When Amy, an exercise enthusiast in the Boston area, asked trainers "Coach Sweat" and "Coach Glory" to run a boot camp for her and her friends, they initially refused. Coach Sweat had seen many boot camps out and about in the Boston area, and he liked the idea behind it, but he noticed that participants never looked like they were having all that much fun. Coach Sweat started thinking of ways he could provide all the benefits of a boot camp, while insuring that his participants had fun doing it.
A day later Coach Sweat called Amy back and proposed "The Ultimate Grind." A team challenge that was every bit as intense as a boot camp yet provided a culminating event in which her and her teammate would get to compete against other groups for the "Ultimate Grind Championship." Amy enthusiastically accepted the challenge and a new paradigm in fitness was born! So what is the Ultimate Grind and why are people so excited about it?
First let's talk about all of the benefits of a well run boot camp.
Boot camps encourage people to find time in their busy schedules to challenge themselves and get in better shape.
Boot camps provide participants with the support of a group, and many of us need all the support we can get when we're exercising!
Boot camps are typically led by qualified personal trainers.
What makes the Ultimate Grind superior to a typical "Boot camp" you might find in the Boston area is what Coach Sweat calls the "3 C's" of the Ultimate Grind; challenge, camaraderie, and competition.
Challenge - Each "Ultimate Grind" team begins the program with an assessment. After the coaches ask you about your specific goals, you will get a physical assessment that the coaches will use to customize the Ultimate Grind specifically for you and your group. They will design the Ultimate Grind to make it challenging, yet achievable.
Camaraderie - After the assessment, you will be given a teammate from your group. Some groups like to select their own teammates, but Coach Sweat and Coach Glory will usually advise groups as to how the teams will be broken down in order to provide a fair competition.
Competition - Nothing is more exciting than the "Ultimate Grind Championships" which will usually take place 8-12 weeks after the initial assessment. The Ultimate Grind will typically consist of 8 "legs" in which all participants are doing exercises. The coaches will score each event, and the team with the most points in the end will be awarded the championship.
The moral of the story...Boot camps are great, but the Ultimate Grind is even better!
