8 More Totally Rad Bootcamp Games

Welcome back today for the second round of bootcamp games for our competition. Just like yesterdays nine bootcamp games we have a variety of workouts and drills so help yourselves.

Voting on these will start at the end of next week so make sure you make a note (mental or physical) of which games worked well for you.

1. 4 Corner Colored Ball Relay

From Jess Griffin

Think of a basketball court. Put colored balls in the center circle and clients in equally divided teams (or as close as possible) on 4 corners.  Lined soccer fields work well too. If you have no court/lines simply mark a large rectangle out with cones and make sure corners are equidistant from center where balls are.

Each team lines up in a line behind a cone/corner. One player at time sprints to center to get a ball, returns to their corner, slaps hand of next teammate and that player runs to retrieve ball.  Play continues until all balls are gone. The more balls you have to pick up, the more they run! Team with most wins.

But then……

They think game is over and SURPRISE –I pull out my mini white board and each color has an exercise listed next to it. (ie. red = burpees, green = squat jumps, blue =walking lunges, yellow = pushups, purple = mountain climbers).  As a team, they line up all the balls and must complete the exercises together. (My groups usually choose to start with burpees to get them out of the way  ). Depending on the number of balls and the ability of your campers you can make them single reps, or make every ball worth 5 reps/10 reps etc.  You could also do core exercises, some plyometrics, –whatever you want that day.

Tips:

• Make sure you don’t show exercise list before they get balls or nobody will pick the burpee ball.
• If you repeat this game change the color exercises so they cannot cherry pick their favorites or avoid their least favorite.

Variation:  Instead of sprinting to get balls you can make this relay part of you warm up by having them shuffle, backwards jog, walking lunge, bear crawl, high knees, etc.  I call out various moves as the game is going on and they have to switch instantly. So they might be lunging to center and then have to flip over and crabwalk for the rest of the way. How do they crabwalk and hold the ball? They manage! (and makes it more fun)!

What if I don’t have colored balls? (this sounds so inappropriate).

You could use tennis balls and just put a colored marker dot on them. Bean bags would work too.  A mix of different objects would work too–some balls, some discs, some bandanas, bla bla bla. My balls are leftover from a kiddie ball pit my daughters used to play in. If you wanted to splurge you can find at Toys R Us, Target, etc.

Note from Kyle: Australians, you can get bags of coloured tennis balls from Target pretty cheap.

My crew loves this game! I like it because it’s a fun way to get in some sprint intervals.

About Jess: Jess Griffin, MA, CPT, CrossFit L-1 Trainer. Owner/Head Trainer at NJ Fit Mom. “Moms need all the strength they can get!” www.njfitmom.com

2. Scavenger Hunt

From Niki J Torres

Location: Outdoors

Equipment: Cones or other type of marker

Warm-Up

• Arm/leg swings
• SAQ Drills: Set up cones marking 10 and 20 yards. With a light jog, do arm circles, keeping elbows together as long as possible before taking back behind head. Jog to first cone and sprint to the second, then jog it back around. Continue with walking shin Pulls, ankle grabs, high knees, quad walks, etc.
• Power skips

Main

Before clients arrive, trainer “hides” a series of cones around the area. On each cone is an envelope that contains an exercise or ‘challenge’ for the team to complete. Each location must contain one cone per team; it may be helpful for each team’s cones to be color-coordinated, so they can only pick up cones that are theirs.

Group is divided into teams.  Each team takes a turn drawing a slip of paper that contains a location or clue as to where to find a cone (For instance, “Bleachers,” “Picnic tables,” etc.). Teams must then sprint to find cones hidden around park, bring it back to “Homebase” where Trainer is, and perform exercise before drawing next clue.

Here is an example of the clues/locations and exercises I did:

• Blocks – Multiplaner hops 20X, each plane
• Playground – Walking Lunges w/ bicep curl 4X, cone-to-cone
• Bleachers – Burpies 20X
• Soccer goals – Inverted shoulder press 20X
• Picnic benches – Tricep dips 20X on bleachers
• Hill – From cone, B3ackpeddle 2X, High Knees 2X, Bear Crawl 2X
• Wall – Both players must hold static wall squat for 3 minutes total. If you come out, time freezes.

Teams are either racing against each other, against the clock, or both.

Abs & Cool Down

• The 100
• Reverse crunches
• Bicycle crunches
• Russian twists

About Niki: Niki J Torres is a self-employed personal trainer based in Austin, Texas. A life-long fitness enthusiast but new to the trainer business, Niki loves being a part of helping clients meet their goals and have fun while exercising. In a past life, Niki was an actor and teaching artist and has found boot camps to be a combination of many the things she loved the most about theatre: creativity, collaboration, and reaching a potential you didn’t know was possible.

3. Field Day Fun!

Also from Niki J Torres

I don’t know how far and wide field day extends, but where I grew up, there was no better day for an elementary kid than field day.  Taking place about 1 or 2 days before summer break, field day was a school-wide Olympic-like chance to prove yourself to all the other 5th graders by racking up ribbons for your class in races and events. Who wouldn’t want to relive that?

Warm-Up

• SAQ Drills: walking arm circles, for/back, quad walks, shin grabs, ankle grabs
• Hot Potato: In a circle, the group does squats as a squat jump is “passed” in sport arena “wave” fashion around the circle. This goes on for a predetermined allotted time (i.e. 15, 25, 45 seconds). The person who is jumping on the buzzer must leave the circle, perform 25 burpees, then and does sit-ups for the remainder of the game. Each person out does X-number of less burpees than the one before. This continues until one Ultimate Hot Potato Champion remains.

Main

The whole day is basically divided up into a series of Field Day events, only beefed up. Here are the events I used:

• Wheelbarrow Race – In teams of two, partners race to cone; the person holding their partner’s legs squats, and the person walking on their hands does 10 push-ups; switch; race back and perform same set of exercises. Losing teams do tricep dips.
• Potato Sack Race – Another partner game, teams take turns jumping to cones and back in a big potato sack; switch; person waiting does jumping jacks. Losing teams do star jumps.
• Water balloon toss – Traditional game where partners start close together, toss a water balloon to each then move a step back, but all teams must hold a static squat the entire time and jump backwards after each successful toss. Losing teams do elbow push-ups.
• Blanket carry – Partners pair up to form teams of four. Teams must sprint to cones and back while dragging a teammate on a sheet/blanket. Each team member gets a turn on the blanket. Losing teams do reverse crunches
• Baseball Bat Race – Like traditional game, this could be done in teams of two or more. Each person takes a turn spinning 10x around the head of a bat. They must then race through an obstacle course (i.e. at first cone, do 5 jacks, at second cone, 5 squats, then 5 burpees, then 4 shuffles). All waiting do skaters.

There are other ideas that I either discarded due to lack of time or equipment, including any number of foot races (relays, sprint, distance running).  Tug-a-war would have also been a great event to include, but I didn’t have a rope at my disposal.

Cool Down

4. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire / $25,000 Pyramid (Nutrition Challenge)

Also from Niki J Torres

I created this workout as part of a series I was doing centered on the theme of game shows (i.e. another day was “Minute to Win It,” with the workout consisting of a large circuit where each station was one minute each). I was also experimenting with creative ways to address basic nutrition information without taking time away from actually working out.  The result was a fun and interesting day, but also, admittedly, much less intense than any other workout I’ve offered. So my disclaimer is, if you are interested in running with this idea, either play around with ways to beef it up, or plan to only use it with groups who require a lower-intensity workout.  I would love to hear thoughts on how to make it more intense!

Warm-Up

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

Game is played like show, where trainer asks a series of trivia questions and gives an option of multiple-choice answers.

While question is being read (and at all other times of waiting), clients run in place. In order to answer, clients do an exercise that corresponds with the letter. For example, if they think the correct answer is ‘A,’ they would give their “final answer” by completing a series of star jumps. If ‘B,’ then mountain climbers, and if ‘C,’ then butt kicks.

If clients answer incorrectly, they must then do the reps required for the correct answer as well.

Here are a few examples of questions I used:

• This is a good nutrient to eat after exercise because it helps to rebuild muscles. A: Protein, B: Carbohydrate, C: Fat
• Which of the following does NOT count as 1 serving from the protein group? A= 1 ½ c. cooked kidney beans, B= 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, C=8 oz. roast beef
• Three ounces of cooked, lean beef is roughly the size of: A=a pack of cards, B=a checkbook, C=an square envelope
• How many calories make up one pound of fat? A=2,000, B=3,500, C=5,000
• When reading a food label, what information do most nutrition professionals recommend you look at first? A=fat content, B=calories, C=Serving Size

$25,000 Pyramid

Group is divided into teams of two. Game is played like the show, where one person on a team is given a word they must try to get the other person to guess.  Teams try to guess as many words as possible in each one-minute round.

“Guesser” does push-ups while “Quizzer” performs jump squats. All other teams not currently in play, or “Onlookers,” do crunches (or trainer could keep changing this exercise up each round). Everyone rotates through each station at least once (or more depending on size of group and time allotted.)

Examples of words to guess: Protein, Carbohydrate, Healthy Fat, Grain, Water, Carrots, Broccoli, Kiwi, Couscous, Skim Milk, Tilapia, Colby Jack Cheese, Serving, Portion Control, Oils, Dairy, Sweet Potato, Fuel, Fiber, Vegetable, Fruit, Baked Chicken, Yogurt, Energy, Digestion, Almonds

Finisher: Let’s Make a Deal

Group must choose between two cones (or boxes or bags or what you will). Within each cone is a finisher exercise (i.e. 2 laps vs. 5 sprints), and their fate is chosen based on which cone they go with.

Cool-Down

5. Squat Hold and Lunges Mayhem!

From Shannon Billows

Great Way to finish of your bootcamp sessions if you are indoors and outdoors.

Have all campers in teams of 3.

2 campers are to hold the squat hold/wall squat hold position on either side of the hall/oval approx 10-15 metres apart. The 3rd person has to lunge from each campers 1 and 2. The only time they can stand up is when they are replaced by the lunging camper.

Once they have lunged all the way from camper 1 to camper 2 they take that campers place in the wall squat hold/ squat hold position and the other camper swaps over and starts lunging back to the other side. This continues for 5 minutes!

If any campers stands up or move before they are replaced, the whole camp has to do burpees for 5 reps.

My guys love these.

6. Rock Paper Scissors (roshambo)

Also from Jess Griffin

Set up  4 cones in a large rectangle. Think 4 corners of a basketball court size. Add pile of bandanas (other ideas– tennis balls, beanbags, etc) to center of square.

Count off by 4’s and each number takes a corner.  That is their HOMEBASE.  Each corner plays RPS (1, 2, 3, shoot!) and winners sprint clockwise to next corner to play RPS there.  Each time player wins he advances to next corner. Goal is to travel  around rectangle and back to HOMEBASE as fast as possible. Loser remains at corner and jacks while they wait for another player to run to the corner to RPS with.

In case of odd numbers at corner clients jack while waiting.  Everybody is running or jacking the entire time except for the quick  1, 2, 3, Shoot! More than one shoot out can occur each corner (ie. if 4 clients, two separate shoot outs happening at once, if 5 there are 2 shoot outs and one jacking while waiting).

When player returns to their HOMEBASE they tag the cone, race to center of square and grab a bandana (or whatever object you are using) then move onto the NEXT corner and continue play. They MUST touch HOMEBASE each time before running to get ball/scarf/etc from center.

Players never play RPS at their homebase after the very first time at start of the game. Game ends when all items taken from middle. Player with most wins. I use about 30 bandanas  for this.

This game moves fast and is VERY fun! My clients love this one, lots of laughs while working out!  It takes a few times to get the hang of it but no worries, as long as everybody is moving!

If unsure how to play RPS… Wikipedia

Note from Kyle: My assistant introduced a great variation on this by using full body Rock, Paper and Scissor actions. Adds much laughter.

7. Good Ole Fashioned Cat and Mouse Chase

From Nancy Krueger

My boot camper’s love this! and I find the fear of being caught or the exhileration of actually catching your partner, makes them work especially hard, all in the name of fun!!!

I do this in a gym or on one half of a soccer field. On the side line of the gym or end line of the soccer field I set up five to six body weight stations. Sit-ups, Burpees, Push-ups, Superwomen, Tricep Dips, Squats.

Then on the short sides (end line for the gym, half the side-line for the soccer field) participants must lunge walk. On the opposite long side, they have to sprint through diagonal cones, touching each one.

Game:

Each person does 5 reps of the designated exercise at each station, and then continues with the rest of the obstacles until returning to stations.

Partners of equal fitness levels. If there is a discrepency, just start the more agile partner a few more stations back.

Have one partner start 2 stations behind the other.   The partner that is 2 stations back is the “cat” the other is the “mouse”.    We play the game until one cat has caught their mouse.   Which if everyone is pretty equal in fitness ability, usually takes a while until people start fatiguing!    Then take a 1-2 minute break then switch who is the cat and who is the mouse!!!

Usually I have whole group go throug the stations and obstacles for a 5 minute round so they get used to the order etc, before breaking into partners and starting the game.

Enjoy!

About Nancy: I am a certified Personal Trainer who does Boot Camps in small rural towns (including the one I live in) on the side for fun!   I have a full-time job and three kids (and one on the way), so have not found the additional time to do a website or anything like that yet!  Hopefully someday 🙂

8. Steal the pin

Also from Jess Griffin

I use cones as pins. Place pins in a horizontal line across the middle of a soccer sized field. Everyone gets a partner of equal speed (I do quick race & tell them to find someone who crossed finish at same time).

Partners then meet at pins, one on each side of pins and each pair is given a number. Partners then split and go to opposite ends of field (pins still in the center of field).  They are no longer partners– they are on opposite teams, each team forms a horizontal line facing the pins.

Call out an exercise for entire group to do. (ie. plank, mountain climbers, air squats etc)  They have to be listening, paying attention and FAST off the line when they hear their number!

When their number is called, the two players race for a pin. First to touch a pin puts that pin “in play”. Once up to line they can grab any pin on line– here is where strategy is involved. Each player attempts to run back with pin to their side to claim pin for their side. Other player tries to tag them while running and if successful claims the pin for their side. Team with most pins at end wins. Entire group is doing various exercises while waiting for their numbers to be called. I call out plank and they all hold plank, mountain climbers, air squats, etc. They have to be listening, paying attention and FAST off the line when they hear their number!

Tips: Use a notebook to remember what numbers you call and how often.  Call things like ODD or EVEN to keep them on toes. Multiples of 3, etc.– This gets some laughs as many of my campers stink at math.

Gamify your bootcamps

If you have been struggling to think of ideas for your bootcamps you now have 17 ways to introduce a bit of fun into them.

Like I said at the top, voting starts at the end of next week so in the mean time try to fit in as a many of these games as you can into your camps. Go ahead and put your experiences below in the comments or on the Facebook page. I know the entrants would really be chuffed to hear back from you.

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Images: acockle, EaglebrookSchool, Denis Defreyne