Getting Fit Through Bootcamp Workouts
Kyle Wood was looking for some workout ideas when he was inspired to start a website about bootcamp workouts and exercises. His desire to share information with others so they can be and stay healthy let to a successful website called Bootcamp Ideas: New bootcamp workouts and ideas every week. Along with his guests, Kyle posts new workout routines and drills for others to implement as they see fit.
His informational website has now turned into a business for Kyle. He researches information and provides readers with tips. As a personal trainer and bootcamp instructor, Kyle lives a healthy lifestyle, himself, and has now successfully shared his ways with others. In addition to sharing information with others, he also assists other personal trainers plan routines for their clients. He has a knack for designing the right workout for the right person.
Enjoy!
1.You mention that you don’t have a military background, nor are you terribly athletic one. If that’s the case, how did an idea about starting a blog called “Bootcamp Ideas” come about?
I was out Googling one day for some bootcamp workout ideas myself and I couldn't find anything decent out there so I decided to fill the void myself. I wanted other trainers to find it and knew a little about SEO so I decided to call it Bootcamp Ideas.
I started out by just putting up one workout a week (which I still do) and it grew from there.
2.You are a personal trainer. How would you describe your coaching style?
I've learnt that encouragement works much better then enforcing. Sometimes I think of my clients as kids, I just keep loving and supporting them and when they are ready I gently guide them towards a healthy lifestyle whether that's getting them in for another session a week or making changes to their eating habits.
This has helped my clients achieve long term results which, to me, is much more important than losing X pounds in X days.
3.Did you intend for your website to turn into a business or were you simply intending to share information with others? When did your site take off from a marketing/business perspective?
In the back of my mind I had hoped it might one day have some earning potential, but the overall goal has always been to share my workouts and create a community which I and others can turn to for help.
While the site earns a little money on the side, I'd say it won't really take off until I bring out my own product.
4.What roles do social media play in your business?
Facebook is pretty big. Personal trainers don't have the time (or patience - they use it all on their clients) to fill out a comments section at the bottom of a blog post, they much prefer to quickly type a few sentences and hit Enter. Facebook has allowed me to quickly ask questions while also sharing new workouts and ideas.
5.What do you enjoy most about being a personal trainer?
The freedom. Being a trainer means I get to call my own work hours, take time off when I need to and always be home to make a delicious fresh lunch 🙂
Also the people, you meet some really great clients that you ultimately form very strong relationships with. I'm a people person so I love this aspect of the job.
6.What frustrates you most about being a personal trainer?
I'm sure all PTs can relate to this when I say clients not doing what they are told! This doesn't bother me so much now but in my early days I was about ready to pull my hair out from the number of clients who would constantly whine not getting any results who would then go home, sit on the couch and stuff their face.
Nowadays it doesn't bother me so much, I think I have gotten better at explaining that healthy change takes consistency over time. Being healthy is definitely a race won by the tortoise, not the hare.
7.What do you enjoy most about being a bootcamp instructor? Do you run your own business for this or do you work for an organization?
When I started out I went straight for running my own business, it flared up and then disappeared almost as quickly. I had a sort of 'If you build it' mentality to the whole thing.
Since then I've taken up subcontracting for another local business. I use their space and run their bootcamp. This works well for me at the moment because the thing I enjoy most about being an instructor is creating the workouts and then inflicting them upon my clients.
8.What frustrates you most about being a bootcamp instructor?
I would say the same as above with being a personal trainer except that clients don't have as much time (or breath) to complain at bootcamp.
It's probably the park permits, I feel like we are trying to do something good for the community in creating a fun, outdoor activity for all ages and the councils and government respond by slapping us with permits and fees. What really annoys me is the fee is the same no matter what you are charging the clients, so low cost bootcamps for low income areas have really been hit hard.
9.Do you find that you treat your personal clients differently than your bootcamp participants? Why or why not?
PT clients definitely get better attention. The amount of questions a client can ask a trainer in a one on one session is 10 times the amount one can ask in a group session.
But they all get access to me via email questions etc. group clients just don't get the personalized programming and advice.
10.You invite other trainers to post training ideas on your website. What criteria do you use to screen the ideas? Have you ever turned any away?
Mostly it just has to be understandable. That means the drills need explained clearly and any strange exercises also need to be explained.
I've only not posted (or still intend to post) one workout that was basically just a group of exercises with no real explanation of what to do with them.
11.You mention that you trained under Chris and Mic at “Motivate to Train.” What were the biggest lessons you learned from them? What sets them apart from others?
Keep it simple! It's easy to get caught up trying to make the ultimate, most complete workout that incorporates everything. It always ends up being a hideous mess or too busy and your clients just don't get it.
It's much better to just cut it back, focus on one thing and do that really well in the session. Trainers shouldn't be afraid to do the same drill 2 or 3 times in the same session.
Chris and Mic are both very dedicated to this industry, they provide a great service in making sure that bootcamp instructors out there are working ethically and safely with their clients.
12.You participate in a Mastermind group of trainers. What is that experience like and how does it benefit you and your business?
The Mastermind is still in the works so the business benefits are still unknown 🙂
13.Why did you turn your attention to bootcamp workouts rather than just regular exercise routines? What drew you into the bootcamp environment?
Originally I called my outdoor classes Fitcamp to get away from the bootcamp stigma. In the end though we found it easier to call it bootcamp because that's what people tended to look for and we didn't have to explain so much about what was involved.
As for what drew me, I can't stand typical gym classes so bootcamp was about as opposite as I could get. There are no rules on what I can do with the group as long as it's safe so it allows for the biggest variety in training for myself and my clients. Also because we run in 4 week blocks of time, it allows me to take a week off once and a while.
14.Your website is filled with drills, exercise, resources, tips, and workouts. What inspires you to write about the topics that you choose? How do you come up with your content that is not drill-based?
The non-workout type posts are usually inspired by a question I have received or to talk about a product that I like. I'm hoping to do some more non-workout posts including some community answers questions and small guides for the admin side of the business.
15.What are your next steps? Will you continue to expand on your business or will you tackle a different niche? Why?
Next is my own product contribution to the field. I don't want it to be another ebook filled with workouts as there is plenty of them out there. It may be a variation on the theme or something completely different. Whatever it is, it has to be useful to my readers.
As for other areas, there has been some noise about a similar website for personal training sessions. I would also like to work on the mastermind idea, but alas there is only so much time one person has. Perhaps the next step will be to find some help.
Thank You
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Kyle Wood is a blogger, personal trainer and bootcamp instructor. Visit him at www.bootcampideas.com or on twitter @BootcampIdeas
Chief Editor
Tal Gur is an author, founder, and impact-driven entrepreneur at heart. After trading his daily grind for a life of his own daring design, he spent a decade pursuing 100 major life goals around the globe. His journey and most recent book, The Art of Fully Living, has led him to found Elevate Society.
