Beware: Fitness Boot Camps Are Dangerous - Singpapore's Top Personal Trainer

Big group training or "bootcamps" are popular in the fitness market because they are cheaper, more fun and friendly as well as less intimidating than one on one personal training. The big group atmosphere is also more exciting and fun!

Unfortunately, there is a wide variety in the quality of instruction and coaching in boot camps here in Singapore. This can be a HUGE downside.

Many fitness instructors want to start boot camps simply to earn a "quick buck" because there is a lot of money to be made in the fitness and beauty industry in Singapore. A coach might not be able to design and customize a workout to fit all the needs of the different people in a large group. Here are my top 10 tips on how to select a boot camp that will get you results and keep you safe, healthy and happy at the same time:

The Top 10 Tips For Boot Camp Safety

1.) The Instructor(s) Must Be experienced coaches with years of exercise and coaching experience under their belt. There are many online pay-for-certifications where people can get a certificate with little or no knowledge of proper training methods. In Singapore there are some basic exercise courses and fitness instructor courses that ANYBODY could pass with just a weekend's worth of reading the textbook. Can you put your health, fitness and future in the hands of this person? Lousy coaching is what makes the fitness industry look bad due to injuries to clients!

2.The coaches that guide you through the bootcamp must look the part! They should be fit and lean or else the program clearly does not work. A coach that is serious about helping you will be up to date with the best and most effective training methods. If so, they should themselves look fit! It's that simple. Have you seen people who wear a polo T-shirt with "fitness instructor" printed on the back, but a big belly on the front? I have. It's embarrassing to the fitness industry. Nobody wants to be coached by a person who is in more need of a workout than they are!

3.) The Instructor(s) must Be Experts with Exercise Progressions and modifications. Every exercise can be modified to be harder or easier depending on the clients current ability. People who have not exercised for a long time, or are currently very overweight, should NOT do the same exercises at the same difficulty levels as a person who is a seasoned exercise veteran. If you ask your trainer if he/she can show an exercise modification that better suits your particular situation, fitness level and past injury history, and they give you a blank stare, that "instructor" is not worth your hard earned cash!

4.) The Instructor(s) Must Provide A Personal Touch. Although a good trainer can effectively train the group as a whole and still give that personal touch, he/she must be willing to speak with clients before AND after every workout to address any individual needs that might arise within the scope of your training or in related to other very important topics like your nutrition, corrective exercise to improve your posture and muscle imbalances or your injury history.

5.There must be an emphasis on body weight training before any external loading (such as weights or bands) is added. There should be no added weight to any movements until you have mastered the key foundational body weight exercises in full ranges of motion like push-ups, squats, lunges, etc. A red flag should be raised if you are being instructed to add weight to a movement that you have yet to master with your body weight alone. This one's important because it's not a matter of if you will get hurt... it's a matter of when!

6.) The Training System Must Focus on Body Weight Circuit Training and Cardio Interval Training. High-Intensity Interval Training is scientifically proven to burn 9x more fat, in half the time! This is in comparison to aerobic training like jogging or swimming.

Thus it is critical that both the resistance training AND cardio programs provided incorporate intervals since, in my 10 years of real world experience with clients of all ages and fitness goals, the aim of 99% of fitness enthusiasts is fat loss.

Furthermore, most people are seeking for the lean, athletic look of a men's health or women's health cover model respectively, and this is easily accomplished with 2-5 body weight resistance training movements organized in a circuit fashion with the proper pre-programmed work to rest periods between exercises.

A good coach can get you a great workout without too much equipment or fancy gadgets!

7.) The Program Must Provide Nutritional Coaching. Nutrition is a huge part of the weight loss battle. In fact, it is impossible to "out train" bad nutrition. You would simply be wasting your money on your boot camp since there is no amount of exercise that can compensate for poor dietary habits. However, In reality, most people are too busy, and to be frank...too lazy, so the nutrition program needs to be clearly outlined and easy to follow. Nutrition plans must build habits not just "cookie cutter recipes" because habits stay with you for life and life long health and fitness should be the aim of any boot camp provider.

8.A website and an interactive web experience (web 2.0) are a must.0 Social Network. In today's world, any service must have a comprehensive and informative website. Personal training is not just about "training," it is a business and it needs to be approached that way. Furthermore, social support must extend outside of the boot camp workout. There are several web 2.web based communities.g. Facebook, NING) that offer member profiles, blogging, and a forum where trainers and clients can interact with each other for FREE, so there is no excuse not to set this up for boot camp clients.

9.) The Program Must Have Social Proof And Raving Fans who are walking, talking billboards for the effectiveness of the program. Client testimonials are one of the best forms of proof that the program works. Their previous clients should have results and be raving about all of the benefits and results that they have received from the program. Ask for before and after pictures and written or video testimonials of their services before signing up (again, this should be made available on the company website). In fact, you should go as far as to ask for the email addresses of former clients so that you can get "first hand" info about the quality of the service and the results that these other clients have gotten.

And remember, it's NOT just about the weight loss. Benefits should include, but not be limited to, increased energy levels, dress/pant size reduction, improved health profiles, increased strength and flexibility, less joint pain, etc.

10.) The Program Must Offer A FREE Trial or Satisfaction Guarantee. If the program is confident about what they have to offer, then they will let you come in and try it for free or they will guarantee your satisfaction or your money back to completely eliminate the risk on your end. A program that guarantees you results, will minimize the barriers for prospects like yourself to enter the program, because they know that once you experiences the benefits of the program firsthand they will surely buy!