WIN with Adventure Boot Camp

Strong is the new skinny

For decades, women have been bombarded with the ideology of the “perfect body,” which in the eyes of many, meant svelte and skinny. In recent years, however, the idea of beauty (and health) has changed, with the focus shifting more towards eating right and being strong and fit; this is especially so when it comes to women.

Adventure Boot Camp’s head trainer, Wendy-Joy Timmes, says women of all ages should focus not only on losing weight but rather on gaining strength, and with that, added confidence.

Through ABC’s specialised training programmes, which run over a period of one month - one, three or five sessions a week - campers are given a full body workout; this is complimented by a nutritional eating plan, which is available on the group’s website.

“Our training programmes are designed to not just focus on cardio, but strength training too. Cross training minimises the risk of injury through repetitive exercises and also focuses more on the participant enjoying life in general rather than performing well in just one specific sporting discipline,” says Timmes.

When embarking on their fitness journey, women should remember that gaining some weight is not always a bad thing: “Many of our campers actually gain a few kilograms when they first sign up to a camp - this is healthy weight gain, which comes in the form of muscle tissue,” says Timmes. “Increased muscle mass makes you stronger, increases your stamina and improves your general quality of life.”

The main benefits of increasing muscle mass through strength training:

• Weight control: Strength training tones your muscles and directly influences the way your body burns fat. The higher your muscle mass the more kilojoules you will burn while resting. For every kilogram of muscle you gain, your body burns an extra 100 kilojoules a day.
• Increased strength: Of course more muscle means more power. The real benefit here comes with ageing. As you grow older you lose muscle strength. When you perform adequate strength training in later stages of your life, you can increase your strength by threefold in as little as three months.
• Reduced risk of injury: Muscles protect your joints from injury. When you gain muscle mass your balance also improves which can prevent you from falling and injuring yourself.
  Adventure Boot Camp classes are available across the country, with each camp being run over a four-week period. Choose a class to suit your schedule – early morning or in the evening – for four, 12 or 20 sessions per month (an average of one, three or five days a week).

Visit www.AdventureBootCamp.co.za to sign up for a camp in your area.

Prize Details: 
Adventure Boot Camp is offering 11 All4Women readers the opportunity to win a one month camp.

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