Next week at my bootcamp we are running a Super Bootcamp Week. It is the last week that bootcamp will run for the year so we wanted to finish with a bang.
The idea was inspired by the Bootcamp Alliance‘s evolution weeks. We are running our bootcamp every single day (MTWTF) and challenging our clients to participate in each one.
To keep it fun I am theming all of the workouts in the spirit of the holidays starting with the one below. I’ll be sharing more over the next week including a bonus one just for the mailing list so make sure you sign up if you are not already on there.

12 Days of Christmas
Type: Strength, Fun!
Time: 60 minutes
Equipment: Cones, Mats, Station Cards (see below)
Pre-Workout Set Up
Print off 12 sheets (click for PDF sample) with “On the ___ day of Christmas my trainer gave to me: ______” printed on them. Fill out these cards using the exercises below or exercises of your own choosing.
We are running 45 minute sessions now, I picked exercises that most of the campers will already know so we could save some time on demonstrating.
Warm Up
800 (1/2 mile) run followed by warrior lunges, high knee skipping, jumping jacks and frog squats.
Main Drill
This workout operates like the song ‘The 12 Days Of Christmas‘.
Set up 12 stations in a row or ‘U’ shape. Place appropriate equipment at each station.
All clients start by just completing station 1. Then they complete station 2 and then station 1. Then station 3, station 2 and station 1, just like the order of the days in the song.
Challenge your fittest clients to complete all 12 versus (their last round will be stations 1 to 12) by the end of the workout.
Sample Exercises:
- 10 Squats
- 10 Walking Lunges (5 each leg)
- 10 Hand Release Push Ups
- 10 Sea Turtles
- 10 Jump Squats
- Lateral Plank Walk – 6m each way
- 7 Band Shoulder Presses (alt.: use DBs)
- 8 Deck Squats (easier alt.: come up in a lunge by tucking one leg underneath you as you roll up)
- 9 Head Banger Push Ups (in downwards dog position)
- 10 x 10m shuttles (100m total running)
- 11 Burpees
- Bear Crawl – 12 crawls forwards, 12 crawls backwards
Alternatives:
- If you are running short on time, half the number of reps on stations 3 to 6.
- Sing the song backwards by starting with all 12 stations and working your way down to just one.
- Give this workout as an at-home challenge for your clients leading up to Christmas. Get them to start by just doing exercise 1 on December 13. Then exercises 1 and 2 on December 14 and so on.
Cooldown
Streches
Have you got any special workouts planned for Christmas? Send them in or share in the comments below.
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Image: Mikko Luntiala
Kyle Wood created Bootcamp Ideas in 2010 when he was hunting around on the internet for workout ideas. He ran a successful bootcamp in Victoria, Australia and spends his spare time managing this site, adventuring (or lazying) with his wife and find new ways to make bootcamps even better.
Thanks for the idea! I applied this to my Cardio Class last week. They loved it, in a kind of “hurts so good…” way! I tried to keep with the theme of the song and also the numerical sequence as well. For example: 11 Lord O Leaping = 11 Hopping altermating lunges, 9 Ladies (Guys) Dancing = 90 sec Dance Party, 8 Maids of Milking = 8 DB Milkjugs….Not all matched up but t’was fun!
“All clients start by just completing station 1. Then they complete station 2 and then station 1. Then station 3, station 2 and station 1, just like the order of the days in the song.”
I really like the idea of this work out! I just need a bit of clarification. So, for example, I have 8 participants in this work out. Space and equipment is fairly limited. What you are saying is all 8 will be at station #1 and then all at the same time, virtually as a group, move to station #2 and so on? I typically have ran circuits where 1 or 2 individuals are working at a particular station for an allotted time/reps before moving to the next station. I am just concerned it will start to get cluttered having 6-8 athletes at one station trying to perform a given exercise and then having to backtrack to the previous stations. Just need some clarification, I hope this makes sense! Happy holidays and thanks again for a fun and creative work out!
That is correct KB, they do it all together. You will find as they progress that some will start getting ahead of the others and they will spread out a bit.
If you use the exercises below, the only station you need equipment for is the Shoulder Press station. Otherwise, a way you could spread them out would be to handicap them. The fittest start on day 1 of the song, intermediates on day 2 or 3 and the least fit on days 3 or 4 of the song. Eg. A beginners first round would be station 4, station 3, station 2, station 1 and then station 5, station 4, etc.
-Kyle
Thanks for the great ideas!! Uh, what are Sea Turtles. I can’t for the life of me figure that one out. You lie on your tummy and do the breast stroke??? ; )
More or less Teri. Arms should stay off the ground the whole time, make sure you get the legs abducting/adducting too.
https://bootcampideas.com.s213164.gridserver.com/sea-turtles/
Absolutely love this idea. I’ve modified it to suit my own participants and the goals of the class and shall be using this one tonight for sure. Excellent.
I’ll keep you informed !
Paul
http://Www.achievingfitness.co.uk