Heb Bootcamp is good for the soul

During this time I, your ever faithful sports scribe, and my bootcamp family, have swung kettlebells in all directions, mastered the art of every kind of body weight circuit, lifted more weights than we dare recall while also dipping our fists in the fast paced waters of Ricky Hatton Boxing regimes and all eight limbs into the art of Muay Thai.

As always Hebridean Bootcamp is as soul enriching an experience as it is physically rewarding as literal inches have fallen from own my waist size and muscle growth has been recorded and measured with pre and post-bootcamp stats showing a marked improvement.

It is encouraging to see the hard work, the early morning rises and the rivers of sweat which ran down our heads each day made a visible difference to us all.

Bootcamp leader and host club Fitness Studio SY owner Norrie Mackenzie, and his crew of coaches Josh Morrison, Sharon Macdonald, Andrew Taylor. Mark Logue, Gordon MacIntosh and Ian Macdonald each coached vastly different classes to keep the Bootcamp bunch on our toes, working hard but also motivated and keen to improve with each session filled with as many smiles as grimaces.

The thought of getting up and throwing yourself into high intensity exercise at an hour when most people are still enjoy the z’s in their sleep or enjoying the loving embrace of their duvet was my own daily battle.

But following each morning workout I was fully energised and ready to do battle at my desk for the day ahead. It is a cliché but putting in the effort and the energy in the morning does make you more energetic and feel fitter for the day ahead with improved moods and a good routine.

Sessions took place four mornings through the week between 6:15am and 7:15am which will allow all to enjoy the high intensity training and be home and washed in plenty time for work or the school run with an additional Saturday morning ‘yard training class’ for those seeking an extra push.

Most of the exercises are based on interval training which means regardless of recruits different levels of fitness everyone is working to their own maximum. And with timed bursts it meant everyone gets the same length of recovery time with the group session also encouraging everyone to keep working to their maximum. All four of the session leaders were always vocal, always urging you on but crucially they are always encouraging rather than pushy or demanding.

But don’t just take my word for it.

Gone are the days of an intimidating muscleman bellowing fitness jargon in your face as you struggle, bootcamps, and particularly Norrie’s Hebridean Bootcamp is far more inviting, open to all and professional.

All those who walk through his doors are taught the correct and safest techniques of weightlifting, body weight exercises and Thai and regular boxing.

Owner and bootcamp trainer Norrie does all his recruits through their paces but, like everything else, you only get out what you put in. I can reflect on my own experiences in Fitness Studio SY and confirm that even the early rises become easier to manage.

The Hebridean Bootcamp is for anyone at any level of fitness too from those who want to shed a few New Year pounds to those who were bidding to re-establish a healthier lifestyle or simply to tone up.

There is no need for a fad diet in 2020 and there will be another bootcamp in the summer where Norrie and his crack squad will be including a weekly trip to Traigh Mhor in Tolsta for early morning beach training which is always a treat with some expected jaunts to the Castle Grounds too.

Keep an eye on www.fitness-studio-sy.co.uk or on the Fitness Studio SY Facebook or Instagram pages for updates and news on forthcoming bootcamps. Anyone who commits their fitness soul for a month to the Fitness Studio SY team can rest assured that they won’t just improve your fitness and general health in the short term, they will hand you the tools to transform your life for the long term.