to arrange delivery of a gift voucher)

Or even just treat yourself...go on, you deserve it, you've been good all year! :)

Dont worry if you're in the middle of a session you can still get in on this cracking deal! You just need to start this special offer 8 week session before Feb 13th 2012. 

For Dublin CLICK HERE to pay online or you can simply pay at your next class :)

For Limerick CLICK HERE to pay online or you can simply pay at your next class :)

*Existing Holiday Time Out vouchers or any other vouchers may not be used when paying for the 6 week session. Please contact office to arrange alternative use for any existing Holiday Time Out voucher. Other Bootcamp Ireland Rules and Regulations also apply

**Pick your preferred location, but if you miss a class, you can go along to any other class to make it up! Just call us and we'll fit you in! We encourage you to stick to your preferred class each week, so you get to know your fellow Bootcampers!

***Members who join 4 consecutive 6 week sessions in a row, get the 5th session absolutely FREE!!